RUSSIA.

RUSSIA, 1824.

CONVENTION* BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND RUSSIA, RELATIVE TO NAVIGATING, FISHING, &c., IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. CONCLUDED APRIL 5-17, 1824; RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED DECEMBER 30, 1824, JANUARY 11, 1825; PROCLAIMED JANUARY 12, 1825.

In the name of the Most Holy and Indivisible Trinity.

The President of the United States of America and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, wishing to cement the bonds of amity which unite them, and to secure between them the invariable maintenance of a perfect concord, by means of the present convention, have named as their Plenipotentiaries to this effect, to wit:

The President of the United States of America, Henry Middleton, a citizen of said States, and their Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary near his Imperial Majesty; and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, his beloved and faithful Charles Robert Count of Nesselrode, actual Privy Counsellor, Member of the Council of State, Secretary of State directing the administration of Foreign Affairs, actual Chamberlain, Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, Grand Cross of the Order of St. Wladimir of the first class, Knight of that of the White Eagle of Poland, Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen of Hungary, Knight of the Orders of the Holy Ghost and of St. Michael, and Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor of France, Knight Grand Cross of the Orders of the Black and of the Red Eagle of Prussia, of the Annunciation of Sardinia, of Charles III of Spain, of St. Ferdinand and of Merit of Naples, of the Elephant of Denmark, of the Polar Star of Sweden, of the Crown of Würtemberg, of the Guelphs of Hanover, of the Belgic Lion, of Fidelity of Baden, and of St. Constantine of Parma; and Pierre de Poletica, actual Counsellor of State, Knight of the Order of St. Anne of the first class, and Grand Cross of the Order of St. Wladimir of the second;

Who, after having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form have agreed upon and signed the following stipulations:

ARTICLE I.

Navigation and fish

It is agreed that, in any part of the Great Ocean, commonly called the Pacific Ocean, or South Sea, the respective citizens or subjects of the high contracting Powers shall be neither dis- eries of the Pacific. turbed nor restrained, either in navigation or in fishing, or in the power of resorting to the coasts, upon points which may not already have been occupied, for the purpose of trading with the natives, saving always the restrictions and conditions determined by the following articles.

ARTICLE II.

With a view of preventing the rights of navigation and of fishing exer* Translation from the original, which is in the French language.

Illicit trade.

cised upon the Great Ocean by the citizens and subjects of the high contracting Powers from becoming the pretext for an illicit trade, it is agreed that the citizens of the United States shall not resort to any point where there is a Russian establishment, without the permission of the governor or commander; and that, reciprocally, the subjects of Russia shall not resort, without permission, to any establishment of the United States upon the Northwest coast.

Establishments to

of the United States er Russia.

ARTICLE III.

It is moreover agreed that, hereafter, there shall not be formed by the citizens of the United States, or under the authority of be formed by citizens the said States, any establishment upon the Northwest coast of America, nor in any of the islands adjacent, to the north of fifty-four degrees and forty minutes of north latitude; and that, in the same manner, there shall be none formed by Russian subjects, or under the authority of Russia, south of the same parallel.

ARTICLE IV.

It is, nevertheless, understood that during a term of ten years, counting from the signature of the present convention, the Interior seas. ships of both Powers, or which belong to their citizens or subjects respectively, may reciprocally frequent, without any hindrance whatever, the interior seas, gulfs, harbors, and creeks, upon the coast mentioned in the preceding article, for the purpose of fishing and trading with the natives of the country.

Articles to be ex

commerce.

ARTICLE V.

All spirituous liquors, fire-arms, other arms, powder, and munitions. of war of every kind, are always excepted from this same cepted from this commerce permitted by the preceding article; and the two Powers engage, reciprocally, neither to sell, nor suffer them to be sold, to the natives by their respective citizens and subjects, nor by any person who may be under their authority. It is likewise stipulated that this restriction shall never afford a pretext, nor be advanced, in any case, to authorize either search or detention of the vessels, seizure of the merchandize, or, in fine, any measures of constraint whatever towards the merchants or the crews who may carry on this commerce; the high contracting Powers reciprocally reserving to themselves to determine upon the penalties to be incurred, and to inflict the punishments in case of the contravention of this article by their respective citizens or subjects.

Ratifications.

ARTICLE VI.

When this convention shall have been duly ratified by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the Senate, on the one part, and, on the other, by His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, the ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington in the space of ten months from the date below, or sooner if possible.

În faith whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed this convention, and thereto affixed the seals of their arms.

Done at St. Petersburg the 17-5 April, of the year of Grace one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.

HENRY MIDDLETON.

[L. S.

Le Comte CHARLES DE NESSELRODE.
PIERRE DE POLETICA.

L. S.

L. S.

RUSSIA, 1832.

TREATY OF COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION WITH RUSSIA. CONCLUDED DECEMBER 6-18, 1832; RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED MAY 11, 1833; PROCLAIMED MAY 11, 1833.

In the name of the most Holy and Indivisible Trinity.

The United States of America and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, equally animated with the desire of maintaining the relations of good understanding which have hitherto so happily subsisted between their respective States, and of extending and consolidating the commercial intercourse between them, have agreed to enter into negotiations for the conclusion of a treaty of navigation and commerce; for which purpose the President of the United States has conferred full powers on James Buchanan, their Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary near His Imperial Majesty; and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias has conferred like powers on the Sieur Charles Robert Count de Nesselrode, his Vice Chancellor, Knight of the Orders of Russia, and of many others, &c.;

And the said Plenipotentiaries, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have concluded and signed the following articles:

ARTICLE I.

Commerce and na

There shall be between the territories of the high contracting parties a reciprocal liberty of commerce and navigation. The inhabitants of their respective States shall mutually have vigation. liberty to enter the ports, places, and rivers of the territories of each party wherever foreign commerce is permitted. They shall be at liberty to sojourn and reside in all parts whatsoever of said territories, in order to attend to their affairs; and they shall enjoy, to that effect, the same security and protection as natives of the country wherein they reside, on condition of their submitting to the laws and ordinances there prevailing, and particularly to the regulations in force concerning commerce.

ARTICLE II.

Tonnage duties.

Russian vessels arriving either laden or in ballast in the ports of the United States of America, and reciprocally vessels of the United States arriving either laden or in ballast in the ports of the Empire of Russia, shall be treated, on their entrance, during their stay, and at their departure, upon the same footing as national vessels coming from the same place, with respect to the duties of tonnåge. In regard to light-house duties, pilotage, and port charges, as well as to the fees and perquisites of public officers, and all other duties and charges, of whatever kind or denomination, levied upon vessels of commerce, in the name or to the profit of the Government, the local authorities, or of any private establishments whatsoever, the high contracting parties shall reciprocally treat each other upon the footing of the most favored nations with whom they have not treaties now actually in force, regulating the said duties and charges on the basis of an entire reciprocity.

dise.

ARTICLE III.

All kind of merchandise and articles of commerce, which may be lawImported merchan fully imported into the ports of the Empire of Russia in Russian vessels, may also be so imported in vessels of the United States of America, without paying other or higher duties or charges, of whatever kind or denomination, levied in the name or to the profit of the Government, the local authorities, or of any private establishments whatsoever, than if the same merchandise or articles of commerce had been imported in Russian vessels. And, reciprocally, all kind of merchandise and articles of commerce, which may be lawfully imported into the ports of the United States of America in vessels of the said States, may also be so imported in Russian vessels, without paying other or higher duties or charges, of whatever kind or denomination, levied in the name or to the profit of the Government, the local authorities, or of any private establishments whatsoever, than if the same merchandise or articles of commerce had been imported in vessels of the United States of America.

The same rule to obtain, whether arriving from their

ARTICLE IV.

It is understood that the stipulations contained in the two preceding articles are to their full extent applicable to Russian vessels and their cargoes arriving in the ports of the United own or from foreign States of America, and reciprocally to vessels of the said States and their cargoes arriving in the ports of the Empire of Russia, whether the said vessels clear directly from the ports of the country to which they respectively belong or from the ports of any other foreign country.

ports.

dise.

ARTICLE V.

All kind of merchandise and articles of commerce, which may be law Exported merchan fully exported from the ports of the United States of America in national vessels, may also be exported therefrom in Russian vessels without paying other or higher duties or charges, of whatever kind or denomination, levied in the name or to the profit of the Government, the local authorities, or of any private establishments whatsoever, than if the same merchandise or articles of commerce had been exported in vessels of the United States of America. And, recip rocally, all kind of merchandise and articles of commerce, which may be lawfully exported from the ports of the Empire of Russia in national vessels, may also be exported therefrom in vessels of the United States of America, without paying other or higher duties or charges, of whatever kind or denomination, levied in the name or to the profit of the Government, the local authorities, or of any private establishments whatsoever, than if the same merchandise or articles of commerce had been exported in Russian vessels.

Duties imposed.

ARTICLE VI.

No higher or other duties shall be imposed on the importation into the United States of any article the produce or manufacture of Russia, and no higher or other duties shall be imposed on the importation into the Empire of Russia of any article the produce or manufacture of the United States, than are or shall be payable on the like article being the produce or manufacture of any other foreign

Prohibitions shall be general.

country. Nor shall any prohibition be imposed on the importation or exportation of any article the produce or manufacture of the United States or of Russia, to or from the ports of the United States, or to or from the ports of (the Russian Empire, which shall not equally extend to all other nations.

ARTICLE VII.

It is expressly understood that the preceding articles II, III, IV, V, and VI, shall not be applicable to the coastwise navigation Consting trade ex of either of the two countries, which each of the high con- cepted. tracting parties reserves exclusively to itself.

ARTICLE VIII.

Consuls.

The two contracting parties shall have the liberty of having in their respective ports Consuls, Vice-Consuls, Agents, and Commissaries, of their own appointment, who shall enjoy the same privileges and powers as those of the most favored nations; but if any such Consul shall exercise commerce, they shall be submitted to the same laws and usages to which the private individuals of their nation are submitted, in the same place.

The Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Commercial Agents shall have the right, as such, to sit as judges and arbitrators in such differences as may arise between the captains and crews of the vessels belonging to the nation whose interests are committed to their charge, without the interference of the local authorities, unless the conduct of the crews or of the captain should disturb the order or the tranquillity of the country, or the said Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Commercial Agents should require their assistance to cause their decisions to be carried into effect or supported. It is, however, understood that this species of judgment or arbitration shall not deprive the contending parties of the right they have to resort, on their return, to the judicial authority of their country.

ARTICLE IX.

Deserters.

The said Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Commercial Agents are authorized to require the assistance of the local authorities, for the search, arrest, detention and imprisonment of the deserters from the ships of war and merchant vessels of their country. For this purpose they shall apply to the competent tribunals, judges and officers, and shall in writing demand said deserters, proving, by the exhibition of the registers of the vessels, the rolls of the crews, or by other official documents, that such individuals formed part of the crews; and this reclamation being thus substantiated, the surrender shall not be refused.

Such deserters, when arrested, shall be placed at the disposal of the said Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Commercial Agents, and may be confined in the public prisons, at the request and cost of those who shall claim them, in order to be detained until the time when they shall be restored to the vessels to which they belong, or sent back to their own country by a vessel of the same nation or any other vessel whatsoever. But if not sent back within four months from the day of their arrest, they shall be set at liberty, and shall not be again arrested for the same

cause.

However, if the deserter should be found to have committed any