D Germany: Same as France, excepting that protest must be taken out not later than the second working day after maturity. Belgium: Same as France, excepting that the protest day is the second working day after maturity. Should the acceptor of a Bill fail before its maturity, the Bill may be protested and action taken on it, as if it had been dishonoured at due date. Holland: Two days of grace. Russia (generally): If Bills are accepted ten days of grace are exacted. The leading Bankers do not avail themselves of this delay. Unaccepted Bills carry no grace. In Warsaw, however, only one day of grace is allowed. DUE DATE OF BILLS. England: Bills due on Sunday, Christmas Day, and Good Friday are payable on the previous working day; on Bank Holidays, the subsequent working day. France. Bills due on Sundays and Holidays are payable on previous day. Germany and Holland: Bills due on Sundays or Holidays are payable the following day. Portugal: Same as France, excepting that, calculating the maturity of Bills, a month is fixed at thirty days, consequently a Bill drawn at three months would be identical with a Bill drawn at ninety days. CHAPTER IV THE EXPORTATION OF GOODS Procuring Orders.-In the home trade, orders from towns other than those where the goods are manufactured are obtained by means of commercial travellers and agents who work certain districts. In the export trade orders are obtained in the same way, except that, instead of being confined to districts, the travellers have to work whole countries, whilst in distant countries, such as India, China, &c., the agents in many cases give place to branch firms. Another point of difference between the home trade and the export trade is that the latter is to a very much larger extent than the former done by telegraph. The orders received (except in the case of orders for standard or well-known articles) are generally based on patterns or samples shown by the traveller or sent direct by a firm to their agents or branches. Each pattern or sample usually has a distinct mark assigned to it, and it is referred to by this mark. In the case of patterns sent to countries to or from which the cost of telegraphing is very heavy (such as India, China, Australia, &c.), a number is assigned to each pattern, and when goods are ordered by telegraph, as is frequently the case, these numbers are used to indicate the goods required. Sometimes orders are sent direct by a foreign firm, and very frequently foreign buyers (from the Continent, Canada, the United States, and South America, chiefly) visit this country and select the goods they require; but in the majority of cases sales are effected as described above, by means of travellers, agents, or branch firms. Commercial Travellers.-In several countries in Europe, and at times in British Colonies (New Zealand for instance), before a traveller or other representative of a British firm can take orders he must be in possession of a license. In the case of Switzerland, a representative of a British firm proposing to take orders in that country should first obtain a "carte de légitimation" from a British Chamber of Commerce, on production of which the police authorities of the first canton visited will furnish an official license. In some other countries, Roumania and Servia, for instance, this "carte de légitimation serves as a license. In other countries, however, such as Russia, Denmark, Norway, and some South American countries, a license must be obtained from the police authorities or Customs officials at the first town visited, and heavy fees have to be paid. In Denmark, a traveller is not allowed to carry samples outside the principal towns; if he does, and is found out, he is brought before a police court and heavily fined. In the United Kingdom there are no restrictions of this kind, and a foreign commercial traveller is at liberty to visit all parts of the Kingdom, either with or without samples, and take any number of orders, without a license or payment of any fee whatever. It is almost unnecessary to mention that a commercial traveller should have an effective knowledge of the language spoken in the country he is about to visit. Passports. Travellers proceeding to certain countries (e.g., Russia, Turkey, or Roumania) should provide themselves with passports, which must be visés (at the respective Consulates) before quitting England. In most other countries passports are not absolutely necessary, but it is desirable that a traveller should be in possession of one, as it is frequently found to be of service. The following are the Regulations issued by the British Foreign Office on the subject: REGULATIONS RESPECTING PASSPORTS. 1. Applications for Foreign Office Passports must be made in writing (in the form subjoined), and inclosed in a cover addressed to "THE PASSPORT DEPARTMENT, FOREIGN OFFICE, LONDON, S.W." 2. The charge for a passport, whatever number of persons may be named in it, is 2s. Passports are issued at the Foreign Office, between the hours of 11 and 4 ON THE DAY FOLLOWING that on which the application for the passport has been received, except on Sundays and Public Holidays, when the Passport Office is closed. If the applicant does not reside in London, the passport may be sent by post, and a postal order for 2s. should in that case accompany the application. POSTAGE STAMPS WILL NOT BE RECEIVED IN PAYMENT. 3. Foreign Office Passports are granted only (1) to natural-born British subjects, viz., persons born within His Majesty's Dominions, and to persons born abroad who derive British nationality from a father or paternal grandfather born within His Majesty's Dominions, and who, under the provisions of the Acts 4 George II. cap. 21, and 13 George III. cap. 21, are to be adjudged and taken to be natural-born British subjects; (2) to the wives and widows of such persons; and (3) to persons naturalised in the United Kingdom, in the British Colonies, or in India. A married woman is deemed to be a subject of the State of which her husband is for the time being a subject. 4. Passports are granted to such persons as are known to the Secretary of State, or recommended to him by some person who is known to him; or upon the production of a Certificate of Indentity and Recommendation (see subjoined Form) signed by any Banking Firm established in the United Kingdom, or by any Mayor, Magistrate, Justice of the Peace, Minister of Religion, Physician, Surgeon, Solicitor, or Notary, resident in the United Kingdom. The applicant's Certificate of Birth may also be required, in addition to the Certificate of Identity and Recommendation. 5. If the applicant for a passport be a Naturalised British subject, his Certificate of Naturalisation must be forwarded to the Foreign Office with the Certificate of Identity and Recommendation. Naturalised British subjects, if resident in London or in the suburbs, must apply personally for their passports at the Foreign Office; if resident in the country, the passport will be sent, and the Certificate of Naturalisation returned, to the person who may have granted the Certificate of Identity and Recommendation, in order that he may cause the applicant to sign the passport in his presence. Naturalised British subjects will be described as such in their passports, which will be issued subject to the necessary qualifications. 6. Foreign Office Passports are not limited in point of time, and are available for any number of journeys abroad. They may be renewed at the Foreign Office on personal application, or, if the applicant does not reside in London, on the receipt of a letter signed by him, returning the passport previously issued to him, and inclosing a postal order for 2s. 7. A passport cannot be issued by the Foreign Office, or by an agent at an outport, on behalf of a person already abroad; such person should apply for one to the nearest British Mission or Consulate. A passport cannot be issued abroad to a Colonial Naturalised British subject, except for a direct journey to the United Kingdom or to the Colony in which he has been naturalised. S. THE BEARER OF EVERY PASSPORT GRANTED BY THE FOREIGN OFFICE MUST SIGN HIS PASSPORT AS SOON AS HE RECEIVES IT; WITHOUT SUCH SIGNATURE EITHER THE visa MAY BE REFUSED, OR THE VALIDITY OF THE PASSPORT QUESTIONED ABROAD. 9. Travellers who intend to visit the Russian Empire, the Turkish Dominions, the Kingdom of Roumania, Persia, or Hayti, in the course of their travels, must not leave the United Kingdom without having had their passports visés either at the Russian Consulate-General, 17, Great Winchester Street, E.C.; the Consulate-General of the Sublime Porte, 29, Mincing Lane, E.C.; the Roumanian Consulate-General, 68, Basinghall Street, F.C.; the Persian Consulate-General, 165, Fenchurch Street, E.C.; or the Haytian Consulate, 32, Fenchurch Street, E. C., respectively, or at one of the other Consulates of Russia, Turkey, Roumania, Persia, or Hayti in the United Kingdom. Travellers about to proceed to any other country need not obtain the visa of the Diplomatic or Consular Agents of such country, except as an additional precaution, which is recommended in the case of passports of old date. 10. Although British subjects are now permitted to enter most Foreign Countries without passports, and the rules respecting passports have been generally relaxed, nevertheless British subjects travelling abroad are recommended to furnish themselves with passports, for even in those countries where they are no longer obligatory, they are found to be useful as affording a ready means of identification, e.g., in claiming letters at a poste restante. British subjects intending to reside in Germany or in Switzerland should provide themselves with passports. Foreign Office, May 15th, 1900. N.B. A statement of the requirements of Foreign Countries with regard to passports may be obtained upon application to "The Passport Department, Foreign Office, London, S. W." (a) Insert name of Place and Date. and give professional or busi Recommendations from Bank ing Firms should bear the printed stamp of the Bank. (c) Christian Names and Surname best of my knowledge and belief (c) Mrs.of the applicant in full, and present address. (d) State whether a British-born at present residing at subject or а naturalised British Subject. IN THE CASE OF A NATURALISED BRITISH (e) IF THE RECOMMENDER IS UNABLE The Christian Name and ing to RUSSIA, the ages of child- (g) Signature and Seal of the per- a (d). at (e). Miss FOR A MARRIED WOMAN OR WIDOW (see Rule 3.) (To be struck the wife widow of out in other cases). FOR PERSONS BORN ABROAD, who derive British nationality from a father his (her) father paternal grandfather having been born within His Majesty's Dominions at on the -lay of and not having lost the status of British Subject thus acquired. I further certify that the said applicant (whose signature is written Roumanian firms, also to collect debts, &c., for a small fee. Jassy (Roumania) undertakes to have inquiries made concerning the United States, and Australia. The Chamber of Commerce at Company, 137, Cheapside, London, E.C., for South Africa, Canada, has a good reputation for the continent generally, and the Bradstreet a choice. Schimmelfeng's Institute, 137, Cheapside, London, E.C., agencies are not very reliable, and care should be taken when making one of the foreign inquiry agencies. Some of the continental inquiry the firms carry on business; failing such correspondent, then through usually made through a correspondent at or near the places where Firms. Inquiries as to the financial status of a firm abroad are Inquiries as to the Financial Standing of Foreign |