Examined by this office of the governnient the papers
transmitted by your Excellency with the official communication No.
1967, of September 16th last, in the question raised by the politico-
military governor of Sulu, by reason of a communication addressed to
the same by the office of the commander-general of the naval station at
Manila, directing the prohibition of the mother-of-pearl fishery in the
waters of Sulu and the Carolines ; studied also tlie report of the General
Government, and that of the council of administration of the Philip-
pines, and heard also the illustrious opinion of the Department of State,
to secure which the papers were sent there, accompanied by the Eoyal
order of the 7th of January last; bearing in mind that our prestige
among the natives in those islands would perforce suffer seriously if
foreigners were to perform, without any intervention on the part of our
authorities, acts, which, like that of engaging in the mother-of-pearl
shell fishery, they cannot carry on without paying tribute to the Moro
Sultans and chieftains; though it is not less true that the absolute
prohibition of the right of fishery to foreigners would arouse, as wisely
foreseen by your Excellency, diplomatic remonstrances based upon the
Protocol of Sulu of March 7th, 1886; his Majesty the King (whom God
protect), the Queen Pegent of the Kingdom acting in his name, has
seen fit to direct that your Excellency be informed that he has seen
with pleasure the tact and prudence with which this question has been
dealt with, in the first place by your Excellency, and afterwards by all
the authorities who have inter\-ened in the same; that so long as the
representative of the English Pearling and Trading Company, the
captains of their boats, or other foreigners, do not urge with importunity
the right to carry on the industry of the mother-of-pearl shell fishery
within the zone of jurisdictional waters and at occupied j)laces, an endeavor must be made to prevent their doing so, in order, if possible, to
set a precedent favorable to our interests ; and that in the event of their
insisting, it will be necessary to permit them to engage in the industry
of the mother-of-pearl fishery, with the obligation to submit in so doing
to the rules and regulations now in force or which may be put into force
hereafter. It is also the wish of his Majesty that your p]xcellency be
apprised of the expediency of formulating, with the greatest possible
despatch, coast police and fishery regulations for the archipelagoes of
Sulu and the Carolines; in which regulations care must be taken not to
make special mention of the Protocols, nor to recognize expressly the
rights of foreigners, and, on the other hand, not to depart from the
terms of the provisions of these international agreements, so that in the
event of any foreigners claiming the right in question, they shall not be
able to elude compliance with the regulations by basing their pretensions
on the terms of the said Protocols ; for all of which your Excellency will
place yourself in harmony with the competent authorities whose duty it
is to take cognizance of this matter, submitting afterwards for the
approbation of this oflBce drafts of the coast police and fishery regulations
above referred to.