matic agent of the United States at Mexico until the signature of this convention, shall be referred to four commissioners, who shall form a board, and be appointed in the following manner, namely: two commissioners shall be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and two commissioners by the President of the Mexican Republic. The said commissioners, so appointed, shall be sworn impartially to examine and decide upon the said claims according to such evidence as shall be laid before them on the part of the United States and the Mexican Republic respectively.

Secretaries, &c.

ARTICLE II.

The said board shall have two secretaries, versed in the English and Spanish languages; one to be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and the other by the President of the Mexican Republic. And the said secretaries shall be sworn faithfully to discharge their duty in that capacity.

Meeting.

ARTICLE III.

The said board shall meet in the city of Washington within three months after the exchange of the ratifications of this convention, and within eighteen months from the time of its meeting shall terminate its duties. The Secretary of State of the United States shall, immediately after the exchange of the ratifications of this convention, give notice of the time of the meeting of the said board, to be published in two newspapers in Washington, and in such other papers as he may think proper.

Documents to be delivered.

ARTICLE IV.

All documents which now are in, or hereafter, during the continuance of the commission constituted by this convention, may come into the possession of the Department of State of the United States, in relation to the aforesaid claims, shall be delivered to the board. The Mexican Government shall furnish all such documents and explanations as may be in their possession, for the adjustment of the said claims according to the principles of justice, the law of nations, and the stipulations of the treaty of amity and commerce between the United States and Mexico of the 5th of April, 1831; the said documents to be specified when demanded at the instance of the said commissioners.

ARTICLE V.

The said commissioners shall, by a report under their hands and seals, decide upon the justice of the said claims and the amount of compensation, if any, due from the Mexican Government in each case.

The commissioners

to decide on the jus

tice of claims, &c.

Mexico to issue

ARTICLE VI.

It is agreed that if it should not be convenient for the Mexican Government to pay at once the amount so found due, it shall The art for be at liberty, immediately after the decisions in the several cases shall have taken place, to issue Treasury notes, re

amount found

Jue

ceivable at the maritime custom-houses of the Republic in payment of any duties which may be due or imposed at said custom-houses upon goods entered for importation or exportation; said Treasury notes to bear interest at the rate of eight per centum per annum from the date of the award on the claim in payment of which said Treasury notes shall have been issued until that of their receipt at the Mexican customhouses. But as the presentation and receipt of said Treasury notes at said custom-houses in large amounts might be inconvenient to the Mexican Government, it is further agreed that, in such case, the obligation of said Government to receive them in payment of duties, as above stated, may be limited to one-half the amount of said duties.

ARTICLE VII.

In case of the commissioners differing.

It is further agreed that in the event of the commissioners differing in relation to the aforesaid claims, they shall, jointly or severally, draw up a report stating, in detail, the points on which they differ, and the grounds upon which their respective opinions have been formed. And it is agreed that the said report or reports, with authenticated copies of all documents upon which they may be founded, shall be referred to the decision of His Majesty the King of Prussia. But as the documents relating to the aforesaid claims are so voluminous that it cannot be expected His Prussian Majesty would be willing or able personally to investigate them, it is agreed that he shall appoint a person to act as an arbiter in his behalf; that the person so appointed shall proceed to Washington; that his travelling expenses to that city and from thence on his return to his place of residence in Prussia, shall be defrayed, one-half by the United States and one-half by the Mexican Republic; and that he shall receive as a compensation for his services a sum equal to one-half the compensation that may be allowed by the United States to one of the commissioners to be appointed by them, added to one-half the compensation that may be allowed by the Mexican Government to one of the commissioners to be appointed by it. And the compensation of such arbiter shall be paid, one-half by the United States and one-half by the Mexican Gov

ernment.

ARTICLE VIII.

Umpire.

Immediately after the signature of this convention, the Plenipotentiaries of the contracting parties (both being thereunto competently authorized) shall, by a joint note, addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of His Majesty the King of Prussia, to be delivered by the Minister of the United States at Berlin, invite the said monarch to appoint an umpire to act in his behalf in the manner above mentioned, in case this convention shall be ratified respectively by the Governments of the United States and Mexico.

ARTICLE IX.

It is agreed that, in the event of His Prussian Majesty's declining to appoint an umpire to act in his behalf, as aforesaid, the contracting parties, on being informed thereof, shall, without delay, invite Her Britannic Majesty, and in case of her declining, His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, to appoint an umpire to act in their behalf, respectively, as above provided.

ARTICLE X.

And the contracting parties further engage to consider the decision of such umpire to be final and conclusive on all the matters so referred.

Decision of the umpire.

ARTICLE XI.

For any sums of money which the umpire shall find due to citizens of the United States by the Mexican Government, Treasury notes shall be issued in the manner aforementioned.

Treasury notes to be issued.

Mexico exonerated

ARTICLE XII.

And the United States agree forever to exonerate the Mexican Government from any further accountability for claims which' from certain claims, shall either be rejected by the board or the arbiter aforesaid, or which, being allowed by either, shall be provided for by the said Government in the manner before mentioned.

Compensation of commissioners, &c.

ARTICLE XIII.

And it is agreed that each Government shall provide compensation for the commissioners and secretary to be appointed by it; and that the contingent expenses of the board shall be defrayed, one moiety by the United States and one moiety by the Mexican Republic.

ARTICLE XIV.

This convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington within twelve months from the signature hereof, or sooner if possible.

In faith whereof we, the Plenipotentiaries of the United States of America and of the Mexican Republic, have signed and sealed these presents.

Done in the city of Washington on the eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, in the sixty-third year of the Independence of the United States of America, and the nineteenth of that of the Mexican Republic.

CONVENTION FURTHER TO PROVIDE FOR THE PAYMENT OF AWARDS IN FAVOR OF CLAIMANTS UNDER THE CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE MEXICAN REPUBLIC OF THE 11TH OF APRIL, 1839. CONCLUDED JANUARY 30, 1843; RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED MARCH 29, 1843; PROCLAIMED MARCH 30, 1843.

Preamble.

Whereas, by the convention between the United States and the Mexican Republic, of the 11th April, 1839, it is stipu lated that, if it should not be convenient to the Mexican Government to pay at once the sums found to be due to the claimants

under that convention, that Government shall be at liberty to issue Treasury notes in satisfaction of those sums; and whereas the Government of Mexico [is] anxious to comply with the terms of said convention, and to pay, those awards in full, but finds it inconvenient either to pay them in money or to issue the said Treasury notes: The President of the United States has, for the purpose of carrying into full effect the intentions of the said parties, conferred full powers on Waddy Thompson, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister of the United States to the Mexican Government, and the President of the Mexican Republic has conferred full powers on their Excellencies José Maria de Bocanegra, Minister of Foreign Relations and Government, and Manuel Eduardo de Gorostiza, Minister of Finances. And the said Plenipotentiaries, after having exchanged their full powers, found to be in due form, have agreed to and concluded the following articles :

ARTICLE I.

Mexico to pay all

On the 30th day of April, 1843, the Mexican Government shall pay all the interest which may then be due on the awards in favor of claimants under the convention of the 11th of interest due. April, 1839, in gold or silver money, in the city of Mexico.

ARTICLE II.

The principal of the said awards, and the interest accruing shall be paid in five years, in equal instalments every three months, the said term of five years to commence on the 30th day of April, 1843, aforesaid.

ARTICLE III.

thereon,

Principal and in

terest to be paid in

five years.

made in the city of

The payments aforesaid shall be made in the city of Mexico to such person as the United States may authorize to receive them, Payments to be in gold or silver money. But no circulation, export, nor Mexico, in gold or other duties shall be charged thereon; and the Mexican silver. Government takes the risk, charges, and expenses of the transportation of the money to the city of Vera Cruz.

ARTICLE IV.

taxes.

The Mexican Government hereby solemnly pledges the proceeds of the direct taxes of the Mexican Republic for the payment Mexico pledges the of the instalments and interest aforesaid, but it is under- proceeds of direct stood that whilst no other fund is thus specifically hypothecated, the Government of the United States, by accepting this pledge, does not incur any obligation to look for payment of those instalments and interest to that fund alone.

ARTICLE V.

As this new arrangement, which is entered into for the accommodation of Mexico, will involve additional charges of freight, commission, &c., the Government of Mexico hereby agrees to add two and a half per centum to each of the aforesaid payments on account of said charges.

ARTICLE VI.

Mexico to pay two and a half per centum on each payment to cover charges.

A new convention shall be entered into for the settlement of all

claims of the Government and citizens of the United States against the Republic of Mexico, which were not finally de cided by the late commission which met in the city of Wash ington, and of all claims of the Government and citizens of Mexico against the United States.

ARTICLE VIL

The ratifications of this convention shall be exchanged at Washing ton within three months after the date thereof, provided shall arrive at Washington before the adjournment of the present session of Congress; and if not, then within one month after the meeting of the next Congress of the United States.

In faith whereof we, the Plenipotentiaries of the United States of America and of the Mexican Republic, have signed and sealed these presents.

Done at the city of Mexico on the thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-three, and in the sixty-seventh year of the Independence of the United States of America, and in the twenty-third year of that of the Mexican Republic.

TREATY OF PEACE, FRIENDSHIP, LIMITS, AND SETTLEMENT, WITH THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO. CONCLUDED FEBRUARY 2, 1848; RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED AT QUERETARO, MAY 30, 1848; PROCLAIMED JULY 4, 1948.

In the name of Almighty God:

Preamble.

The United States of America and the United Mexican States, animated by a sincere desire to put an end to the calamities of the war which unhappily exists between the two Republies, and to establish upon a solid basis relations of peace and friendship. which shall confer reciprocal benefits upon the citizens of both, and assure the concord, harmony, and mutual confidence wherein the two people should live, as good neighbours, have for that purpose appointed their respective plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

The President of the United States has appointed Nicholas P. Trist, a citizen of the United States, and the President of the Negotiators. Mexican Republic has appointed Don Luis Gonzaga Cuevas, Don Bernardo Couto, and Don Miguel Atristain, citizens of the said Republic;

Who, after a reciprocal communication of their respective full pow ers, have, under the protection of Almighty God, the author of peace, arranged, agreed upon, and signed the following

Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic.

ARTICLE I.

There shall be firm and universal peace between the United States of