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FRANCE AND SPAIN.

1. THE FAMILY COMPACT, 1761.

This was a treaty of offensive and defensive alliance between France and Spain, signed August 15, 1761, to which the adhesion of the other Bourbon Princes was to be procured.

2. CESSION OF LOUISIANA.

By a secret treaty between France and Spain, concluded November 3, 1762, Louisiana and New Orleans were ceded to Spain, the cession being in the nature of a recompense for the loss of Florida, which Spain had ceded to Great Britain by the preliminary treaty of Paris signed the same day.

GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE.

TREATY OF PARIS, FEBRUARY 10, 1763.

ARTICLE V. "The subjects of France shall have the liberty of fishing and drying, on a part of the coasts of the Island of Newfoundland, such as is specified by Article 13 of the Treaty of Utrecht; which article is renewed and confirmed by the present Treaty except what relates to the Island of Cape Breton, as well as to the other Islands and coasts in the mouth and in the Gulph of St. Lawrence. And His Britannic Majesty consents to leave to the subjects of the Most Christian King the liberty of fishing in the Gulph St. Lawrence, on condition that the subjects of France do not exercise the said fishery, but at the distance of three leagues from all the coasts belonging to Great Britain, as well those of the continent, as those of the islands situated in the said Gulph St. Lawrence. And as to what relates to the fishery on the coast of the Islands of Cape Breton out of the said Gulph, the subjects of the Most Christian King shall not be permitted to exercise the said fishery, but at the distance of fifteen leagues from the coast of the Island of Cape Breton; and the fishery on the coasts of Nova Scotia or Acadia, and

everywhere else out of the said Gulph, shall remain on the footing of former treaties."

ARTICLE VI.—“The King of Great Britain cedes the Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, in full right, to His Most Christian Majesty, to serve as a shelter to the French fishermen; and his said Most Christian Majesty, engages not to fortify the said islands; to erect no buildings upon them, but merely for the convenience of the fishery; and to keep upon them a guard of fifty men only for the police."

ARTICLE VII.-"In order to re-establish peace on solid and durable foundations, and to remove forever all subject of dispute with regard to the limits of the British and French territories on the continent of America; it is agreed, that for the future, the confines between the dominions of His Britannic Majesty, and those of His Most Christian Majesty, in that part of the world, shall be fixed irrevocably by a line drawn along the middle of the river Mississippi, from its source to the river Iberville, and from thence, by a line drawn along the middle of this river, and the lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain, to the sea; and for this purpose, the Most Christian King cedes in full right, and guarantees to His Britannic Majesty, the river and port of the Mobile, and every thing which he possesses, or ought to possess, on the left side of the river Mississippi, except the town of New Orleans, and the island in which it is situated, which shall remain to France; provided that the navigation of the river Mississippi shall be equally free, as well to the subjects of Great Britain as to those of France, in its whole breadth and length, from its source to the sea, and expressly that part which is between the said island of New Orleans and the right bank of that river, as well as the passage both in and out of its mouth. It is further stipulated, that the vessels belonging to the subjects of either nation shall not be stopped, visited, or subjected to the payment of any duty whatsoever. The stipulations, inserted in the IVth article, in favour of the inhabitants of Canada, shall also take place with regard to the inhabitants of the countries ceded by this article."

GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE.

TREATY OF PARIS, SEPTEMBER 3, 1783.

ARTICLE IV.—“His Majesty the King of Great Britain is maintained in his right to the Island of Newfoundland, and to the adjacent islands, as the whole were assured to him by the Thirteenth Article of the Treaty of Utrecht; excepting the Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, which are ceded in full right, by the present Treaty, to His Most Christian Majesty."

ARTICLE V." His Majesty the Most Christian King, in order to prevent the quarrels which have hitherto arisen between the two Nations of England and France, consents to renounce the right of fishing, which belongs to him in virtue of the aforesaid Article of the Treaty of Utrecht, from Cape Bonavista to Cape St. John, situated on the eastern coast of Newfoundland, in fifty degrees North latitude, and His Majesty the King of Great Britain consents on his part, that the fishery assigned to the subjects of His Most Christian Majesty, beginning at the said Cape St. John, passing to the north, and descending by the western coast of the Island of Newfoundland, shall extend to the place called Cape Raye, situated in forty-seven degrees, fifty minutes latitude. The French fishermen shall enjoy the. fishery which is assigned to them by the present Article, as they had the right to enjoy that which was assigned to them by the Treaty of Utrecht."

ARTICLE VI.—“With regard to the fishery in the Gulph of St. Lawrence, the French shall continue to exercise it conformably to the fifth article of the Treaty of Paris."

BRITISH DECLARATION, SEPTEMBER 3, 1783.

(EXTRACT.)

"The King having entirely agreed with His Most Christian Majesty upon the Articles of the Definitive Treaty, will seek every means which shall not only ensure the execution thereof, with his accustomed good faith and punctuality, but will besides give, on his part, all possible efficacy to the principles

which shall prevent even the least foundation of dispute for the future.

"To this end, and in order that the fishermen of the two nations may not give cause for daily quarrels, His Britannic Majesty will take the most positive measures for preventing his subjects from interrupting, in any manner, by their competition, the fishery of the French, during the temporary exercise of it which is granted to them, upon the coasts of the Island of Newfoundland; and he will, for this purpose, cause the fixed settlements which shall be formed there, to be removed. His Britannic Majesty will give orders, that the French fishermen be not incommoded, in cutting the wood necessary for the repair of their scaffolds, huts, and fishing vessels.

"The thirteenth article of the Treaty with Utrecht, and the method of carrying on the fishery which has at all times been acknowledged, shall be the plan upon which the fishery shall be carried on there: it shall not be deviated from by either party; the French fishermen building only their scaffolds, confining themselves to the repair of their fishing-vessels, and not wintering there; the subjects of His Britannic Majesty, on their part, not molesting, in any manner, the French fishermen, during their fishing, nor injuring their scaffolds during their absence.

"The King of Great Britain, in ceding the Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon to France, regards them as ceded for the purpose of serving as a real shelter to the French fishermen, and in full confidence that these possessions will not become an object of jealousy between the two nations; and that the fishery between the said Islands, and that of Newfoundland, shall be limited to the middle of the channel."

GREAT BRITAIN AND SPAIN.

TREATY OF PEACE, SEPTEMBER 3, 1783.

ARTICLE V." His Britannic Majesty cedes and guarantees, in full right, to His Catholic Majesty, East Florida, as also West Florida. His Catholic Majesty agrees that the British inhabitants, or others who may have been subjects of the King of Great

Britain in the said countries, may retire in

full security and liberty, where they shall think proper, and may sell their estates, and remove their effects, as well as their persons, without being restrained in their emigration, under any pretence whatsoever, except on account of debts, or criminal prosecutions; the term limited for this emigration being fixed to the space of eighteen months, to be computed from the day of the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty; but if from the value of the possessions of the English proprietors they should not be able to dispose of them within the said term, then His Catholic Majesty shall grant them a prolongation proportioned to that end. It is further stipulated, that His Britannic Majesty shall have the power of removing from East Florida all the effects which may belong to him whether artillery, or other matters."

TREATY OF ARMED NEUTRALTY BETWEEN THE EMPRESS OF RUSSIA AND THE KING OF DENMARK; ACCEDED TO BY THE KING OF SWEDEN, AND THE STATES-GENERAL OF THE UNITED PROVINCES.

ARTICLE I.—" Their respective majesties are fully and sincerely determined to keep upon the most friendly terms with the present belligerent powers, and preserve the most exact neutrality: they solemnly declare their firm intention to be, that their respective subjects shall strictly observe the Laws forbidding all contraband trade with the powers now being, or that may hereafter be, concerned in the present disputes."

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ARTICLE II. "To prevent all equivocation or misunderstanding of the word Contraband, their imperial and royal majesties declare, that the meaning of the said word is solely restrained to such goods and commodities, as are mentioned under that denomination, in the treaties subsisting between their said majesties and either of the belligerent powers. Her imperial majesty abiding principally by the X. and XI. articles of the treaty of commerce with Great Britain; the conditions therein mentioned, which are founded on the Rights of Nations, being understood to extend to the kings of France and Spain; as there is at present no specific treaty of commerce between

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