daily with Her Majesty’s Government in
this matter.

I have, &c.,
EDWARD CARDWELL.

Governor Sir George Grey, K.C.B.,
&c.,
&c., &c.

Downing Street,
30th April, 1864.

Sir,—With reference to your letter of
the 21st instant, containing a recommen-
dation from the Lords of the Committee
of the Privy Council for Trade, that the
“New Commercial Code of Signals”
should be used at a new Signal Station
in Mauritius, in preference to Marryat’s
Flags, I am directed by Mr. Secretary
Cardwell to ask, whether their Lordships
would think it advisable to recommend
the Colonial Governments generally to
use the Colonial Code of Signals? and, if so,
in what terms the instructions or recom-
mendations should be sent to them?

I am, &c.,
F. ROGERS.

James Booth, Esq.,
&c., &c., &c.

Board of Trade, Whitehall,
18th July, 1864.

Sir,—Referring to your letter of the
30th April last, in which you request to
be informed whether my Lords think it
advisable that the Colonial Governments
generally should be recommended to
promote the use of the New Commercial
Code of Signals, and, if so, in what terms
the instructions or recommendations
should be sent to them: I am to request
you to call the attention of Mr. Secretary
Cardwell to the accompanying transla-
tion of a French Imperial Decree pub-
lished in the Moniteur of the 7th instant,
whereby the adoption of the Commercial
Code of Signals is notified, and its exclu-
sive use ordered for the French Merchan-
tile Navy, after a date to be hereafter fixed.

The Signal Book and the Mercantile
Navy List is also to be furnished to all
French vessels of war for communicating
with merchant vessels.

Under these circumstances, and as it is
probable that the Commercial Code will,
in time, become the universal Code for
merchant vessels of all countries, my
Lords are of opinion that Her Majesty’s
Government ought to make every endea-
vour to facilitate the interchange of com-
munications with French and other ves-
sels employing the Commercial Code, by
promoting the use of the Code in our

Colonies and Dependencies: and my
Lords would suggest that in drawing
the attention of the Governors of Her
Majesty’s possessions abroad to the
Decree in question, Mr. Cardwell should
impress upon the several Governments
that it has now become a matter of im-
portance that all master attendants and
harbour masters, and all signal stations
within their respective jurisdictions,
should be provided with sets of the flags
and balls for communicating by the Code,
and that they should also be furnished
annually with the Signal Book and Mer-
cantile Navy List, which are now com-
bined in one volume.

I am to add, that if in any Colony or
Possession there should be any port,
place, or signal station of any importance,
the name of which does not at present
appear in the geographical table of the
Signal Book, a representation of the fact
should be made to the Home Govern-
ment, in order that the name may be
added in the next edition, if the necessity is shown.

I have, &c.,
JAMES BOOTH.

The Under Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.

Decree of the Emperor of the French
for the exclusive use of the Com-
mercial Code of Signals for all Na-
tions.

Napoleon, &c., have decreed, and do
decree, as follows:—

Art. 1. The Commercial Code of Sig-
nals for all Nations, such as has been
adopted by the Anglo-French Commission,
shall be the only one employed for the
interchange of communication by French
vessels, either amongst themselves, and
with the semaphores, or with the vessels
of other nations.

Art. 2. Every vessel of our Imperial
Navy, and every semaphore on the coast
of France, should be provided with the
vocabulary of flags and other objects
necessary for the exchange of communica-
tions with vessels belonging to the French
Mercantile Marine and foreigners, ac-
cording to the system determined by the
said Code.

Art. 3. Our ships of war will continue
to communicate with each other, and
with the French semaphores, by means of
signals at present in use in the Imperial
Marine.

Art. 4. Specimens of the work will be
sent, under the direction of our Secretary
of State of the Marine and Colonies, to