VI. If the person under trial or sentence is not a subject of the country making the demand, his extradition may in this case be deferred until the Government of the State to which the individual demanded belongs, be asked to make known its objections, if there be any, to his extradition.

In any case, the Government to whom the demand is addressed, shall be at liberty to follow the course it may think proper, and give up the offender to be tried by his own Government, or by that of the country in which the offence may have been perpetrated.

VII. All demands for extradition shall be made through the diplomatic channel, and no attention will be paid to them, if they are not accompanied by the warrant of arrest or some other document of an equal value in justice, drawn out in proper form according to the laws of the country making the demand, and stating the nature and gravity of the offence, and the punishment applicable to it; a description of the offender shall also be sent if possible.

VIII. All the stolen property found in possession of the individual demanded, and everything which may serve to prove the offence shall be delivered up at the same time as the delinquent. If the delinquent should have hidden or deposited the said property in the country where he shall have taken refuge, and it be afterwards found or discovered, it shall also be delivered up.

IX. The expenses occasioned by the arrest, the keeping in custody and maintenance of the persons demanded, and their conveyance to the frontier of the State delivering them up, shall be borne by that State. On the other hand the expenses of conveying them through the intermediate countries shall be borne by the State making the demand for their extradition.

X. If, in the space of 4 months for those persons who may take refuge in the European Provinces of Spain or in the Duchy of Nassau, and within 6 months for those in Spanish Colonies, counting from the day such persons are placed at the disposal of the Government making the demand, such Government should not have taken charge of them, they may be set at liberty and their extradition refused.

XI. The High Contracting Parties reserve to themselves the right to decide, by mutual agreement, what formalities are to be observed on the delivery of criminals, the best places to effect the said delivery in each country, and to determine in a more circumstantial manner the other measures for the execution of the present Convention.

XII. When, for the investigation of a criminal case, the Govern ment of one of the two States thinks it necessary to hear the declarations of witnesses resident in the other, or to take other similar legal proceedings, this shall be done by means of a requisition forwarded through the diplomatic channel, in conformity with

the laws of the State, to whose authorities the requisition is directed. The two Governments renounce the repayment of the expenses occasioned by the execution of such requisitions.

XIII. If the personal attendance of a witness be required, the Government of the country to which the said witness belongs, shall request him to present himself before the tribunal which demands his presence; should he consent, he shall be paid the expenses of his journey and stay in the country according to the tariffs and regulations of the country in which he has to make his declaration.

XIV. The present Convention shall begin to take effect 10 days after its publication, in conformity with the laws of each of the two States. It shall be in force for the term of 5 years, reckoned from the day of the exchange of the ratifications, and shall continue to be in force for five years more and so on successively, if one of the two Governments does not inform the other one year previously of its intention to renounce the said Convention.

XV. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Frankfort-on-the-Maine within 3 months or sooner if possible.

In faith whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed this Convention, and have sealed it with their arms.

Done at Frankfort-on-the-Maine, this 23rd of October, 1861. (L.S.) MANUEL RANCES Y VILLANUEVA. (L.S.) v. DUNGERN.

MESSAGE of the President, on the Opening of Legislative Assembly of the Argentine Republic.-Buenos Ayres, May 1, 1863. (Translation.)

FELLOW-CITIZENS OF THE SENATE AND

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES,

IN inaugurating your labours for the present year, I fulfil the duty imposed on me by the Constitution, which is to give you an account of the actual state of the Republic and the events which have come to pass during your recess, explaining to you, at the same time my views respecting the reforms and measures which I deem it necessary to carry out with your assistance, in order to consolidate our institutions, to promote the moral and material progress of the people, and to render that peace both lasting and fruitful, which we have happily acquired at the cost of so many sacrifices.

You will readily comprehend that, as the principal efforts of the Government were devoted to creating or reconstructing everything in order to establish the regular order which now prevails in the country, the labour has necessarily been extremely arduous, during the short space that the present administration has existed. After

half a century of incessant strife, the Argentine nation had to be organized for the first time in all its integrity in accordance with the precepts of our fundamental law. Peace had to be consolidated, the resistance that might obstruct it to be overcome with prudence and firmness, while it was to be rendered at the same time glorious and conducive to the progress of the nation.

The resources had to be, in a manner, created by regulating the national revenue, which was in total disorder; all the exigencies of a normal situation had to be immediately attended to, and at the same time the public force had to be organized as well as the material and staff of a vast administration whose action was to make itself felt in all the uttermost limits of the Republic.

For these reasons, it has not been possible for the Government, amid so many cares, and within so brief a period, to devote so much attention as it would have desired to improvements of great importance which are urgently demanded by the country; and whose accomplishment, on the other hand, can only be the result of the order and tranquillity which we have happily established and consolidated. The Government, nevertheless, has done its utmost in this direction, and what has been achieved may be regarded as the inauguration of a new era of progress for the Republic, whose gradual development, under the favourable influences of liberty and the national institutions, will become more important and apparent as time goes on and as the resources furnished by the nation for the purpose increase, as it is to be hoped they will.

Foreign Affairs.

One of the chief cares of Government has been to preserve peaceful and mercantile relations with all friendly nations. No difficulty or misunderstanding has occurred to interrupt the pleasing task of convincing them of its earnest desire to tighten those bonds, and this has been powerfully assisted by the loyalty and good faith with which the present administration has cultivated its relations with friendly Governments, as well as by the ample and efficacious protection which the law affords to all foreigners resident in the country.

At the same time it is indispensable to appoint several diplomatic agents, not only to remove some serious obstacles of old standing and of vital importance to the Republic, but also to place on a firmer footing the relations of trade and navigation already existing with some countries; it is further desirable that the Republic should be reimbursed for the outlay incurred in its co-operation with other South American States during the War of Independence. Hitherto these diplomatic appointments have been passed over on account of more pressing cares in national organization; but it is now time to attend to these important interests, and the Government will bring the matter before the Senate in due time,

There was urgent necessity for reorganizing the Consular body of the Republic abroad; in doing so, the Government has consulted the fitness of those officials and the interests of the country, and has issued Consular regulations suitable to the times.

The Oriental Republic of Uruguay continues on friendly terms with this country; her Government labours to preserve our fraternal relations. Some private communication took place relative to the apprehension of an invasion from our territory; the Argentine Government replied by an assurance of strict neutrality, which is uniformly observed in the domestic questions of friendly States, more especially when they are neighbouring to this Republic. There is a complaint of the same (Oriental) Government to that of Paraná, which is still unsettled, relative to some stipulations entered into between the latter and the Empire of Brazil; this gave rise to a new Treaty between the 3 Governments, not yet concluded, and on which delicate business the Argentine Government will bestow especial care.

Respecting the Empire of Brazil, our relations at present are amicable, nor is there reason to fear any interruption thereof since this Government has received a manifest proof of friendship in the matter of the debt pending between the two countries. Nevertheless it is requisite to come to an understanding with His Imperial Majesty on several Treaties not yet ratified, which affect our mutual interests. Touching the frontier lines it is desirable to define them more clearly, as some difficulties have arisen about them.

The President of the Paraguayan Republic, D. Carlos A. de Lopez, died, and was succeeded in the Government by Brigadier-General D. Francisco Solano Lopez, who conveyed the sad intelligence in the letter announcing his elevation. This Government condoled with Paraguay on the loss to the Republic, and assured the new President of its cordial esteem. Our friendly and commercial relations are on a good footing, and I trust they will continue so, as we have now the opportunity of amicably arranging some matters pending between the two countries.

The Peruvian Republic having accredited a distinguished diplomatist to this capital, he has effected the establishment of fraternal relations between the two States.

The Argentine Government did not deem it fitting to accede to the request of Peru, to join the continental Treaty entered into with the Republic of Chile, although in the principal object of that Treaty-the Mexican question-it was sufficiently explicit in stating its sympathies for that sister Republic.

Moreover the Argentine Government declared that, if that Republic were seriously threatened and in danger from the force of a powerful nation accomplishing therein sinister plans that might affect all the Republics of the Continent, the Argentine Govern

ment would assume the proper attitude for its own security and that of the common interests of the American Republics; in which sentiments and intentions it is hoped the National Congress will coincide.

The Chilian Government, no less alarmed by the policy displayed by the Emperor of the French in Mexico, requested the Argentine Government to join in the sentiments and ideas contained in a despatch to the Chilian Minister at the Court of Her Britannic Majesty. Agreeing entirely with such sentiments, we replied that we were firmly resolved to preserve the independence and the democratical form of Government of these countries, without prejudice to the preservation of peace and harmony with the States of Europe and America, on the broad principle of mutual respect for their common rights and obligations. The Argentine Government confides in the friendly feeling of that Republic (Chile) to bring to a favourable conclusion sundry minor questions, thus to strengthen the bond of fraternity which is now doubly necessary among the American States.

The events in Mexico further induced the Government of the Columbian States to address the Argentine Government in order to come to an understanding, in view of the common danger which might threaten these countries. It was answered with fraternal feeling and in accordance with the statement made to the Governments of Peru and Chile.

The disastrous war, which still rages in the Great Republic of the United States of North America seriously affects our commerce with that country, which was steadily increasing of late years. The Argentine Government offers the most fervent wishes for the restoration of peace and concord among the children of that Republic, which has served as a model for the rest of this continent.

Respecting our relations with European Powers, the Government has the pleasure of stating to you that nothing has occurred during the year to disturb their cordiality.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales communicated, in the name of Her Britannic Majesty, the death of His Royal Highness Albert the Prince Consort. The Government declared its sympathy with the Queen and Royal Family on the loss of the illustrious Prince.

Several claims of British subjects are in course of settlement, and all obligations with that Government are discharged with scrupulous exactness by the Argentine Government. The Provincial Chambers of Buenos Ayres have not yet decided on several arrangements lately concluded touching old claims for compensation by English, French, and Italian subjects. It is to be hoped that this matter will soon be settled. Divers other subjects of mutual interest, proposed as well by this Government as by the British Legation, will have an issue satisfactory to both countries.