if necessary, of its merchandise and effects, with the precautions which may be deemed expedient on the part of the respective Governments, in order to avoid fraud, without exacting for it any duty, impost, or contribution whatever, until they be exported.

Succession to per

ARTICLE XIII.

In whatever relates to the succession of [personal] estates, either by will or ab intestato [and the rights of] disposal of such propsonal estate. erty, of whatever sort or denomination it may be, by sale, donation, exchange, or testament, or in in any other manner whatsoever, the citizens of the two contracting parties shall enjoy, in their respective States and territories, the same privileges, exemptions, liberties, and rights, as native citizens; and shall not be charged, in any of these respects, with other or higher duties or imposts than those which are now or may hereafter be paid by the citizens of the Power in whose territories they may reside.

ARTICLE XIV.

Both the contracting parties promise and engage to give their special Persons and prop protection to the persons and property of the citizens of erty to be protected. each other, of all occupations, who may be in their territories, subject to the jurisdiction of the one or of the other, transient or dwelling therein; leaving open and free to them the tribunals of justice for their judicial recourse, on the same terms which are usual and customary with the natives or citizens of the country in which they may be; for which they may employ, in defence of their rights, such advocates, solicitors, notaries, agents, and factors, as they may judge proper, in all their trials at law; and the citizens of either party, or their agents, shall enjoy, in every respect, the same rights and privileges, either in prosecuting or defending their rights of person or of property, as the citizens of the country where the cause may be tried.

Security as to religion.

ARTICLE XV.

The citizens of the United States of America residing in the United Mexican States shall enjoy in their houses, persons, and properties the protection of the Government, with the most perfect security and liberty of conscience; they shall not be disturbed or molested, in any manner, on account of their religion, so long as they respect the Constitution, the laws, and established usages of the country where they reside; and they shall also enjoy the privilege of burying the dead in places which now are, or may hereafter be assigned for that purpose; nor shall the funerals or sepulchres of the dead be disturbed in any manner, nor under any pretext.

The citizens of the United Mexican States shall enjoy, throughout all the States and Territories of the United States of America, the same protection; and shall be allowed the free exercise of their religion, in public or in private, either within their own houses, or in the chapels or places of worship set apart for that purpose.

ARTICLE XVI.

It shall be lawful for the citizens of the United States of America and of the United Mexican States, respectively, to sail with sails to and from their vessels with all manner of security and liberty, no distinction being made who are the owners of the merchandise

Security to vessels an enemy's port.

laden thereon, from any port to the places of those who now are or may hereafter be at enmity with the United States of America, or with the United Mexican States. It shall likewise be lawful for the aforesaid citizens respectively to sail with their vessels and merchandise, before mentioned, and to trade with the same liberty and security from the places, ports, and havens of those who are enemies of both or either party, without any opposition or disturbance whatsoever, not only directly from the places of the enemy, before mentioned, to neutral places, but also from one place belonging to an enemy to another place belonging to an enemy, whether they be under the jurisdiction of the same Government or under several; and it is hereby stipulated that free ships. shall also give freedom to goods; and that everything shall Free ships, free be deemed free and exempt which shall be found on board goods and persons. the vessels belonging to the citizens of either of the contracting parties, although the whole lading or any part thereof should appertain to the enemies of either, contraband goods being always excepted. It is also agreed that the same liberty be extended to persons who are on board a free vessel, so that, although they be enemies to either party, they shall not be made prisoners, or taken out of that free vessel, unless they are soldiers, and in the actual service of the enemy. By the stipulation that the flag shall cover the property, the two contracting parties agree that this shall be so understood with respect to those Powers who recognize this principle; but if either of the two contracting parties shall be at war with a third party, and the other neutral, the flag of the neutral shall cover the property of enemies whose Governments acknowledge this principle, and not of others.

ARTICLE XVII.

property, &c.

It is likewise agreed that in the case where the neutral flag of one of the contracting parties shall protect the property of the Where neutral flag enemies of the other, by virtue of the above stipulation, it protects enemy's shall always be understood that the neutral property found on board such enemies' vessels shall be held and considered as enemies' property, and as such shall be liable to detention and confiscation, except such property as was put on board such vessel before the declaration of war, or even afterwards, if it were done without the knowledge of it; but the contracting parties agree that four months having elapsed after the declaration, their citizens shall not plead ignorance thereof; on the contrary, if the flag of the neutral does not protect the enemy's property, in that case the goods and merchandises embarked in such enemy's vessel shall be free.

ARTICLE XVIII.

Contraband

This liberty of commerce and navigation shall extend to all kinds of merchandise, excepting those only which are distinguished by the name of contraband; and under this name of contraband or prohibited goods shall be comprehended: first, cannons, mortars, howitzers, swivels, blunderbusses, muskets, fusees, rifles, carbines, pistols, pikes, swords, sabres, lances, spears, halberts, and granades, bombs, powder, matches, balls, and all other things belonging to the use of these arms; secondly, bucklers, helmets, breast-plates, coats of mail, infantry belts, and clothes made up in a military form, and for a military use; thirdly, cavalry belts and horses with their furniture; fourthly, and generally, all kinds of arms, and instruments of iron, steel,

brass, and copper, or of any other materials, manufactured, prepared, and formed expressly to make war by sea or land.

Blockade.

ARTICLE XIX.

All other merchandise and things not comprehended in the articles of contraband expressly enumerated and classified as above, shall be held and considered as free and subjects of free and lawful commerce, so that they may be carried and transported in the freest manner by both the contracting parties, even to places belonging to an enemy, excepting only those places which are at that time besieged or blockaded; and to avoid all doubt in that particular, it is declared that those places only are besieged or blockaded which are actually besieged or blockaded by a belligerent force capable of preventing the entry of the neutral.

ARTICLE XX.

The articles of contraband before enumerated and classified, which Contraband liable may be found in a vessel bound for an enemy's port, shall to confiscation. be subject to detention and confiscation, leaving free the rest of the cargo and the vessel, that the owners may dispose of them as they see proper. No vessels of either of the two nations shall be detained on the high seas on account of having on board articles of contraband, whenever the master, captain, or supercargo of said vessel will deliver up the articles of contraband to the captor, unless the quantity of such articles be so great and of so large a bulk that they cannot be received on board the capturing vessel without great inconvenience; but in this, and in all other cases of just detention, the vessel detained shall be sent to the nearest convenient and safe port for trial and judg ment, according to law.

Notice of blockade.

ARTICLE XXI.

And whereas it frequently happens that vessels sail for a port or place belonging to an enemy without knowing that the same is besieged, blockaded, or invested, it is agreed that every vessel so situated may be turned away from such port or place, but shall not be detained; nor shall any part of her cargo, if not contraband, be confiscated, unless, after warning of such blockade or investment from the commanding officer of the blockading force, she should again attempt to enter the aforesaid port; but she shall be permitted to go to any other port or place she may think proper. Nor shall Free egres8. any vessel of either of the contracting parties that may have entered into such port before the same was actually besieged, blockaded, or invested by the other, be restrained from quitting such place with her cargo; nor if found therein after the surrender shall such vessel or her cargo be liable to confiscation, but she shall be restored to the owner thereof.

Examination of vessels at sea.

ARTICLE XXII.

In order to prevent all kinds of disorder in the visiting and examination of the vessels and cargoes of both the contracting parties on the high seas, they have agreed, mutually, that, whenever a vessel of war, public or private, should meet with a neutral vessel of the other contracting party, the first shall remain out of cannon shot, and may send his boat, with two or three men only, in

order to execute the said examination of the papers concerning the ownership and cargo of the vessel, without causing the least extortion, violence, or ill treatment, for which the commanders of the said armed vessels shall be responsible with their persons and property; and for this purpose the commanders of said private armed vessels shall, before receiving their commissions, give sufficient security to answer for all the damages they may commit. And it is expressly agreed, that the neutral party shall in no case be required to go on board the examining vessel for the purpose of exhibiting his papers, or for any other purpose whatsoever.

ARTICLE XXIII.

Sea-letters, &c.

To avoid all kinds of vexation and abuse in the examination of the papers relating to the ownership of vessels belonging to the citizens of the two contracting parties, they have agreed, and do agree, that in case one of them should be engaged in war, the vessels belonging to the citizens of the other must be furnished with sealetters or passports, expressing the name, property, and bulk of the vessel, and also the name and place of habitation of the master or commander of said vessel, in order that it may thereby appear that the said vessel really and truly belongs to the citizens of one of the contracting parties; they have likewise agreed that such vessels being laden, besides the said sea-letters or passports, shall also be provided with certificates containing the several particulars of the cargo and the place whence the vessel sailed, so that it may be known whether any forbidden or contraband goods be on board the same, which certificate shall be made out by the officers of the place whence the vessel sailed, in the accustomed form; without which requisites the said vessel may be detained, to be adjudged by the competent tribunal, and may be declared legal prize, unless the said defect shall be satisfied or supplied by testimony entirely equivalent to the satisfaction of the competent tribunal.

ARTICLE XXIV.

voy.

Vessels under con

It is further agreed, that the stipulations above expressed, relative to the visiting and examination of vessels, shall apply only to those which sail without convoy; and when said vessels are under convoy, the verbal declaration of the commander of the convoy, or his word of honor, that the vessels under his protection belong to the nation whose flag he carries, and when they are bound to an enemy's port that they have no contraband goods on board, shall be sufficient.

ARTICLE XXV.

Prize courts.

It is further agreed, that in all cases the established courts for prize causes, in the country to which the prizes may be conducted, shall alone take cognizance of them. And whenever such tribunal of either party shall pronounce judgment against any vessel, or goods, or property claimed by the citizens of the other party, the sentence or decree shall mention the reason or motives on which the same shall have been founded; and an authenticated copy of the sentence or decree, in conformity with the laws and usages of the country, and of all the proceedings of the case, shall, if demanded, be delivered to the commander or agent of said vessel, without any delay, he paying the legal fees for the same.

ARTICLE XXVI.

In the event of war

For the greater security of the intercourse between the citizens of the United States of America and of the United Mexican between the parties. States, it is agreed, now for then, that if there should be at any time hereafter an interruption of the friendly relations which now exist, or a war unhappily break out between the two contracting parties, there shall be allowed the term of six months to the merchants re siding on the coast, and one year to those residing in the interior of the States and territories of each other respectively, to arrange their business, dispose of their effects, or transport them wheresoever they may please, giving them a safe-conduct to protect them to the port they may designate. Those citizens who may be established in the States and territories aforesaid, exercising any other occupation or trade, shall be permitted to remain in the uninterrupted enjoyment of their liberty and property, so long as they conduct themselves peaceably, and do not commit any offence against the laws; and their goods and effects, of whatever class and condition they may be, shall not be subject to any embargo or sequestration whatever, nor to any charge nor tax other than may be established upon similar goods and effects belonging to the citizens of the State in which they reside respectively; nor shall the debts between individuals, nor moneys in the public funds, or in public or private banks, nor shares in companies, be confiscated, embargoed, or detained.

lic agents.

ARTICLE XXVII.

Both the contracting parties being desirous of avoiding all inequality Ministers and pub. in relation to their public communications and official intercourse, have agreed and do agree to grant to Envoys, Ministers, and other public agents, the same favors, immunities, and exemptions which those of the most favored nation do or may enjoy; it being understood that whatever favors, immunities, or privileges the United States of America or the United Mexican States may find proper to give to the Ministers and public agents of any other Power, shall by the same act be extended to those of each of the contracting parties.

ARTICLE XXVIII.

In order that the Consuls and Vice-Consuls of the two contracting parties may enjoy the rights, prerogatives, and immunities Consuls, &c. which belong to them by their character, they shall, before entering upon the exercise of their functions, exhibit their commission or patent in due form to the Government to which they are accredited; and having obtained their exequatur, they shall be held and considered as such by all the authorities, magistrates, and inhabitants of the consular district in which they reside. It is agreed likewise to receive and admit Consuls and Vice-Consuls in all the ports and places open to for eign commerce, who shall enjoy therein all the rights, prerogatives, and immunities of the Consuls and Vice-Consuls of the most favored nation, each of the contracting parties remaining at liberty to except those ports and places in which the admission and residence of such Consuls and Vice-Consuls may not seem expedient.

ARTICLE XXIX.

It is likewise agreed that the Consuls, Vice-Consuls, their secretaries,