Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of His Majesty. LONDON: PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from [Cd. 4081.] Price 4s. 5d. c+ No. TABLE OF CONTENTS. SUBJECT. Pages PROTOCOLS. 1 Protocol of Opening Sitting of Peace Conference, held on 15th June, 1907. The Netherland Minister for Foreign Affairs, M. van Tets, welcomed the Delegates of the forty-five States taking part in the Conference. M. de Nélidow, the First Russian Plenipotentiary, was elected President of the Conference, and proceeded to propose the nomination of M. van Tets as Honorary President, and of M. de Beaufort, former Netherland Minister for Foreign Affairs, as Vice-President of the Conference; these proposals were unanimously accepted. The Secretariat was then constituted, and the Conference adjourned until 19th June. 2 Protocol of the Second Plenary Meeting, held on 19th June, 1907. After the Minutes of the proceedings of the First Plenary Meeting had been adopted and certain formal business transacted, the question of procedure was discussed, and the Regulations proposed were read Article by Article, and, with one omission, adopted (see Inclosure). The President then proposed the appointment of four Committees to deal respectively with the various subjects enumerated in the Russian programme (see "Miscellaneous No. 1 (1908)," No. 1). Baron Marschall, the German Plenipotentiary, declared his intention of submitting a scheme for the establishment of an International Tribunal of Appeal in matters of naval prize. Sir E. Fry, the British Plenipotentiary, expressed his satisfaction at Baron Marschall's declaration, and added that he had received instructions of a similar character from his Government, and that he was therefore delighted to be able to associate himself ⚫ with the other delegations in extending the principles of arbitration. General Porter, the American Plenipotentiary, also supported the general principle of a Prize Court of Appeal. He further announced that he would in due course submit a proposal respecting the use of armed force for the collection of debts due to the private subjects or citizens of a foreign State by their Governments. Both General Porter and Sir E. Fry made a general reservation of the right to introduce fresh subjects not mentioned in the Russian programme if they considered it expedient to do so. A Special Committee, under M. de Beaufort, was appointed to deal with all addresses, resolutions, &c., from private persons or Associations to the Conference. It was decided that the discussions of the Conference should be private. 3 Protocol of the Third Plenary Meeting, held on 20th July, 1907. After the Minutes of the proceedings of the Second Plenary Meeting had been adopted, M. de Beaufort, on behalf of the Committee appointed to deal with addresses, resolutions, &c., gave an account of the more important communications received by the Conference since it opened. M. Louis Renault submitted a Report (see Annex 1, p. 87) prepared by the Third A Drafting Committee was formed for the purpose of harmonizing the schemes 1-11 12-17 18-23 No. SUBJECT. Pages 4 Protocol of the Fourth Plenary Meeting, held on 17th August, 1907. The Conference then proceeded to discuss the Report of the Second Committee (see The question of renewing the Declaration of 1899 respecting the prohibition to Sir E. Fry announced that his Government now accepted the Declaration of 1899, Sir E. Fry moved the following Resolution in favour of the limitation of armaments :- In the course of his speech Sir E. Fry made an important declaration to the effect The proposal was received with applause by the Conference, and it was considered 5 Protocol of the Fifth Plenary Meeting, held on 7th September, 1907. 24-31 32-36 |