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Rh of the contracting States for the reception and transmission of their publications.

It remains however well understood that, in such case, the duty of the bureaus of exchange will be confined to the free transmission of the works exchanged and that these bureaus will not in any manner take the initiative to bring about the establishment of such relations.

These provisions apply only to the documents and works published after the date of the present Convention.

The States which have not taken part in the present Convention are admitted to adhere to it on their request. This adhesion will be notified diplomatically to the Belgian Government and by that Government to all the other signatory States.

The present Convention will be ratified and the ratifications will be exchanged at Brussels, as soon as practicable. It is concluded for ten years, from the day of the exchange of ratifications, and it will remain in force beyond that time, so long as one of the Governments shall not have declared six months in advance that it renounces it.

In witness whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed it, and have thereunto affixed their seals.

Done at Brussels in eight copies the 15th of March, 1886.