as may be of difficult or uncertain execution, which besides the prejudice they would cause to the creditors themselves, might compromise the preservation of the good harmony which exists between the Governments of Spain and Mexico; and the latter Government being, moreover, desirous of doing justice to the demands made by its creditors, as far as its resources and the obligation and right it has to preserve its existence will permit, and Don Cayetano Rubio, the present possessor of the credits which belong to the said Missions, being willing to make the sacrifice of their demands in favour of an arrangement based upon as equitable terms as the situation of the finances of the country will permit, counting upon the guarantee and security that it will be faithfully carried out, the Undersigned Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United States of Mexico, authorized by the Decree of 17th October of the present year, and Her Catholic Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires, having met together in a Diplomatic Conference, have agreed upon the following Articles:

ART. I. Don Cayetano Rubio, present possessor of the credits which belong to the Dominican Missionary Fathers included in the Regulations and Agreements which pass under the name of their Agent, the Reverend Padre Moran, shall present himself at the General Treasury to settle the said credits, according to the

biernos de España y de Mexico; deseando este último hacer justicia á las demandas de sus acreedores hasta donde se lo permitan sus recursos, y la obligacion y derecho de conservarse, convenido Don Cayetano Rubio, dueño actual de los créditos que pertenecieron á las espresadas Misiones, en hacer el sacrificio de sus derechos entrando en una transaccion bajo las bases de un arreglo tan equitativo como lo permita la situacion pecuniaria del Gobierno Méxicano, y con la garantia y seguridad de que será exactamente cumplido, los infrascritos Ministro de Relaciones de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, autorizado por el Decreto de 17 de Octubre del corriente año, y Enviado Extraordinario y Ministro Plenipotenciario de Su Magestad Católica, reunidos en conferencia, han convenido en los Articulos siguientes:

ART. I. Don Cayetano Rubio, actual poseedor de los créditos que pertenecieron á los Padres Misioneros Dominicos, comprendidos en los arreglos y convenios que corren con el nombre de su apoderado el Reverendo Padre Moran, se presentará á la Tesorería General para hacer la liquidacion de los espresados créditos

terms agreed upon in this Convention, and the amount shall be fixed precisely within the term of the 30 days, counted from the day on which this Convention is signed.

II. The Mexican Government obliges itself to pay yearly a sum of 5 per cent. for the purpose of paying off the capital of this consolidated fund, and 3 per cent. a-year for interest upon it, calculated on the gradual decrease of the amount of the fund caused by the paying off of the capital.

III. The payment of the sums destined to pay off yearly the capital and interest of the credits included in the present Convention shall take place every six months through a Commissioner appointed for that purpose by the creditors interested in the Convention.

To render effective the stipulations contained in the preceding Article, the Mexican Government obliges itself to assign from the produce of the importation duties collected in the CustomHouses established in the ports of the Republic, so much per cent. as may be sufficient to cover the amount necessary for paying the 5 per cent. destined to pay off the capital and the 3 per cent. interest allotted to the credits included in the present Convention.

To prevent any delay or suspension at any time taking place in the payment of the 5 and 3 per cent. above mentioned, the Mexican Government obliges

con arreglo al presente Convenio, y la citada oficina la verificará precisamente dentro del término de 30 dias contados desde él de su fecha.

II. El Gobierno Mexicano se obliga á pagar anualmente cinco por ciento de amortizacion de ese fondo consolidado, y tres por ciento de interes anual calculado sobre la diminucion progresiva que ocasione la amortizacion.

III. El pago de las cantidades anuales que se destinan á la amortizacion é intereses de los créditos comprendidos en el presente Convenio, se verificará por semestres vencidos en manos de Don Cayetano Rubio. Para hacer efectivas las estipulaciones contenidas en el Articulo anterior, el Gobierno Mexicano se obliga á consignar sobre el producto de los derechos de importacion que se cobren en las Aduanas establecidas en los puertos de la República un tanto por ciento bastante para cubrirse el monto del 5 por ciento de amortizacion y del 3 por ciento de interes que se señala á los creditos comprendidos en el presente Convenio. Para que en ningun tiempo pueda diferirse ó suspenderse el pago de ese 5 y 3 por ciento, el Gobierno Mexicano se obliga á pasar una órden á los Administradores de la espresada renta, señalandoles la cuota de los derechos espresados que deben remitir en libranzas sepaitself to send an order to the collectors of the aforesaid revenue, stating to them the amount of the aforesaid duties to be sent in separate drafts to the General Treasury in favour of the aforesaid Señor Rubio, which drafts are to be made over to him as soon as they are received at the Treasury.

If at the end of the year the amounts due for the interest and for paying off the capital are not covered, the General Treasury, without waiting for any further order, shall pay the amount due with the first drafts it receives from the maritime CustomHouses; and Señor Rubio on his part, if he should have received more than is necessary for paying off the yearly amount of the capital, and the interest agreed upon, shall return the surplus to the Treasury.

IV. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of this Republic shall send to Her Catholic Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires a copy of the order which the Minister of Finance sends to the collectors of the Custom-Houses in fulfilment of the preceding Article, which Article shall be considered as having been inserted in and forming part of the present Convention.

V. The Mexican Government being desirous of giving unequivocal proofs of the justice and equity with which it intends to act in this arrangement, obliges itself to better the condition of its creditors, by increasing from the fifth year, counted from the

radas á la Tesorería General á favor de dicho Señor Rubio, las cuales libranzas deberán serle entregadas, en cuanto las reciba la espresada Tesorería.

Si al fin del año no estuvieren cubiertos los intereses y el cinco por ciento de amortizacion, la Tesorería General, sin necesidad de nueva orden, cubrirá el déficit con las primeras libranzas que reciba de las Aduanas marítimas, y el Señor Rubio por su parte, si hubiere recibido mayor cantidad que la que importen los espresados intereses y amortizacion anual, devolverá á la Tesorería General el escedente.

IV. El Ministro de Relaciones de la República pasará al Ministro Plenipotenciario de Su Magestad Católica una copia de la órden que por el de Hacienda se transmita á los Administradores de las Aduanas, en cumplimiento del Artículo anterior, la cual se considerará como si estuviese inserta, y formará parte del presente Convenio.

V. Deseando el Gobierno Mexicano dar pruebas inequívocas de la justicia y equidad con que se propone proceder en este arreglo, se obliga á mejorar la condicion del crédito á que se refiere, aumentando despues del quinto año, contado desde esta present date, the interest granted for the capital, and the sum allotted for paying it off.

It consequently obliges itself to pay to Señor Don Cayetano Rubio 4 per cent. interest a-year, and to allow 6 per cent. a-year for paying off the capital from the end of the fifth year, that is to say, that this increase is to take place from the beginning of the sixth year from the present date.

VI. As the Mexican Congress is about to pass a law for the purpose of paying off the internal debt, Don Cayetano Rubio is at liberty to transfer the credits referred to in this Convention into the fund which may be created for the above purpose, making their intention known to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who will communicate it to Her Catholic Majesty's Legation.

VII. It is especially stipulated and agreed that, in the event of any part of the obligations contracted by the present Convention being broken through, or their fulfilment delayed or suspended by the Mexican Treasury, this Convention becomes at once thereby annulled, and Señor Rubio is restored to the possession of the rights acquired in the Conventions and arrangements already existing.

In witness whereof we, the aforesaid Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Mexican Republic, and Her Catholic Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires, have signed and sealed the above Convention with our respective seals.

fecha, el interes concedido al capital y á su amortizacion. En consecuencia, se obliga á pagar al Señor Don Cayetano Rubio, el quatro por ciento anual de interes, y el seis por ciento anual de amortizacion, al cumplirse dicho quinto año, de tal manera que este aumento empiece á correr desde el sesto.

VI. Como el Congreso Mexicano está tratando de hacer una ley para el pago de la deuda interior, Don Cayetano Rubio queda en libertad de trasladar los créditos á que se refiere el presente Convenio al fondo que en virtud de ella se creare, haciendo saber su resolucion al Ministerio de Relaciones, quien la comunicá á la Legacion de Su Magestad Católica.

VII. Queda espresamente estipulado y convenido, que en caso de quebrantarse, suspenderse ó diferirse por el Tesoro Mexicano el cumplimiento de cualquiera de las obligaciones que contrae en el presente Convenio, queda este de hecho anulado, y el Señor Rubio restituido en el goce de los derechos adquiridos en los arreglos y convenciones celebradas con el Reverendo Padre Moran.

En fé de lo cual, los espresados Ministro de Relaciones de la República Mexicana, y Enviado Estraordinario y Ministro Plenipotenciario de Su Magestad Católica, lo firmamos y sellamos con nuestro sello respectivo, en