des relations de commerce et de navigation sanctionnées entre les deux Hautes Parties Contractantes.

II. Il est également entendu que, ne seront pas censés déroger au principe de réciprocité qui est la base du Traité de ce jour, les franchises, immunités et priviléges mentionnés ci-après, savoir;

De la part de la France;

1o. Les immunités et primes établies en faveur de la pêche maritime nationale:

2o. Les priviléges accordés aux yachts de plaisance Anglais : 3°. Les immunités concédées aux pêcheurs Espagnols, en vertu de la Loi du 12 Décembre, 1790.

De la part de la Russie:

1o. La franchise dont jouissent les navires construits en Russie et appartenant à des sujets Russes, lesquels, pendant les premières trois années, sont exempts des droits de navigation;

2o. La faculté accordée aux habitants de la côte du Gouvernement d'Archangel d'importer en franchise, ou moyennant des droits modérés, dans les ports dudit Gouvernement, du poisson sec ou salé, ainsi que certaines espèces de fourrures, et d'en exporter, de la même manière, des blés, cordes et cordages, du goudron et du ravendouc;

3°. Le privilége de la Compagnie Russe-Américaine;

4. Les immunités accordées en Russie à différentes Compagnies Anglaises et Néerlandaises dites yacht-clubs.

III. Les présents Articles Séparés auront la même force et valeur que s'ils étaient insérés mot à mot dans le Traité de ce jour. Ils seront ratifiés, et les ratifications en seront échangées en même temps.

En foi de quoi, les Plénipotentiaires respectifs les ont signés et y ont apposé le cachet de leurs armes.

Fait à Saint Pétersbourg, le Juin, de l'an de grâce, 1857. (L.S.) MORNY.

(L.S.) GORTCHACOW. (L.S.) BROCK.

II. Notre Ministre et Secrétaire d'Etat au Département des Affaires Etrangères est chargé de l'exécution du présent Décret. Fait à Saint Cloud, le 30 Juillet, 1857.

Par l'Empereur:

Le Ministre des Affaires Etrangères, A. WALEWSKI.

NAPOLEON.

CORRESPONDENCE between Great Britain and The United States, respecting Central America.-1856, 1857.*

No. 1.-Memorandum.

London, August 27, 1856.

THE Undersigned, Her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America at London, having discussed the various questions at issue between the Governments of Great Britain and of The United States, relative to Central America, have agreed upon the annexed Draft of a Treaty and Separate Articles, which, they are of opinion, contain a settlement of those questions fair and honourable to both Parties, and which they accordingly recommend to their respective Govern

ments.

CLARENDON.

G. M. DALLAS.

Draft of Treaty between Great Britain and the United States of

America.

HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States of America, being desirous to settle in a friendly manner the questions which have come into discussion between them relative to Central America, have resolved to conclude a Treaty for that purpose, and have named as their respective Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c.;

And the President of the United States of America, &c.;

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles :

ART. I. Her Britannic Majesty and the United States of America agree jointly to propose to the Republics of Nicaragua and of Costa Rica the arrangements contained in the following Articles.

II. A territory comprised within the following limits shall be set apart for the Mosquito Indians:

The boundary line shall begin at the mouth of the River Rama, in the Caribbean Sea, thence it shall run up the midcourse of that river to its source, and from such source proceed in a line due west to the meridian of 84° 15' longitude west from Greenwich; thence due north up the said meridian until it strikes the River Wanx, or Segovia, and down the midcourse of that river to its mouth in the • Laid before Parliament, 1860.

sea at Cape Gracias a Dios; and thence southerly along the shore of the Caribbean Sea to the mouth of the River Rama, the point of commencement.

The inland boundary shall be designated and marked out by two Commissioners, to be appointed, one by Her Britannic Majesty, and one by the President of the Republic of Nicaragua.

If, in making the survey for this purpose, there should be discovered any natural boundary line within 15 English miles of the above-mentioned meridian, on the western side of such meridian line, and extending the whole distance from the River Wanx to the parallel of the River Rama, it shall be the duty of the Commissioners to report the same; and such natural boundary shall be adopted instead of the astronomical one.

III. The Mosquito Indians, confining themselves within the territory designated by the preceding Article, shall enjoy the right to make, by their national Council or Councils, and to carry into effect all such laws as they may deem necessary for the government and protection of all persons within the same, and of all property therein belonging to their people or to such persons as have connected themselves with them. Their rights of property and of local government within the territory defined as described in the preceding Article shall be recognized, affirmed and guaranteed by the Republic of Nicaragua in Treaties to be made by that State with Great Britain and The United States respectively; and the Republic of Nicaragua in each of those Treaties shall stipulate and engage that it will enact laws to prevent the purchase of lands from the Mosquito Indians, and the introduction and sale of spirituous liquors among the said Indians; and that the Republic will protect them from all inroads, intrusions, or aggressions along their western and northern frontier.

The Mosquito Indians shall not be able to cede their territory or rights to any other State without the consent of Great Britain and The United States, by each separately expressed; it being, however, understood, that nothing shall preclude the conclusion of such voluntary compact and arrangements between the Republic of Nicaragua and the Mosquito Indians by which the latter may be definitively incorporated and united with the former; but it shall be stipulated, in such case, that the said Mosquito Indians shall enjoy the same rights, and be liable to the same duties, as the other citizens of the said Republic of Nicaragua.

IV. The rest of the territory hitherto claimed as belonging to the Mosquito Indians south of the River Wanx or Segovia, west of the line to be drawn southward from the said river to the parallel of the River Rama, and south of the said parallel and of the River Rama, shall be recognized and declared to be within the limits

and sovereignty of the Republic of Nicaragua, on the following conditions:

1. The Republic of Costa Rica shall retain for its citizens the freedom of navigation up and down the River San Juan from its mouth to the mouth of the Serapiqui river, with liberty to enter and quit the port of San Juan or Greytown with their vessels, and to store their cargoes in that port.

2. The Republics of Nicaragua and of Costa Rica shall allow the territorial disputes between them (if the same cannot be amicably adjusted between themselves) to be settled by the arbitration of Great Britain and the United States of America, who, in any doubtful point, shall be able to call for the decision of a third party.

3. All bona fide grants that have been made by the Government of Mosquitia of lands heretofore possessed by the said Indians, and lying beyond the limits of the prescribed territory, shall be confirmed.

4. The Republic of Nicaragua shall constitute and declare the port of Greytown or San Juan a free port, and the city a free city (though under the sovereign authority of the Republic), whose inhabitants shall enjoy the following rights and immunities:

(a.) The right to govern themselves by means of their own municipal government, to be administered by legislative, executive, and judicial officers of their own election, according to their own regulations.

(b.) Trial by jury in their own courts.

(c.) Perfect freedom of religious belief and of worship, public and private.

(d.) Exemption from all duties of Customs, and from all taxation on real estate or other property, except such duties and taxes as may be imposed by their own municipality and may be collected for the city treasury, to be used and applied for the benefit of the said city.

(e.) Exemption from military service, except for the defence of the city, and within the bounds of the same.

V. The Republic of Nicaragua shall enter into positive Treaty stipulations with each of the two Governments of Great Britain and of the United States of America, that it will make the grant of freedom to the city of Greytown or San Juan subject to the condition that the municipality of the said city shall, as soon as organized, pass laws and ordinances levying, by tax or duty on imports, some reasonable sum, to be paid half-yearly, to the Mosquito Indians, by way of annuity for a limited period, as an indemnity and compensation for their interest in the territory recognized and declared by the first clause of Article IV to be within the limits and sovereignty of the Republic of Nicaragua.

. VI. Her Britannic Majesty and the Republic of Nicaragua shall, within months after the exchange of the ratifications of the Treaty to be concluded between them in virtue of the present arrangements, appoint each a Commissioner for the purpose of designating and marking out the inland boundary separating the territory to be set apart for the Mosquito Indians, as described in Article II of the present Treaty, from the rest of the territory of the Republic.

They shall also appoint, within the same period, each a Commissioner, for the purpose of deciding upon the bona fides of all grants of land mentioned in section 3 of Article IV of the Treaty as having been made by the Mosquito Indians of lands heretofore possessed by them, and lying beyond the limits of the territory described in Article II.

They shall further appoint within the same period each a Commissioner, for the purpose of determining the amount, the period of duration, and the time, place, and mode of payment of the annuity to be paid to the Mosquito Indians according to the stipulations of Article V of the present Treaty.

Her Britannic Majesty and the Republic of Nicaragua shall be at liberty either to name the same person to fulfil the duties of Commissioner for all three or for any two of the purposes above described, or to name a separate and distinct person to be Commissioner for each purpose, as they may see fit.

VII. The Commissioners mentioned in the preceding Article shall meet at such place or places as shall be hereafter fixed, at the earliest convenient period after they shall have been respectively named, and shall, before proceeding to any business, make and subscribe a solemn declaration that they will impartially and carefully examine and decide, to the best of their judgment, and according to justice and equity, without fear, favour, or affection to their own country, upon all the matters referred to them for their decision; and such declaration shall be entered on the record of their proceedings.

The Commissioners shall then, and before proceeding to any other business, name some third person to act as arbitrator or umpire in any case or cases in which they may themselves differ in opinion. Each pair of Commissioners shall separately name the person so to act as their arbitrator or umpire. The person or persons so to be chosen shall, before proceeding to act, make and subscribe a solemn declaration, in a form similar to that which shall already have been made and subscribed by the Commissioners, which declaration shall also be entered on the record of the proceedings. In the event of the death, absence, or incapacity of such person or persons, or of his or their omitting, or declining, or ceasing to act as such arbitrator or