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Vessels which shall receive their cargoes in the Port of Sulina without ascending the River above the said port, shall only pay the Tolls regulated in the following Table:

Amount of Dues to pay per Ton with a depth at the Mouth.

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III. All merchant steam vessels other than those mentioned in the preceding Article shall be subjected to the same dues as sailing vsssels, with the exception of the deduction on account of engines and coals, which shall be equally effected upon their total tonnage in accordance with the bases established in the preceding Article.

The amount of the fixed dues per ton register which these vessels will have to pay shall be regulated according as they ascend the river above Sulina or not, in conformity with the above tables, after the deduction guaranteed therein by the first paragraph of the present Article.

IV. Merchant vessels propelled either by sail or steam, other than those mentioned in Article II, which shall enter the port of Sulina from the sea, and which shall have according to their manifest more than a third of their lading, shall pay for entering the river, the fourth part of the due imposed on them for th ward passage, according to the above Articles I and II'

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This entrance due shall not be paid by them until they leave the river.

Should, however, the said vessels leave the river with less than a third of their lading, they will in this case have to pay for their entrance the full amount of the dues fixed by Articles I and III.

V. Lighters chartered for the passage of the Sulina bar by vessels which shall have paid the dues fixed by the preceding Articles shall pay for each passage made with a full or partial lading only the following tolls, namely:

Lighters of 10 to 50 tons burden, 5 francs;

Those of more than 50 tons burden, and not exceeding 100 tons, 8 francs;

And those of more than 100 tons burden, 12 francs.

VI. Vessels remaining at anchor in the Sulina roads to load or unload the whole or part of their cargo shall not be subjected to the dues established by the preceding Articles. They shall only pay a uniform due of 100 francs each vessel, towards covering the expenses of the establishments from which they

derive actual benefit.

Lighters chartered to transport across the mouth the cargo of the said vessels shall pay for every passage across the bar, with whole or partial lading, a fixed due of 1 franc per ton on their total tonnage.

Steam lighters shall be allowed the deduction on their tonnage mentioned in Article II preceding, in calculating the dues they will have to pay.

VII. Rafts and floats of timber not exceeding 100 feet English in length, by 40 feet English in breadth, shall pay on leaving the river, if towed, a fixed due of 100 francs per raft.

This due shall be increased to 300 francs for every raft or float of timber not towed, of whatever dimensions it may be; and also for such rafts or floats as exceed 100 feet in length by 40 in breadth.

VIII. Vessels of war are free of all dues, both on entering and on leaving the port of Sulina.

IX. Vessels of more than 60 tons register, which shall enter the port of Sulina, and leave the same with less than a third of their full lading, and which are freed in consequence from the dues established by Articles I, III, and IV preceding, will have to pay on leaving the river a toll of 50 centimes per ton, for light and pilotage dues.

Sea-going vessels engaged temporarily in the lighter service will have to pay this same toll, independently of the due of 1 franc per ton mentioned in the 2nd clause of Article IV. [VI.]

Sea-going vessels or lighters seeking shelter in the port of Sulina from bad weather, or putting in to repair damages, and those which shall be obliged, in consequence of any accident whatever, to take refuge in the port, and shall be unable to continue their

voyage, shall be free from all dues, provided that they put to sea again, without engaging in any mercantile transactions.

X. The dues fixed by the preceding Articles shall comprise the tax imposed on vessels to cover the expenses of works and other improvements carried out by the European Commission;

The dues actually in force for the maintenance of the lighthouses composing the system of lights for the Danube mouths; And the dues intended to cover the expenses of the pilot service for the Sulina entrance, and of the other establishments instituted with a view to facilitate the navigation.

In addition to these dues, vessels shall not be subject to any other tax or charge whatever, except for the hire of the river pilots for the down voyage, which they will have to pay in conformity with the following Article.

XI. Sailing vessels of more than 60 tons register which shall have ascended the river above the Sulina port shall pay, on leaving the river for the compulsory pilotage of the down voyage, a fixed due regulated as follows:

For the voyage from Galatz, or any other port higher up, to Sulina, 120 francs;

For the voyage from Reni or Ismail to Sulina, 100 francs;
And for the voyage from Toultcha to Sulina, 72 francs.
These dues shall be reduced by one-half for steamers.

The steamers mentioned in Article II preceeding shall be free of this tax, provided that their pilots have been licensed as pilots of the 2nd class.

As regards pilotage for ascending the river, which is purely optional, the amount to be paid to the pilot is to be a matter of arrangement between him and the captain of the vessel, from whom he is to receive the amount himself.

XII. The due shall be paid over to the cashier of the Navigation Cash Office at Sulina, who will give a receipt for the same.

A table showing the conversion into francs of the monies in use on the Lower Danube shall be always posted up in the Cash Office. This table shall be revised periodically.

XIII. By the term "ton register" shall be understood the English registered ton.

The tonnage of vessels shall be ascertained from the ship's papers. The reduction of the tons of different nations into English measurement shall be made in accordance with the table annexed to the present tariff.*

XIV. Vessels entering the Danube without papers showing their tonnage shall be submitted, with the sole view of fixing the navigation dues which they will be bound to pay in accordance with the present tariff, to an approximate] assessment made under the direction of the captain of the port, and with the assistance of the proper consular authorities, by 2 skilled persons.

* See Page 1063.

The cashier of the navigation chest shall have the option of assisting at the operation, either personally or by a delegate.

A like proceeding shall take place if the ship's papers are notoriously incorrect, or if there is a dispute concerning the proportion of a vessel's lading, in the cases provided by the above Articles I and IV.

The assessment of tonnage in default of ship's papers shall be made at the expense of the vessel that gives rise to it. The same rule shall hold good if an assessment proves an excess of more than 50 tons above the capacity indicated by the ship's papers; or if it is proved contrary to the declaration of the captain or owner that the vessel has more than a third part of her full cargo. If the contrary be the case, the said expenses shall be charged to the Navigation Chest.

In any case these assessments shall be final, and can give rise to no appeal whatever.

XV. The depths according to which the dues fixed by the present tariff shall be determined, shall be taken on the bar of Sulina, in English feet.

The soundings shall be taken under the direction and responsibility of the engineer charged with the works of improvement at the river's mouth,

The result of these soundings shall be posted up at the Navigation Cash Office, and at the office of the captain of the port.

If the state of the sea does not allow soundings to be taken, the amount of the dues to be levied shall be based on the last depth ascertained.

XVI. Every vessel, float of timber, or raft which shall attempt by any means whatever to evade payment (either wholly or partially) of the dues fixed by the present tariff, shall be liable, besides the dues which it will have to pay in accordance with the preceding provisions, to a fine equal to 4 times the amount of the dues.

If the tonnage indicated on the ship's papers appears to be fraudulent, a verification of the capacity of the vessel can be made, as prescribed by the above Article XIV.

The infliction of the fine will be pronounced by the captain of the port of Sulina.

Appeals against these judgments must be brought before the European Commission of the Danube, or before the International Authority, that will take its place.

The delay within which such appeals must be made, and the form of proceeding, shall be determined hereafter by special provisions. The judgments pronounced by the captain of the port shall take effect, notwithstanding an appeal; in which case the amount of fine shall be paid as a deposit into the Navigation Chest.

The amount of fines adjudged to be legal shall accrue to the said chest, to be devoted to the maintenance of the seaman's hospital. XVII. The commanders of vessels of war stationed at the

mouth of the Danube, agreeably to Article XIX of the Treaty of Paris, will be called upon to insist upon the payment of the dues fixed by the present tariff, and of the fines accruing under its stipulations, by vessels of their nation, and of those whose flag they shall be authorized to protect, either in virtue of treaties or usages, or of a general or special delegation.

The assistance of the vessels of war shall be demanded, as a rule, through the intervention of the captain of the port of Sulina, on the requisition of the cashier of the Navigation Chest.

In default of a vessel of war authorized to exercise a coercive action over an offending vessel, the captain of the port shall have recourse to the intervention of the Turkish ships of war stationed at Sulina.

XVIII. The provisional tariff of the 25th July, 1860, is hereby abrogated, and the present tariff, which may be revised if necessary, shall come into force as soon as publication of the same has been made at the ports of Braïla, Galatz, Reni, Toultcha, Ismail, and Sulina. Given at Galatz, the 7th day of March, 1863.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF THE DANUBE. TABLE showing the proportion which exists between the English Register Ton and the Measure adopted in other Countries, for gauging the capacity of Sea-going Vessels.

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