Page images
PDF
EPUB

in which he may be. In all other cases, neither the subjects of either of the contracting parties who shall be with their vessels in the ports of the other, nor their merchandizes, shall be seized or molested on account of contraband goods, which they shall have wanted to take on board, nor shall any kind of embargo be laid on their ships, subjects, or citizens of the State whose merchandizes are declared contraband, or the exportation of which is forbidden; those only who shall have sold or intended to sell or alienate such merchandize being liable to punishment for such contravention.

Done at Paris, the third day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three.

GUSTAY PHILIP COMTE DE CREUTZ. [L. S.
B. FRANKLIN.

[L. S.]

SWEDEN AND NORWAY, 1816.

TREATY WITH SWEDEN AND NORWAY. CONCLUDED SEPTEMBER 4,1816; PROCLAIMED DECEMBER 31, 1818.

[This treaty expired by virtue of Article XIV, eight years after the exchange of ratifications.]

Relations of friend

In the name of the most Holy and Indivisible Trinity. The United States of America and His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, equally animated with a sincere desire to maintain and confirm the relations of friendship and com- ship and commerce. merce which have hitherto subsisted between the two States, and being convinced that this object cannot be more effectually accomplished than by establishing, reciprocally, the commerce between the two States upon the firm basis of liberal and equitable principles, equally advantageous to both countries, have named to this end' Plenipotentiaries, and have furnished them with the necessary full powers to treat, and in their name to conclude a treaty, to wit:

The President of the United States, Jonathan Russell, a citizen of the said United States, and now their Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Stockholm; and His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, His Excellency the Count Laurent d'Engeström, his Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Chancellor of the University of Lund, Knight Commander of the Orders of the King, Knight of the Order of Charles XIII, Grand Cross of the Orders of St. Etienne of Hungary, of the Legion of Honour of France, of the Black Eagle and of the Red Eagle of Prussia, and the Count Adolphe George de Mörner, his Counsellor of State, and Commander of the Order of the Polar Star;

And the said Plenipotentiaries, after having produced and exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed on the following articles:

ARTICLE I.

Full powers ex change 1

There shall be between all the territories under the dominion of the United States of America, and of His Majesty the King of Reciprocal liberty Sweden and Norway, a reciprocal liberty of commerce. The of commerce. inhabitants of either of the two countries shall have liberty, with all

*Translation from the original in the French language.

security for their persons, vessels, and cargoes, to come freely to all ports, places, and rivers within the territories of the other, into which the ves sels of the most favored nations are permitted to enter. They can there remain and reside in any part whatsoever of the said territories; they can there hire and occupy houses and warehouses for their commerce; and, generally, the merchants and traders of each of the two chants and traders. nations shall enjoy in the other the most complete security and protection for the transaction of their business, being bound alone to conform to the laws and statutes of the two countries, respectively.

Security for mer

Duties.

ARTICLE II.

No other or higher duties, imposts, or charges, whatsoever, shall be imposed on the importation into the territories of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, of the produce or manufactures of the United States, nor on the importation into the United States of the produce or manufactures of the territories of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, than those to which the same articles would be subjected in each of the two countries, respectively, if these articles were the growth, produce, or manufacture, of any other country. The same principle shall likewise be observed in respect to exportation, in such manner that in each of the two countries, respectively, the articles which shall be exported for the other, cannot be charged with any duty, impost, or charge, whatsoever, higher or other than those to which the same articles would be subjected if they were exported to any other country whatever.

Exportations and importations.

Nor shall any prohibition be imposed on the exportation or importa tion of any article, the growth, produce, or manufacture, of the territories of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, or of the United States, to or from the said territories of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, or to or from the said United States, which shall not equally extend to all other nations.

Equalization of

Swedish or Norwegian vessels arriving in ballast, or importing into the United States the produce or manufactures of their duties, &c. countries, or exporting from the United States the produce or manufactures of said States, shall not be obliged to pay, either for the vessels or the cargoes, any other or higher duties, imposts, or charges, whatsoever, than those which the vessels of the United States would pay in the same circumstances; and, vice versa, the vessels of the United States, arriving in ballast, or importing into the territories under the dominion of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway the produce or manufactures of the United States, or exporting from the territories under the dominion of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway the produce or manufactures of these territories, shall not pay, either for the vessels or the cargoes, any other or higher duties, imposts, or charges, whatsoever, than those which would be paid if these articles were transported by Swedish or Norwegian vessels, respectively.

That which is here above stipulated shall also extend to the Swedish colony of St. Barthelemy, as well in what relates to the rights. and advantages which the vessels of the United States shall enjoy in its ports, as in relation to those which the vessels of the colony shall enjoy in the ports of the United States, provided the owners are inhab itants of St. Barthelemy, and there established and naturalized, and shall have there caused their vessels to be naturalized.

ARTICLE III.*

His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway agrees that all articles the growth, produce, or manufacture, of the West Indies, (*This article not which are permitted to be imported in Swedish or Norwe- ratiüed) gian vessels, whether these articles be imported, directly or indirectly, from said Indies, may likewise be imported into its territories in vessels of the United States, and there shall not be paid, either for the said vessels or the cargoes, any higher or other duties, imposts, or charges, whatsoever, than those which would be paid by Swedish or Norwegian vessels in the same circumstances, with an addition only of ten per centum on the said duties, imposts, and charges, and no more.

In order to avoid misapprehension in this respect, it is expressly declared, that the term "West Indies" ought to be taken in its most extensive sense, comprising all that portion of the earth, whether mainland or islands, which at any time has been denominated the West Indies, in contradistinction to that other portion of the earth denominated the East Indies.

ARTICLE IV.*

(*This article not

The United States of America, on their part, agree that all articles the growth, produce, or manufacture, of the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, or bordering thereon, which are ratified.) permitted to be imported in vessels of the United States, whether these articles be imported, directly or indirectly, from the Baltic, may likewise be imported into the United States in Swedish or Norwegian vessels; and there shall not then be paid for the said vessels, or for the cargoes, any higher or other duties, imposts, or charges, whatsoever, than those which would be paid by vessels of the United States in the same circumstances, with an addition only of ten per centum on the said duties, imposts, and charges, and no more.

In order to avoid all uncertainty in respect to the duties, imposts, or charges, whatsoever, which a vessel belonging to the citizens or subjects of one of the contracting parties ought to pay, on arriving in the ports of the other, with a cargo consisting partly of articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of the country to which the vessel belongs, and partly of any other merchandize, which the said vessel is permitted to import by the preceding articles, it is agreed that, in case a cargo should be thus mixed, the vessel shall always pay the duties, imposts, and charges, according to the nature of that part of the cargo which is subjected to the highest duties, in the same manner as if the vessel imported this sort of merchandise only.

ARTICLE V.

Consuls, &c.

The high contracting parties grant mutually the liberty of having, in the places of commerce and ports of the other, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Commercial Agents, who shall enjoy all the protection and assistance necessary for the due discharge of their functions. But it is here expressly declared that, in case of illegal or improper conduct in respect to the laws or governinent of the country to which they are sent, the said Consul, Vice-Consul, or Agent, may be either punished according to law, dismissed, or sent away, by the offended Government, that Government assigning to the other the reasons therefor. It is, nevertheless, understood, that the archives and docu- Archives, &c., inments relative to the affairs of the consulate shall be pro

violate.

tected from all examination, and shall be carefully preserved, being placed under the seal of the Consul and of the authority of the place where he shall have resided.

The Consuls and their deputies shall have the right, as such, to act as judges and arbitrators in the differences which may arise between the captains and crews of the vessels of the nation whose affairs are entrusted to their care. The respective Governments shall have no right to interfere in matters of this kind, except the conduct of the captain and crew shall disturb the peace and tranquillity of the country in which the vessel may be, or that the Consul of the place shall feel himself obliged to resort to the interposition and support of the executive authority to cause his decision to be respected and maintained; it being, nevertheless, understood, that this kind of judgment, parties under con- or award, shall not deprive the contending parties of the right which they shall have, on their return, to recur to the judicial authorities of their own country.

Ights reserved to

sular decisions.

(*This article not *ratified.)

ARTICLE VI.*

In order to prevent all dispute and uncertainty in respect to what may be considered as being the growth, produce, or manufacture of the contracting parties respectively, it is agreed that whatever the chief or intendant of the customs shall have designated and specified as such, in the clearance delivered to the vessels which depart from the European ports of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, shall be acknowledged and admitted as such in the United States; and that, in the same manner, whatever the chief or collector of the customs in the ports of the United States shall have designated and specified as the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States, shall be acknowledged and admitted as such in the territories of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway.

The specification or designation given by the chief of the customs in the colonies of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, and confirmed by the governor of the colony, shall be considered as sufficient proof of the origin of the articles thus specified or designated to obtain for them admission into the ports of the United States accordingly.

ARTICLE VII.

The citizens or subjects of one of the contracting parties, arriving Vessels and cargoes with their vessels on any coast belonging to the other, but may enter ports. not willing to enter into port, or being entered into port, and not willing to unload or break bulk, shall have liberty to depart, and to pursue their voyage, without molestation, and without being obliged to render account of their cargo, or to pay any duties, imposts, or charges, whatsoever, on the vessels or cargo, excepting only the dues of pilotage, when a pilot shall have been employed, or those of quayage, or light-money, whenever these dues are paid in the same circumstances by the citizens or subjects of the country. It being, nevertheless, underLimitation of this stood, that whenever the vessels belonging to the citizens or subjects of one of the contracting parties shall be within the jurisdiction of the other, they shall conform to the laws and regulations concerning navigation, and the places and ports into which it may be permitted to enter, which are in force with regard to the citizens or subjects of the country; and it shall be lawful for the officers of the customs in the district where the said vessels may be, to visit them, to

privilege.

remain on board, and to take such precautions as may be necessary to prevent all illicit commerce while such vessels remain within the said jurisdiction.

ARTICLE VIII.

It is also agreed that the vessels of one of the contracting parties, entering the ports of the other, shall be permitted to dis- Vessels landing charge a part only of their cargoes, whenever the captain parts of cargoes. or owner shall desire so to do, and they shall be allowed to depart freely with the remainder, without paying any duties, imposts, or charges whatsoever, except on that part which shall have been landed, and which shall be marked and noted on the list or manifest containing the enumeration of the merchandise which the vessel ought to have on board, and which list ought always to be presented, without reservation, to the officers of the customs at the place where the vessel shall have arrived; and nothing shall be paid on the part of the cargo which the vessel takes away; and the said vessel may proceed therewith to any other port or ports in the same country, into which vessels of the most favoured nations are permitted to enter, and there dispose of the same; or the said vessel may depart therewith to the ports of any other country. It is, however, understood that the duties, imposts, or charges, which are payable on the vessel itself, ought to be paid at the first port where it breaks bulk and discharges a part of the cargo, and that no such duties or impositions shall be again demanded in the ports of the same country where the said vessel may thereafter enter, except the inhabitants of the country be subjected to further duties in the same circumstances.

ARTICLE IX.

Exception.

Rights and privi

The citizens or subjects of one of the contracting parties shall enjoy in the ports of the other, as well for their vessels as for their merchandise, all the rights and privileges of entrepot, which leges of entrepot. are enjoyed by the most favoured nations in the same ports.

ARTICLE X.

Shipwrecks.

In case any vessel, belonging to either of the two States or to their citizens or subjects, shall be stranded, shipwrecked, or have suffered any other damage on the coasts under the dominion of either of the parties, all aid and assistance shall be given to the persons shipwrecked, or who may be in danger thereof, and passports shall be granted them to return to their own country. The ships and merchandise wrecked, or the proceeds thereof, if the effects be sold, being claimed in a year and a day, by the owners, or their attorney, shall be restored on paying the same costs of salvage, conformably to the laws and usages of the two nations, which the citizens or subjects of the country would pay in the same circumstances. The respective governments shall watch over the companies which are or may be instituted for saving shipwrecked persons and property, that vexations and abuses may not take place.

ARTICLE XI.

It is agreed that vessels arriving direct from the United States, at a port under the dominion of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, or from the ports of his said Majesty in Europe

Quarantine.

« PreviousContinue »