Page images
PDF
EPUB

The agreements and terms above concluded by the two contracting parties, shall be punctually observed with the will of the Most High: And for the maintenance and exact observance of the said agreements, we have caused their contents to be here transcribed, in the present month of Rebia Elul, of the Hegira one thousand two hundred and twelve, corresponding with the month of August of the Christian year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven.

[blocks in formation]

(SEAL.)

WHEREAS the President of the United States of America, by his letters patent, under his signature and the seal of State, dated the eighteenth day of December, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, vested Richard O'Brien, William Eaton, and James Leander Cathcart, or any two of them in the absence of the third, with full powers to confer, negotiate and conclude with the Bey and Regency of Tunis, on certain alterations in the treaty between the United States and the government of Tunis, concluded by the intervention of Joseph Etienne Famin, on behalf of the United States, in the month of August, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, We, the underwritten William Eaton, and James Leander Cathcart (Richard O'Brien being absent) have concluded on and entered, in the foregoing treaty, certain alterations in the eleventh, twelfth, and fourteenth articles, and do agree to said treaty with said alterations, reserving the same nevertheless for the final ratification of the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

In testimony whereof we annex our names and the consular seal of the United States. Done in Tunis, the twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of the Christian era one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine, and of American independence the twenty-third.

[blocks in formation]

July 11, 1799.

Ratifications exchanged at Berlin, June 22, 1800. Proclamation by the President, Nov. 4, 1800.

Peace and friendship established.

Privileges of Prussian subjects trading to the U. S.

Commercial privileges.

TREATY OF AMITY AND COMMERCE,

Between his Majesty the King of Prussia and the United
States of America. (a)

His Majesty the King of Prussia, and the United States of America, desiring to maintain upon a stable and permanent footing, the connections of good understanding, which have hitherto so happily subsisted between their respective States, and for this purpose to renew the Treaty of Amity and Commerce concluded between the two Powers, at the Hague, the 10th of September 1785, for the term of ten years, his Prussian Majesty has nominated and constituted as his Plenipotentiaries, the Count Charles William de Finkenstein, his Minister of State, of War, and of the Cabinet, Knight of the orders of the black Eagle and of the red Eagle, and commander of that of St. John of Jerusalem, the Baron Philip Charles d'Alvensleben, his Minister of State, of War, and of the Cabinet, Knight of the orders of the black Eagle and of the red Eagle, and of that of St. John of Jerusalem, and the Count Christian Henry Curt de Haugwitz, his Minister of State, of War, and of the Cabinet, Knight of the orders of the black Eagle and of the red Eagle; and the President of the United States has furnished with their full powers, John Quincy Adams, a citizen of the United States, and their Minister Plenipotentiary at the court of his Prussian Majesty; which Plenipotentiaries, after having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have concluded, settled, and signed the following articles:

ARTICLE I.

There shall be in future, as there has been hitherto, a firm, inviolable, and universal Peace, and a sincere Friendship, between his Majesty the king of Prussia, his heirs, successors, and subjects, on the one part, and the United States of America, and their citizens on the other, without exception of persons or places.

ARTICLE II.

The subjects of his Majesty, the King of Prussia may frequent all the coasts and countries of the United States of America, and reside and trade there, in all sorts of produce, manufactures and merchandize, and shall pay there no other or greater duties, charges or fees whatsoever, than the most favoured nations are or shall be obliged to pay. They shall also enjoy, in navigation and commerce, all the rights, privileges and exemptions, which the most favoured nation does or shall enjoy, submitting themselves nevertheless to the established laws and usages, to which are submitted the citizens of the United States, and the most favoured nations.

ARTICLE III.

In like manner the citizens of the United States of America may frequent all the coasts and countries of his Majesty the King of Prussia, and reside and trade there, in all sorts of produce, manufactures and merchandize, and shall pay, in the dominions of his said Majesty, no other or greater duties, charges or fees whatsoever, than the most favoured nation is or shall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all

(a) See note to page 84, ante.

TRAITÉ D'AMITIÉ ET DE COMMERCE,

Entre sa Majesté le Roi de Prusse, et les Etats Unis de l'Amérique.

SA Majesté le Roi de Prusse et les Etats Unis de l'Amérique, désirant d'entretenir sur un pied stable et permanent les liaisons de bonne intelligence, qui ont si heureusement subsisté jus'quici, entre leurs Etats respectifs, et de renouveller pour cet effet le Traité d'Amitié et de Commerce, qui a été conclû entre les deux puissances à la Haye le 10me Septembre 1785, pour le terme de dix années, sa Majesté Prussienne a nommé et constitué ses Plenipotentiaires, le Sieur Charles Guillaume, Comte de Finkenstein, son Ministre d'etat de guerre, et de cabinet, chevalier des ordres de l'aigle-noir, et de l'aigle rouge, et commandeur de celui de St. Jean de Jérusalem: le Sieur Philippe-Charles, Baron d'Alvensleben, son ministre d'etat, de guerre, et de cabinet, chevalier des ordres de l'aigle-noir, et de l'aigle-rouge, et de celui de St. Jean de Jérusalem, et le Sieur Chretien-Henri-Curce-Comte de Haugwitz, son ministre d'etat, de guerre, et de cabinet, chevalier des ordres de l'aigle-noir, et de l'aigle rouge; et le Président des Etats Unis a muni de leur pleinpouvoir Jean-Quincy Adams, citoyen des Etats Unis, et leur ministre plenipotentiaire à la Cour de sa Majesté Prussienne; lesquels plénipotentiaires après avoir échangés leurs pleinpouvois trouvés en bonne et düe forme, ont conclû, arrêté et signé les Articles suivans:

ARTICLE I.

IL y aura dans la suite, comme par le passé, une paix ferme, inviolable et universelle, et une amitié sincère entre sa Majesté le Roi de Prusse, ses héritiers, successeurs, et sujets, d'une part, et les Etats Unis de l'Amérique, et leurs citoyens, d'autre part, sans exception de personnes ou de lieux.

ARTICLE II.

Ils

Les sujets de sa Majesté le Roi de Prusse pourront fréquenter toutes les côtes et les pays des Etats Unis de l'Amérique, y résider et trafiquer en toutes sortes de productions, manufactures et marchandises, et n'y payeront d'autres ni de plus forts impôts, charges, ou droits, que ceux que les nations les plus favorisées sont ou seront obligées de payer. jouïront aussi dans la navigation, et le commerce, de tous les droits, privilèges, et exemptions dont jouit ou jouira la nation la plus favorisée, se soumettant néanmoins aux loix et usages établis, auxquels sont soumis les citoyens des Etats Unis, et les nations les plus favorisées.

ARTICLE III.

Pareillement les citoyens des Etats Unis de l'Amérique pourront frequenter toutes les côtes et tous les pays de sa Magesté le roi de Prusse, y résider et trafiquer en toutes sortes de productions, manufactures et marchandises, et ne payeront d'autres ni de plus forts impôts, charges ou droits, dans les domaines de sa dite Majesté, que ceux que la nation la plus favorisée est ou sera obligée de payer, et ils jouïront de tous les

Commercial privileges.

Protection of property within the jurisdiction of each party.

the rights, privileges and exemptions, in navigation and commerce, which the most favoured nation does or shall enjoy; submitting themselves nevertheless to the established laws and usages, to which are submitted the subjects of his Majesty the King of Prussia, and the subjects and citizens of the most favoured nations.

ARTICLE IV.

More especially, each party shall have a right to carry their own produce, manufactures and merchandize, in their own or any other vessels, to any parts of the dominions of the other, where it shall be lawful for all the subjects and citizens of that other freely to purchase them, and thence to take the produce, manufactures and merchandize of the other, which all the said citizens or subjects shall in like manner be free to sell to them, paying in both cases, such duties, charges, and fees only, as are or shall be paid, by the most favored nation. Nevertheless, his Majesty the King of Prussia and the United States, respectively, reserve to themselves the right, where any nation restrains the transportation of merchandize to the vessells of the country of which it is the growth or manufacture, to establish against such nation retaliating regulations; and also the right to prohibit in their respective countries the importation and exportation of all merchandize whatsoever, when reasons of state shall require it. In this case the subjects or citizens of either of the contracting parties shall not import or export the merchandize prohibited by the other. But if one of the contracting parties permits any other nation to import or export the same merchandize, the citizens or subjects of the other shall immediately enjoy the same liberty.

ARTICLE V.

The merchants, commanders of vessels, or other subjects or citizens of either party, shall not, within the ports or jurisdiction of the other, be forced to unload any sort of merchandise into any other vessel, nor to receive them into their own, nor to wait for their being loaded longer than they please.

ARTICLE VI.

That the vessels of either party, loading within the ports or jurisdiction of the other, may not be uselessly harassed, or detained, it is agreed, that all examinations of goods, required by the laws, shall be made before they are laden on board the vessel, and that there shall be no examination after; nor shall the vessel be searched at any time, unless articles shall have been laden therein clandestinely and illegally, in which case the person by whose order they were carried on board, or who carried them without order, shall be liable to the laws of the land in which he is, but no other person shall be molested, nor shall any other goods, nor the vessel, be seized or detained for that cause.

ARTICLE VII.

Each party shall endeavour by all the means in their power to protect and defend all vessels and other effects, belonging to the citizens or subjects of the other, which shall be within the extent of their jurisdiction by sea or by land; and shall use all their efforts to recover, and cause to be restored to the right owners, their vessels and effects, which shall be taken from them within the extent of their said jurisdiction

ARTICLE VIII.

The vessels of the subjects or citizens of either party, coming on any

droits, privilèges et exemptions dans la navigation et le commerce, dont jouit ou jouira la nation la plus favorisée; se soumettant néanmoins aux loix et usages établis, auxquels sont soumis les sujets de sa Majesté le Roi de Prusse et les sujets et citoyens des nations les plus favorisées.

ARTICLE IV.

En particulier chacune des deux nations aura le droit d'importer ses propres productions, manufactures, et marchandises à bord de ses propres bâtimens, ou de tel autre, dans toutes les parties des domaines de l'autre, où il sera permis à tous les sujets et citoyens de l'autre nation de les acheter librement, comme aussi d'y charger les productions, manufactures et marchandises de l'autre, que tous les dits sujets ou citoyens auront la liberté de leur vendre, en payant dans l'un et l'autre cas tels impôts, droits, et charges seulement, qui sont ou seront payés par la nation la plus favorisée. Cependant sa Majesté le Roi de Prusse et les Etats Unis de l'Amérique se reservent le droit, au cas que quelque nation restreigne le transport des marchandises aux vaisseaux des pays dont elles sont la production, ou la manufacture, d'établir envers cette nation des règlemens réciproques, se réservant de plus le droit de prohiber dans leurs pays respectifs l'importation ou l'exportation de toute marchandise quelconque, dès que la raison d'état l'éxige. En ce cas les sujets ou citoyens d'une des parties contractantes ne pourront importer ni exporter les marchandises prohibées par l'autre. Mais si l'une des parties contractantes permet à quelque autre nation d'importer ou d'exporter ces mêmes marchandises, les citoyens ou sujets de l'autre partie contractante jouïront tout aussitôt d'une liberté pareille.

ARTICLE V.

Les marchands, commandans de vaisseaux, et autre sujets ou citoyens de chacune des deux nations, ne seront pas forcés dans les ports ou dans la jurisdiction de l'autre, de decharger aucunes sortes de marchandises dans d'autres vaisseaux, ni de les recevoir à bord de leurs propres navires, ni d'attendre leur chargement, plus longtems qu'il ne leur plaira.

ARTICLE VI.

Pour éviter que les vaisseaux de l'une des deux parties contractantes ne soyent inutilement molestés, ou détenus, dans les ports ou sous la jurisdiction de l'autre, il a été convenu, que la visite des marchandises, ordonnée par les loix, se fera avant qu'elles ne soyent chargées sur le navire, et qu'ensuite elles ne seront plus assujetties à aucune visite. Et en général il ne se fera point de recherche à bord du vaisseau, à moins qu'on n'y ait chargé clandestinement et illégalement des marchandises prohibées. Dans ce cas celui par l'ordre duquel elles ont été portées à bord, ou celui qui les y a portées sans ordres, sera soumis aux lois du pays où il se trouve, sans que le reste de l'equipage soit molesté, ni les autres marchandises ou le vaisseau saisis ou detenus par cette raison.

ARTICLE VII.

Chacune des deux parties contractantes tâchera, par tous les moyens qui seront en son pouvoir, de protéger, et de défendre tous les vaisseaux, et autres effets appartenant aux citoyens ou sujets de l'autre, et se trouvant dans l'étendue de sa jurisdiction par mer ou par terre, et elle employera tous ses efforts pour recouvrer, et faire restituer aux propriétaires légitimes, les vaisseaux et effets, qui leur auront été enlevés dans l'étendue de sa dite jurisdiction.

ARTICLE VIII.

Les vaisseaux des sujets ou citoyens d'une des deux parties contrac

« PreviousContinue »