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bave nominated, appointed, and commiffioned, and by thefe prefents, figned with our hand, do nominate, appoint, and commiffion bim our Plenipotentiary, giving bim power and special command for us and in our name, to agree upon, conclude and fign with the Plenipotentiaries of the United States, equally furnished in due form with full powers, fuch Treaty, Convention, and Articles of Commerce and Navigation as he shall think proper ; willing that be alt with the fame authority as we might or could act, if we were perfonally prefent, and even as though he had more special command than what is berein contained; promising in good faith, and on the word of a King, to agree to, confirm, and establish for ever, and to accomplish and execute punctually, all that our faid dear and beloved Conrad Alexander Gerard fball ftipulate and fign, by virtue of the prefent power, without contravening it in any manner, or fuffering it to be contravened for any cause, or under any pretext whatfoever; and also to ratify the fame in due form, and cause our ratification to be delivered and exchanged in the time that shall be agreed on. For fuch is our pleafure. In teftimony whereof we have hereunto fet our feal. Done at Verfailles this thirtieth day of January, in the year of

year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Seventy-eight, and the fourth year of our reign.

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THE

TRE AT Y.

HE Moft Chriftian King, and the Thir

TH

teen United States of North America, to wit, New-Hampshire, Maffachufett's-bay, Rhode-Ifland, Connecticut, New-York, NewJerfey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, willing to fix in an equitable and permanent manner, the rules which ought to be followed relative to the correfpondence and commerce which the two parties defire to eftablish between their refpective countries, ftates and subjects; his Moft Christian Majesty and the said United States have judged that the faid end could not be better obtained, than by taking for the bafis of their agreement the moft perfect equality and reciprocity, and by carefully avoiding all those burthenfome preferences which are usually fources of debate, embarrassment, and discontent; by leaving also each party at liberty to make respecting navigation and commerce those interior regulations which it shall find most convenient to itself, and

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and by founding the advantage of commerce folely upon reciprocal utility, and the just rules of free intercourfe; referving withal to each party the liberty of admitting, at its pleasure, other nations to a participation of the fame advantages. It is in the spirit of this intention, and to fulfil these views, that his faid Majefty having named and appointed for his plenipotentiary Conrad Alexander Gerard, Royal Syndic of the city of Strasbourg, Secretary of his Majefty's Council of State; and the United States on their part having fully empowered Benjamin Franklin, Deputy from the State of Pennsylvania to the General Congress, and Prefident to the convention of the faid State; Silas Deane, late Deputy from the State of Connecticut to the faid Congrefs; and Arthur Lee, Counsellor at Law: the faid refpective Plenipotentiaries, after exchanging their powers, and after mature deliberation, have concluded and agreed upon the following articles :

ARTICLE I.

There shall be a firm, inviolable and univerfal peace, and a true and fincere friendship, between the Moft Chriftian King, his heirs and fucceffors, and the United States of Ame

rica, and the fubjects of the Most Christian King and of the said States, and between the countries, iflands, cities and towns fituate under the jurisdiction of the Most Christian King and of the said United States, and the people and inhabitants of every degree, without exception of perfons or places, and the terms herein after mentioned fhall be perpetual between the Most Christian King, his heirs and fucceffors, and the faid United States.

ARTICLE II,

The Moft Chriftian King and the United States engage mutually not to grant any particular favour to other nations, in refpect of commerce and navigation, which shall not immediately become common to the other party, who fhall enjoy the fame favour freely, if the conceffion was freely made, or on allowing the fame compensation, if the conceffion was conditional.

ARTICLE III.

The subjects of the Most Christian King shall pay in the ports, havens, roads, countries, islands, cities or towns of the United States, of

any of them, no other or greater duties or im

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pofts, of what nature foever they may be, or by what name foever called, than thofe which the nations most favoured are or shall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities, and exemptions in trade, navigation and commerce, whether in paffing from one port in the said States to another, or in going to and from the fame, from and to any part of the world, which the faid nations do or shall enjoy.

ARTICLE IV.

The subjects, people and inhabitants of the faid United States, and each of them, shall not pay in the ports, havens, roads, islands, cities and places under the domination of his Most Christian Majesty in Europe, any other or greater duties or impofts, of what nature foever they may be, or by what name foever called, than thofe which the most favoured nations are or shall be obliged to pay; and they fhall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities, and exemptions in trade, navigation and commerce, whether in paffing from one port in the faid dominions in Europe to another, or in going to and from the fame, from

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