1st July 1860. 2. For bar and pig iron, and for steel of the kinds. which are not subject to prohibition, from the 1st October 1860. 3. For worked metals, machines, tools, and mechanical instruments of all sorts, within a period which shall not exceed the 31st December 1860. 4. For yarns and manufactures in flax and hemp, from the 1st June 1861. 5. And of all other articles from the 1st October 1861.

ARTICLE XVI. His Majesty the Emperor of the French engages that the ad valorem duties payable on the importation into France of merchandise of British production and manufacture, shall not exceed a maximum of 25 per cent. from the 1st of October 1864.

ARTICLE XVII. It is understood between the two high contracting Powers, as an element of the conversion of the ad valorem duties into specific duties, that for the kinds of bar iron which are at present subjected on importation into France to a duty of ten francs, not including the two additional decimes, the duty shall be seven francs on every hundred kilogrammes until the 1st of October 1864, and six francs from that period, including in both cases the two additional decimes.

ARTICLE XVIII. The arrangements of the present Treaty of Commerce are applicable to Algeria, both for the exportation of her produce, and for the importation of British goods.

ARTICLE XIX. Each of the two high contracting Powers engages to confer on the other any favour, privilege, or reduction in the tariff of duties of importation on the articles mentioned in the present Treaty, which the said Powers may concede to any third Power. They further engage not to enforce one against the other any prohibition of importation or exportation, which shall not at the same time be applicable to all other nations.

ARTICLE XX. The present Treaty shall not be valid unless her Britannic Majesty shall be authorised by the assent of her Parliament to execute the engagements contracted by her in the Articles of the present Treaty.

ARTICLE XXI. The present Treaty shall remain in force for the space of ten years, to date from the day of the exchange of ratifications; and in case neither of the high contracting Powers shall have notified to the other, twelve months before the expiration of the said period of ten years, the intention to put an end to its operation, the Treaty shall continue in force for another year, and so on from year to year, until the expiration of a year, counting from the day on which one or other of the high contracting Powers shall have announced its intention to put an end to it.

The high contracting Powers reserve to themselves the right to introduce, by common consent, into this Treaty any modification which is not opposed to its spirit and principles, and the utility of which shall have been shown by experience.

ARTICLE XXII. The present Treaty shall be ratified, and the

Lord Cowley's observations on the Treaty.

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ratifications shall be exchanged at Paris within the period of fifteen days, or sooner if possible.

In faith whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed it, and affixed thereto the seal of their arms.

Done in duplicate at Paris, the twenty-third day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty.

(L.S.) COWLEY.

(L.S.) RICHARD COBDEN.

(L.S.) V. BAROCHE.

(L.S.) F. ROUHER.

In the official correspondence published along with the Treaty occur the following significant passages:

Lord Cowley wrote:-"Nothing would tend more to allay the irritation which unfortunately prevailed on both sides the Channel;" and Earl Russell :-" They attach a high social and political value to the conclusion of a commercial treaty with France."

Are not the following words suggestive?

"The merits," says Lord Cowley, "of whatever may be affected will rest solely with him (Mr. Cobden), and it is but fair that he should have the satisfaction of putting his name to the final arrangement. I could feel no jealousy on such an occasion."

144

HH.

THE FRENCH TARIFF OF 1664.

"The Tarif settled by the French King and Council, September 18, 1664, shewing the Duties agreed to be paid upon the several sorts of Merchandise, Goods, Wares, etc., being the Growth, Product, and Manufactures of great Britain, which should be imported from England into France." 1

1 Glasgow, re-printed by Hugh Brown, and are to be sold at his shop above the Cross.

MDCCXIII.

ARTICLE 1. The right of free pilotage is granted to all sailing vessels not measuring over 80 tons, and to steamers whose measurement does not exceed 100 tons, whenever they run regularly between port and port, and habitually frequent the entrances to rivers.

Nevertheless, at the request of the Chamber of Commerce, and after an inquiry in the usual form has been made, the public administrative regulations shall determine the modifications of rules which may be considered necessary in the interest of navigation.

Art. 2. For foreign-going vessels the visit of inspection prescribed by Article 225 of the Commercial Code for a fresh cargo loaded in France shall not be obligatory unless six months have elapsed since the last inspection, except the vessel may have sustained damage.

Art. 3. For the official documents or procès-verbaux showing the changes of owners of the ship, either totally or partially, a fixed charge shall be made for registration of 5 fr. Article 5, No. 2, of the Law 28th February 1872, is repealed so far as it is contrary to the present provision.

Art. 4. To compensate shipbuilders for the charges fixed by the Custom-house Tariff, the following allowances shall be made to them:For gross tonnage

For iron or steel vessels, 60 fr.

For wooden vessels of 200 tons or more, 20 fr.

For wooden vessels of less than 200 tons, 10 fr.

For composite vessels, 40 fr.

For engines placed on board steamers, and for auxiliary apparatus, such as steam-pumps, donkey-engines, winches, ventilators worked by machinery, also boilers and connecting pipes, 12 fr. per 100 kilog.

Ships planked with timber, having beams and ribs of iron or steel, are to be considered as composite vessels.

Art. 5. Every change in a ship by which an increase in measurement is gained shall give right to a bounty, based on the above Tariff according to the increase of tonnage gained.