TWO-HEADED SNAKE. This has in general been confidered as a monftrous produe tion; but Mr. Morfe fays, he is difpofed to believe that it is a diftin&t fpecies; he observes that he has seen one, and received accounts of three others, found in different parts of the United States: one of these was about eight inches long, and both heads, as to every outward appearance, were equally perfect, and branching out from the neck at an acute angle, TREATIES BETWEEN HIS MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY AND THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. TREATY OF AMITY AND COMMERCE. LOUIS, by the Grace of GoD, King of France and THE Congrefs of the Thirteen United States of North America having, by their Plenipotentiaries refiding at Paris, notified their defire to eftablish with us and our States a good understanding and perfect correspondence, and having for that purpose proposed to conclude with us a Treaty of Amity and Commerce: We having thought it our duty to give to the faid States a fenfible proof of our affection, determining us. to accept of their propofals: for these causes, and other good confiderations us thereunto moving, we, repofing entire confidence in the abilities and experience, zeal and fidelity for our service, of our dear and beloved Conrad Alexander Gerard, royal fyndic of the city of Strasburg, and secretary of our council of ftate, have nominated, appointed, and commiffioned, and by thefe prefents, figned with our hand, do nominate, appoint and commiffion him our plenipotentiary, giving him 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 fhall think proper; willing that he act with the fame authority as we might or could act, if we were perfonally prefent, and even as though he had more fpecial command than what is herein contained; promifing 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 beloyed Conrad Alexander Gerard fhall 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 whatsoever; and alfo to ratify the fame in due form, and caule our ratification to be delivered and exchanged in the time that fhall be agreed on. For fuch is our pleasure. In teftimony whereof we have hereunto fet our feal. Done at Verfailies this thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and feventy-eight, and the fourth year of our reign. The Moft Chriftian King, and the Thirteen United States of North America, to wit, New-Hampfhire, Maffachufett'sbay, Rhode-Ifland, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennfylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, SouthCarolina 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 establifh between their refpeftive countries, ftates and fubjects; his Moft Chriftian Majefty and the faid United States have judged, that the faid end could not be better obtained than by taking for the basis of their agreement the most perfect equality and reciprocity, and by carefully avoiding all those burthenfone preferences which are ufually fources of debate, embarraifment and difcontent; by leaving alfo each party at liberty to make refpecting navigation and commerce, those interior regulations which it fhall find moft convenient to itself, and by founding the advantage of commerce folely upon reci procal utility, and the juft rules of free intercourfe; referving withal to each party the liberty of admitting, at its pleafure, other nations to a participation of the fame advantages. It is in the fpirit of this intention, and to fulfil thefe views, that his faid Majefty, having named and appointed for his plenipotentiary Conrad Alexander Gerard, royal fyndic of the city of Strafburg, fecretary of his majefty's council of ftate; and the United States, on their part, having fully empowered Benjamin Franklin, deputy from the State of Pennfylvania to the General Congrefs, and prefident to the convention of the State; Silas Deane, late deputy from the State of Connecticut to the faid Congress; and Arthur Lee, confellor 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 fhall be a firm, inviolable and univerfal peace, and a true and fincere friendship, between the Most Chriftian King, his heirs and fucceffors, and the United States. of America, and the subjects of the Most Christian King and of the faid States, and between the countries, iflands, cities and towns, fituate under the jurifdiction of the Moft 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, shall be perpetual between the Moft Chriftian King, his heirs and fucceffors, and the faid United States. Art. II. The Moft Chriftian King and the United States engage mutually not to grant any particular favour to other nations, in respect 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 compenfation, if the conceffion was conditional. Art. III. The fubjects of the Moft Chriftian King fhall pay in the ports, havens, roads, countries, islands, cities or towns of the United States, or any of them, no other or greater duties or impofts, of what nature foever they may be, or by what name foever called, than thofe which the nations most favoured are or fhall 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 States to another, or in going to and from the lame, from and to any part of the world, which the faid nations do or fhall enjoy. Art. IV. The fubjects, people and inhabitants of the faid United States, and each of them, fhall not pay in the ports, havens, roads, islands, cities and places under the domination of his Moft Chriftian Majefty in Europe, any other or greater duties or impofts, of what nature foever they may be, or by what name foever called, than those which the moft favoured nations are or fhall 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 faid dominions in Europe to another, or in going to and from the fame, from and to any part of the world, which the faid nations do or fhall enjoy. Art. V. in the above exemption is particularly comprifed the impofition of one hundred fous per ton, established in France on foreign ships, unless when the fhips of the United States fhall load with the merchandise of France for another port of the faid dominions; in which cafe the fhips fhall pay the duty above mentioned, so long as other nations the most favoured fhall be obliged to pay it; but it is understood, that the faid United States, or any of them, are at liberty, when they fhall judge it proper, to establish a duty equivalent in the fame cafe. Art. VI. The Most Christian King fhall endeavour, by all the means in his power, to protect and defend all veffels and the effects belonging to the fubjects, people or inhabitants, of the faid United States, or any of them, being in his ports, havens or roads, or on the feas near his countries, iflands, cities or towns; and to recover and restore to the right owners, their agents or attornies, all fuch veffels and effects which fhall be taken within his jurifdiction; and the fhips of war of his Moft Chriftian Majefty, or any convoy failing under his authority, fhall, upon all occafions, take under their protection all vellels belonging to the fubjects, people or inhabitants, of the faid United States, or any of them, and holding the fame courfe, or going the fame way, and fhall defend fuch veffels as long as they hold the fame courfe, or go the fame way, against all attacks, force or violence, in the fame manner as they ought to protect and defend the veffels belonging to the fubjects of the Most Christian King. Art. VII. In like manner the faid United States, and their fhips of war failing under their authority, fhall protect and defend, conformably to the tenor of the preceding article, all the veffels and effects belonging to the subjects of the Moft Christian King, and ufe all their endeavonrs to recover, and caufe to be reflored, the faid veel and cffc&ts that thail |