MAY 4, 1778.

Full powers of Mr. Gerard, in French.*

THE TRANSLATION.

LEWIS, by the grace of God king of France and Navarre, to all who shall see these presents, Greeting.

The Congress of the thirteen United States of North America having made known to us, by their plenipotentiaries residing at Paris, their desire to establish between us and our dominions a good understanding, and a perfect correspondence; and having for that purpose proposed to conclude with us a treaty of amity and commerce; and we having thought it our duty to give to the said states a sensible proof of our affection, by a determination to accept of their proposals: For these causes, and other good considerations us thereunto moving, we, reposing entire confidence in the abilities, experience, zeal, and fidelity for our service of our dear and beloved Conrad Alexander Gerard, royal syndic of the city of Strasburg, and secretary of our council of state, have nominated, appointed and commissioned, and by these presents signed with our hand, do nominate, appoint, and commission him our plenipotentiary, giving him power and special command for us, and in our name, to agree upon, conclude and sign with the plenipotentiaries of

the United States, equally furnished in due form with full power, such treaty, convention, and articles of commerce and navigation, as he shall think proper, willing that he act with the same authority as we might or could act, if we were personally present, and even as though he had more special command than what is herein contained; promising in good faith and on the word of a king, to agree to, confirm, and establish forever, and to accomplish and execute punctually, all that our said dear and beloved Conrad Alexander Gerard shall stipulate and sign, by virtue of the present power, without contravening it in any manner, or suffering it to be contravened for any cause, or under any pretext whatsoever; and also to ratify the same in due form, and cause our ratification to be delivered and exchanged in the time that shall be agreed on. For such is our pleasure.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our seal. Done at Versailles, this thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight, and the fourth year of our

The treaties are executed in French and English.

The English is as follows:

TREATY OF AMITY AND COMMERCE.

The most christian king, and the thirteen United States of North America, viz. New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, willing to fix in an equitable and permanent manner the rules which ought to be followed relative to the correspondence and commerce which the two parties desire to establish between their respective countries, states, and subjects; his most christian majesty and the said United States have judged that the said end could not be better obtained, than by taking, for the basis of their agreement, the most perfect equality and reciprocity, and by carefully avoiding all those burdensome preferences which are usually sources of debate, embarrassment, and discontent, by leaving also each party at liberty to make, respecting navigation and commerce, those interiour regulations which it shall find most convenient to itself, and by founding the advantage of commerce solely upon reciprocal utility and the just rules of free intercourse, reserving withal to each party the liberty of admitting, at its pleasure, other nations to a participation of the same advantages. It is in the spirit of this intention, and to fulfil these views, that his said majesty, having named and appointed for his plenipotentiary, Conrad Alexander Gerard, royal syndic of the city of Strasburg, secretary of his majesty's council of state; and the United States, on their part,

having fully empowered Benjamin Franklin, deputy from the state of Pennsylvania to the general Congress, and president of the convention of said state, Silas Deane, late deputy from the state of Connecticut to the said Congress, and Arthur Lee, counsellor at law. The said respective plenipotentiaries, after exchanging their powers, and after mature deliberation, have concluded and agreed upon the following articles.

ARTICLE I.

There shall be a firm, inviolable and universal peace, and a true and sincere friendship between the most christian king, his heirs, and successors, and the United States of America, and the subjects of the most christian king and of the said states, and between the countries, islands, cities and towns situate under the jurisdiction of the most christian king, and of the said United States, and the people and inhabitants of every degree without exception of persons or places; and the terms hereinafter mentioned shall be perpetual between the most christian king, his heirs and successors, and the said United States.

ARTICLE II.

The most christian king and the United States engage, mutually, not to grant any particular favour to other nations in respect to commerce and navigation, which shall not immediately become common to the other party, who shall enjoy the same favour freely, if

the concession was freely made, or, on allowing the same compensation, if the concession was conditional.

ARTICLE III.

The subjects of the most christian king shall pay in the ports, havens, roads, countries, islands, cities or towns of the United States, or any of them, no other greater duties or imposts, of what nature soever they may be, or by what name soever called, than those which the nations most favoured are, or shall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities and exemptions in trade, navigation and commerce, whether in passing from one port in the said states to another, or in going to or from the same, from and to any part of the world, which the said nations do or shall enjoy.

ARTICLE IV.

The subjects, people and inhabitants of the said United States, and each of them, shall not pay in the ports, havens, roads, isles, cities and places under the domination of his most christian majesty, in Europe, any other or greater duties or imposts, of what nature soever they may be, or by what name soever called, than those which the most favoured nations are or shall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities and exemptions in trade, navigation and commerce, whether in passing from one port in the said dominions in Europe to another, or in going to and from the same, from and to