A COLLECTION OF TREATIES, &c. 1555. 1556. RUSSIA. TH HERE are copies of the most early privileges granted by the fovereigns of Ruffia to the English merchants, in Hackluyt's Voyages, ed. 1598. vol. i. p. 265372-378-470-507; and in Purchas's Pilgrims, vol. iii. p. 754-59-61. There are in the books of the Board of 1628. Trade ten feveral grants of privileges by the fovereigns of Ruffia, to the English merchants, from December 1556 to June 1628. Trade, L. N° 100. 1623 Articles of perpetual league and alliance, 16 June. intercourfe, and commerce, between James, King of Great Britain, and Michael Pheodorowich, Emperor of Ruffia. 1654. Rym. Fed. vol. xvii. p. 504. There are copies of the terms on which Aug. the English merchants were allowed to recommence trade in Ruffia. VOL. I. Thurl. St. Pap. vol. ii. p. 558-62. B 1734. 1734. A treaty of friendship, commerce, and 2d Dec'. navigation, between George II. King of Great Britain, &c. and the Empress Anne, of Ruffia, &c. 1741. Pap. Off. L. 2.—Board of Trade, B. b. 16.-Rouffet's Sup. to the Corps Diplom. tom. ii. p. 495. The treaty concluded between Great Bri3d April. tain and Ruffia, at Petersburgh, with the separate and fecret articles. Pap. Off. L. 3. 1742. The treaty concluded between Great Bri11 Dec'. tain and Ruffia, at Mofcow, with the feparate and fecret articles. Pap. Off. L. 4. 1755. The treaty concluded between Great BriSept. tain and Ruffia, at Petersburgh, with the feparate and fecret articles. 1766. Pap. Off. L. 16.—Treat. 1772. vol. ii. p. 137.-Treat. 1785. vol. iii. p. 30. A treaty of commerce and navigation be20 June. tween Great Britain and Ruffia, concluded at Petersburgh. Treat. 1772, vol. ii. p. 309-318.- [The following Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Great Britain and Ruffia, 1766, is printed from the Treaties 1785, collated with an authentic copy, and corrected.] Article I. THE peace, friendship, and good understanding, 'which have hitherto happily fubfifted between their Majefties of Great Britain and of all the Ruffias fhall be ratified and confirmed by this treaty; fo that from this time forward, and in all time coming, there fhall be, be, between the Crown of Great Britain on the one hand, and the Crown of all the Ruffias on the other; as also between the ftates, countries, kingdoms, dominions, and territories, that are subject to them, a true, fincere, firm, and perfect peace, friendship, and good understanding, which fhall laft for ever, and fhall be inviolably obferved, as well by fea as by land, and on the fresh waters; and the fubjects, people, and inhabitants on the one part and on the other, of what state or condition foever they be, fhall perform to each other all acts of kindnefs and affiftance poffible, and fhall not do one another any hurt or injury whatever. II. The fubjects of the two high contracting powers fhall have full liberty of navigation and commerce in all the ftates fituated in Europe, where navigation and commerce are permitted at prefent, or fhall be permitted hereafter by the high contracting parties, to any other nation. III. It is agreed, that the fubjects of the two high contracting parties fhall have leave to enter, trade, and remain with their fhips, boats, and carriages, loaded or unloaded, in all the ports, places, and towns, where fuch leave is granted to the fubjects of any other nation; and the failors, paffengers, and fhips, as well British as Ruffian (though there fhould be among their crews fubjects of fome other foreign nation) fhall be received and treated as the moft favoured nation; and neither the failors nor paffengers fhall be forced to enter, against their will, into the fervice of either of the two contracting powers, excepting, however, fuch of their fubjects as they may want for their own proper fervice; and if a domeftic or failor defert his fervice or his fhip, he fhall be reftored. It is likewife agreed, that the fubjects of the high contracting parties fhall have leave to purchase, at the current price, all forts of commodities of which they may ftand in need; to repair and refit their fhips, boats, and carriages; to purchase all kinds of provifions for their prefent fubfiftance B 2 fiftance of their voyage; and to remain or depart at their pleasure, without lett or impediment, provided they conform to the laws and ordinances of the refpective states of the high contracting parties where they may happen to be. In like manner the Ruffian fhips that are navigating the fea, and are met by English fhips, fhall not be impeded in the course of their voyage, provided, in the British fea, they conform to the established practice; but, on the contrary, fhall receive from them all kind of afbftance, as well in the ports of the dominion of Great Britain as in the open fea. IV. It is agreed, that the fubjects of Great Britain fhall be at liberty to bring, by water or by land, into all or into fuch provinces of Ruffia, where freedom of trade is permitted to the fubjects of any other nation, all forts of merchandise or effects, the traffic or entry of which is not prohibited: and in like manner the fubjects of Ruffia fhall be at liberty to bring, buy and fell freely, in all, or in fuch ftates of Great Britain where freedom of trade is permitted to the fubjects of any other nation, all forts of merchandise and effects, the traffic and entry of which is not prohibited; which is alfo to be equally understood of the manufactures and products of the Afiatic provinces, provided this is not actually forbid by fome law at prefent in force in Great Britain; comprehending all forts of merchandise effects, which the fubjects of any other nation may buy there, and tranfport into other countries, particularly wrought and unwrought gold and filver, excepting the current coin of Great Britain; and, in order to preferve a juft equality between the Ruffian and British merchants, with regard to the exportation of provifions and other commodities, it is farther ftipulated, that the fubjects of Ruffia fhall pay the fame duties on exportation, that are paid by the British merchants on exporting the fame effects from the ports of Ruffia; but then each of the high contracting parties fhall referve to itself the liberty of making, in the interior parts of its dominions, fuch particular arrange ments ments as it shall find expedient for encouraging and extending its own navigation. The Ruffian merchants fhall enjoy the fame liberties and privileges as the British merchants of the Ruffian company enjoy; and, as the defign of the two high contracting parties, and the intention of this treaty, is to facilitate the reciprocal commerce of their fubjects, and to extend its limits and mutual advantages, it is agreed, that the British merchants trading in the dominions of Ruffia, fhall have liberty, in cafe of death, a preffing exigency, or abfolute neceffity, when there are no other means of procuring money, or in cafe of bankruptcy, to difpofe of their effects, whether of Ruffian or foreign merchandise, in fuch manner as the perfons concerned fhall find moft advantageous. The fame thing fhall be observed with regard to the Ruffian merchants in the dominions of Great Britain. All which, however, is to be understood with this restriction, that every fort of permiffion, on the one fide and on the other, fpecified in this article, fhall not be in any thing contrary to the laws of the country; and the British, as well as the Ruffian merchants and their factors fhall punctually conform to the rights, ftatutes, and ordinances of the country where they trade, in order to prevent all kind of fraud and impofition. 'Tis for this reafon, that the decision of fuch events happening to the British compting-houses in Ruffia, fhall be submitted, at Petersburgh, to the college of commerce, and in other towns where there is no college of commerce, to the tribunals that have the cognizance of commercial affairs. V. It is agreed, that the fubjects of Great Britain, if they have no rixdollars to pay the customs or other duties for the merchandize which they import or export, fhall be allowed to pay them in other foreign coin of a known name and established value, equal to that of the rixdollar, or in the current coin of Ruffia, the rixdollar valued at a hundred and twenty-five copecs (or pennies). B 3 VI. All |