Table showing the days amd hours at which Belgian custom-house offices are open to the importation into Belgium of fresh meats- Continued. Names. Days when offices are opened. French frontier-Continued. Names. Residence. Cul-des-Sarts Momignies (station). The first Saturday in the months of Pureur Couvin. Gerard... Momignies. Solre Sur Sambre. By railway and overland routes Duby Bois-Bourdon (Ha- Tuesdays and Fridays, as well as on Quievrain (village). Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 to 11 Do..... Hertain.. o'clock. Thursdays from 3 to 4 o'clock.... Delattre Ninove .do Do. Saturdays from 9.30 to 10.30 o'clock.. L'Abeele (Village. Warenton. Poperinghe. Leysele. Furnes. Virton. Goegnies-Chaussee. N. B. When the opening day appointed for the bureaus and branch bureaus of customs occurs on a Sunday or on a holiday the receiver shall agree with the expert veterinarian upon the evening or day before or the day following as the day of importation. This change shall be made known to the public by means of a placard in a prominent place, at least eight days in advance, on the walls of the building or premises belonging to the customs office. 54. CIRCULAR ADDRESSED TO THE EXPERT MEAT INSPECTORS ON THE FRONTIER. BRUSSELS, December 24, 1897. I have the honor herewith to forward to you a copy: First. Of the royal decree of the 14th of this month which organizes the service of expert inspection of meats imported into the Kingdom. Second. Of the royal decree of the same date which gives the amount of the tax to collect from the importers. Third. Of the ministerial decree of the 17th of this month which indicates those bureaus of customs through which the entry of the meats is authorized, the days and hours of their being open; also the names of the veterinarians charged with the service of inspection. Concerning the collection of the duties, you will please conform to the following instructions: Before the inspection the importer or his representative must pay into the hands of the expert the amount of the tax due according to the royal decree of the 14th of the current month. The expert gives him a receipt torn from a stub book (Form No. 42). The receipt and the stub must bear the same inscriptions. The expert will address to the central administration (service of health and public hygiene) within the first five days of each month an exact certified statement of the taxes which he has collected during the preceding month, and if the expert is charged with the service in several localities directed by a bureau or subbureau use Form No. 41. Under such circumstances, a postal order should be annexed equaling in amount the gross receipts. Whenever experts live in a locality where there is an agency of the national bank, or in proximity to one, they will pay directly into the treasury the amount of the receipt under the law, "Product of the taxes of inspection of meats." They will replace the postal order by a certificate of deposit, which will be delivered to them, and which they should immediately have signed by the agent of the treasury. Agents who are likewise charged with the sanitary control of live stock will render a separate account of the receipts connected with the two branches of the service. They will produce a postal order or a certificate of deposit, distinct for the support of each statement. When the importer demands a second inspection he should place in the hands of the first expert a sum sufficient to cover the expenses of the second inspection. If the decision of the first expert is confirmed, the tax for the second inspection is borne on the monthly account of receipts. If the decision of the first expert is revoked, the sum consigned is immediately restored to the interested parties. The experts in meat inspection at the frontier offices are remunerated according to the regulation of April 8, 1893, relative to the sanitary control of domestic animals. At each visit they make a declaration through the receiver of customs, establishing the exact hour of their arrival at the bureau of control, as well as the hour at which they terminated the operations of inspection. A quarterly report in duplicate shall be made of the indemnities which are due and the disbursements which have been made, and especially noting the sending of postal orders. The two copies will be transmitted to the central administration within the first ten days after the end of the quarter year, having annexed thereto the declarations of the receivers and other vouchers. When the same office of customs is open both to the importation of live stock and slaughtered meats, fees connected with the double service intrusted to the expert are combined, from the point of view of the remuneration. They will therefore have to produce but a single account, in duplicate, of the fees connected with both branches of the service. The third expert who may be designated by the veterinary inspector and the second expert will forward to the central administration a declaration of that which is due to them. You will be required, Mr. Veterinarian, to demand from the experts now in charge of the service of inspection of imported meats the employment of stamps made obligatory by the ministerial decree of June 28, 1891. The minister of agriculture and public works. [Form No. 42.] LEON DE BRUYN. [Kingdom of Belgium, minister of agriculture and public works. Service of public health and hygiene.j [Form No. 41.] [Minister of agriculture and public works. Service of public health and hygiene.] Statement of taxes for inspection, collected by Mr. during the month of 189-. veterinarian at Custom-House Office The experts charged with the inspection in several localities are requested to forward this statement to the bureau or subbureau of customs. [Inclosure 2 in dispatch No. 141. Abstract from Moniteur Belge, August 29-30, 1898.- Translation.] Expert inspection of imported meats. Leopold II, King of the Belgians, to all that are and shall be, greeting: Reviewing the royal decree of December 14, 1897, concerning the expert inspection of fresh meats imported into the Kingdom, see Article I of the law of December 20, 1897, thus expressed: ̧ The articles 19 to 26, 28, and 50 of the loi of April 6, 1843, upon the repression of fraud are applicable in case of importation, of exportation, or transit, without declaration of merchandise liable to duty or not, which would be subject to measures of legal control, or which might be temporarily prohibited for any cause whatever, at the point of entry, or of departure or in transit, by all the frontiers or only a part. See the notice of the service of veterinary inspection. Upon the proposition of our minister of agriculture and public works, we have decreed and we hereby do decree: Articles 1, 3, and 8 of the royal decree of December 14, 1897, relative to the inspection of imported meats into the Kingdom, are replaced by the following provisions: ART. 1. The entrance into Belgium of meats, fats, and appurtenances, fresh, prepared, or preserved, coming from animals of the cattle, sheep, goat, or swine species, is not authorized except through the custom-house officers or branches of these offices, upon the frontier or in the interior as designated by our minister of agriculture and public works, and upon the days and at the hours determined in accord with our minister of finance. The importation of meats, fats, and appurtenances of the horse species, prepared or preserved, is interdicted. ART. 3. These meats, fats, and appurtenances imported shall not be delivered to the public markets for food until they are pronounced suitable for consumption and provided with a stamp in conformity to the model prescribed, after an examination put in operation by the veterinarians charged with the control of live stock imported into Belgium or by other experts designated for this purpose. For those products which are prepared or preserved the stamp may be applied to the boxes or receptacles. ART. 8. Infractions of articles 1 and 2 of this decree will be punished by the penalties provided by the law of April 6, 1845, for the repression of fraud in customs. Infractions of articles 3 to 7 will be punished by the penalties provided by articles 6 and 7 of the law of August 4, 1890, without prejudice, as to the application of penalties established by the penal code. Our minister of agriculture and public works is charged with the execution of this decree. Given at Ostend August 22, 1898. LEOPOLD. In the name of the King. The minister of agriculture and public works. LEON DE BRUYN, No. 79.] BOLIVIA. ASYLUM IN LEGATIONS. Mr. Bridgman to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, La Paz, Bolivia, December 24, 1898. SIR: I have the honor to state that the ministers in La Paz representing the American, Brazilian, and French Governments have formed a joint council for the purpose of acting in unison regarding the reception and treatment of refugees asking "asylum" of the legations during the present insurrection. In reference to the same I drew up a set of rules to govern our actions in the matter, a copy of which I inclose herewith. These rules were accepted without alteration, and signed by all. The rules are based on paragraphs 50 and 51, page 20, in Instructions to Diplomatic Officers, and paragraph 92, page 138, of Woolsey (Scribner's 1897 edition). The idea in South America is deeply rooted, among the populace at least, that a foreign legation is legally a refuge for all sorts of crimi nals, who may remain in safety from lawful or unlawful pursuit. I have, etc., GEORGE H. BRIDGMAN. [Inclosure 1 in No. 79.] Conditions agreed upon by all the ministers undersigned to govern reception of refugees. Every person asking asylum must be received first in the outer or waiting room of the legation, and there state his name, official capacity, if any, residence, and reasons for demanding refuge; also if his life is threatened by mob violence or is in active danger from any attack. If, according to the joint rules laid down by the committee composed of the Brazilian, American, and French ministers, he shall be adjudged eligible for protection, he must subscribe to the following rules in writing: First. To agree that the authorities shall be at once notified of his place of refuge. Second. To hold no communication with any outside person, and to receive no visitors except by permission of the authority quoted above. Third. To agree not to leave the legation without permission of the resident minister. Fourth. To hold himself as virtually the prisoner-guest of the minister in whose legation he is. Fifth. To agree to peaceably yield himself to the proper authorities when so demanded by them and requested by his host. Sixth. To quietly depart when so requested by the minister, should the authorities not demand his person after a reasonable time has elapsed. EDWARDO LISBOA. LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, December 21, 1898. CENTRAL AMERICA. DISSOLUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF CENTRAL AMERICA. No. 174.] Mr. Merry to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, San Jose, Costa Rica, December 1, 1898. SIR: I have the honor to inclose herewith copy and translation of official telegram received this a. m. by the Government of Costa Rica announcing the final dissolution of the newly formed United States of Central America by the executive council thereof. With assurances of my highest consideration, etc., WILLIAM LAWRENCE MERRY, United States Minister. [Inclosure 1 in No. 174.-Translation. | [Telegram deposited in Amapala November 29 at 12.40 p. m. Received in San Jose November 30 at 9.20 a. m.] To the Minister of Foreign Relations: With real regret I fulfill the duty of advising your excellency that the executive federal council has decided to day to declare that the existence of the Republic of the United States of Central America is dissolved, not being able to continue in the exercise of its functions consequently. I will send to your excellency separately the documents justifying such a transcendent resolution taken as extraordinary necessity in consequence of the important events in Salvador. Central American patriotism feels injured in its most legitimate interests and leaves the responsibility to those who insisted in destroying their work. On leaving my post I have the honor to repeat to your excellency the protestations of my consideration and respect. J. SANSON. No. 175.] Mr. Merry to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, San Jose, Costa Rica, December 2, 1898. SIR: Respectfully referring to my No. 174, dated 1st instant, I have the honor to advise that the Government of Costa Rica has officially recognized the Regalado anti-Federal Government of Salvador. Guatemala has not, so far as I am advised, taken like action, but is expected to do so soon. I have inclosed herewith telegram just received from Hon. Erasmo Calderon, minister of foreign affairs of the newly habilitated Republic of Nicaragua, which is self explanatory, and follows the proclamation of President Zelaya, dated November 30, announcing the |