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may arise between the Captains and crews of the vessels belonging to the nation whose interests are committed to their charge, without the interference of the local authorities, unless the conduct of the crews, or of the captain, should disturb the order of the tranquillity of the country; or the said Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Commercial Agents should require their assistance to cause their decisions to be carried into effect or supported. It is, however, understood, that this species of judgment or arbitration shall not deprive the contending parties of the right they have to resort, on their return, to the judicial authority of their Country.

ARTICLE IX.

The said Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Commercial Agents, are authorized to require the assistance of the local authorities, for the search, arrest, detention and imprisonment of the deserters from the ships of war and merchant vessels of their country. For this purpose they shall apply to the competent tribunals, judges, and officers, and shall in writing demand said deserters, proving by the exhibition of the registers of the vessels, the rolls of the crews, or by other official documents that such individuals formed part of the crews; and, this reclamation being thus substantiated, the surrender shall not be refused.

Such deserters, when arrested, shall be placed at the disposal of the said Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Commercial Agents, and may be confined in the public prisons, at the request and cost of those who shall claim them, in order to be detained until the time when they shall be restored to the vessels to which they belonged, or sent back to their own country by a vessel of the same nation or any other vessel whatsoever. But if not sent back within four months, from the day of their arrest, they shall be set at liberty, and shall not be again arrested for the same cause.

However, if the deserter should be found to have committed any crime or offence, his surrender may be delayed until the tribunal before which his case shall be depending shall have pronounced it's sentence, and such sentence shall have been carried into effect.

ARTICLE X.

The citizens and subjects of each of the high contracting parties. shall have power to dispose of their personal goods within the jurisdiction of the other, by testament, donation, or otherwise, and their representatives, being citizens or subjects of the other party, shall succeed to their said personal goods, whether by testament or ab intestato, and may take possession thereof, either by themselves, or by others acting for them, and dispose of the same, at will, paying to the profit of the respective Governments, such dues only as the inhabitants of the country wherein the said goods are, shall be subject to pay in like cases. And in case of the absence of the representative, such care shall be taken of the said goods, as would be taken of the goods of a native of the same country, in like case, until the lawful owner may take measures for receiving them. And if a question should arise among several claimants, as to which of them said goods belong, the same shall be decided finally by the laws and judges of the land wherein the said goods are. And where, on the death of any person holding real estate, within the territories of one of the high

contracting parties, such real estate would by the laws of the land, descend on a citizen or subject of the other party, who by reason of alienage may be incapable of holding it, he shall be allowed the time fixed by the laws of the country, and in case the laws of the country, actually in force may not have fixed any such time, he shall then be allowed a reasonable time to sell such real estate and to withdraw and export the proceeds without molestation, and without paying to the profit of the respective Governments, any other dues than those to which the inhabitants of the country wherein said real estate is situated, shall be subject to pay, in like cases. But this Article shall not derogate, in any manner, from the force of the laws already published, or which may hereafter be published by His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias: to prevent the emigration of his subjects.

ARTICLE XI.

If either party shall, hereafter, grant to any other nation, any particular favor in navigation or commerce, it shall, immediately, become common to the other party, freely, where it is freely granted to such other nation, or on yielding the same compensation, when the grant is conditional.

ARTICLE XII.

The present treaty, of which the effect shall extend, in like manner, to the Kingdom of Poland, so far as the same may be applicable thereto, shall continue in force until the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and Thirty nine, and if, one year before that day, one of the high contracting parties, shall not have announced to the other, by an official notification, it's intention to arrest the operation thereof, this treaty shall remain obligatory one year beyond that day, and so on until the expiration of the year which shall commence after the date of a similar notification.

ARTICLE XIII.

The present Treaty shall be approved and ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of the said States, and by His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias; and the ratifications shall be exchanged in the City of Washington within the space of one year, or sooner if possible.

In faith whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present treaty in duplicate and affixed thereto the seal of their arms. Done at St Petersburg the eighth December, in the year of Grace, One thousand Eight hundred and thirty two.

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Certain relations of proximity and anterior engagements, having rendered it necessary for the Imperial Government to regulate the commercial relations of Russia with Prussia and the Kingdoms of Sweden

and Norway by special stipulations, now actually in force, and which may be renewed hereafter; which stipulations are, in no manner connected with the existing regulations for foreign commerce in general; the two high contracting parties, wishing to remove from their commercial relations every kind of ambiguity or subject of discussion, have agreed, that the special stipulations granted to the commerce of Prussia, and of Sweden and Norway, in consideration of equivalent advantages granted in these countries, by the one to the commerce of the Kingdom of Poland, and by the other to that of the Grand Dutchy of Finland, shall not, in any case, be invoked in favor of the relations of commerce and navigation, sanctioned between the two high contracting parties by the present Treaty.

The present Seperate Article shall have the same force and value as if it were inserted, word for word, in the Treaty signed this day, and shall be ratified at the same time.

In faith whereof, we, the undersigned, by virtue of our respective full powers, have signed the present Seperate Article, and affixed thereto the seals of our arms.

Done at St. Petersburg, the one Thousand Eight hundred &

of December, in the year of Grace, thirty two.

JAMES BUCHANAN [SEAL.] [SEAL.] CHARLES COMTE DE NESSELRODE.

1854.

CONVENTION AS TO RIGHTS OF NEUTRALS AT SEA.

Concluded July 22, 1854; ratification advised by the Senate July 25, 1854; ratified by the President August 12, 1854; ratifications exchanged October 31, 1854; proclaimed November 1, 1854. (Treaties and Conventions, 1889, p. 938.)

ARTICLES.

I. Principles of free ships and neutral

property.

II. Extension of principles.

III. Accession of other nations.
IV. Ratification.

The United States of America and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, equally animated with a desire to maintain, and to preserve from all harm, the relations of good understanding which have at all times so happily subsisted between themselves, as also between the inhabitants of their respective States, have mutually agreed to perpetuate, by means of a formal convention, the principles of the right of neutrals at sea, which they recognize as indispensable conditions of all freedom of navigation and maritime trade. For this purpose, the President of the United States has conferred full powers on William L. Marcy, Secretary of State of the United States; and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias has conferred like powers on Mr Edward de Stoeckl, Counsellor of State, Knight of the Orders of Ste Anne of the 24 Class, of St Stanislas, of the 4th Class, and of the Iron Crown of Austria, of the 3 Class, His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires near the Government of the United States of America: and

said Plenipotentiaries, after having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have concluded and signed the following articles:

ARTICLE I.

The two High Contracting Parties recognise as permanent and immutable the following principles, to wit:

1st That free ships make free goods that is to say, that the effects or goods belonging to subjects or citizens of a Power or State at war are free from capture and confiscation when found on board of neutral vessels, with the exception of articles contraband of war.

2 That the property of neutrals on board an enemy's vessel is not subject to confiscation, unless the same be contraband of war. They engage to apply these principles to the commerce and navigation of all such Powers and States as shall consent to adopt them on their part as permanent and immutable.

ARTICLE II.

The two High Contracting Parties reserve themselves to come to an ulterior understanding as circumstances may require, with regard to the application and extension to be given, if there be any cause for it, to the principles laid down in the 1st Article. But they declare from this time that they will take the stipulations contained in said Article 1., as a rule, whenever it shall become a question, to judge of the rights of neutrality.

ARTICLE III.

It is agreed by the High Contracting Parties that all Nations which shall or may consent to accede to the rules of the first Article of this convention, by a formal declaration stipulating to observe them, shall enjoy the rights resulting from such accession as they shall be enjoyed and observed by the two Powers signing this convention. They shall mutually communicate to each other the results of the steps which may be taken on the subject.

ARTICLE IV.

The present convention shall be approved and ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of said States, and by His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, and the ratifications of the same shall be exchanged at Washington within the period of ten months, counting from this day, or sooner, if possible.

In faith whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present convention, in duplicate, and thereto affixed the seal of their

arms.

Done at Washington the twenty second day of July, the year of grace 1854.

W. L. MARCY.
[SEAL.]

EDOUARD STOECKL.

[SEAL.]

.

1867.

CONVENTION CEDING ALASKA.

Concluded March 30, 1867; ratification advised by the Senate April 9, 1867; ratified by the President May 28, 1867; ratifications exchanged June 20, 1867; proclaimed June 20, 1867. (Treaties and Conventions, 1889, p. 939.)

I. Territory ceded; boundaries. II. Public property ceded.

ARTICLES.

III. Citizenship of inhabitants; uncivil

ized tribes.

IV. Formal delivery.

V. Withdrawal of troops.
VI. Payment; effect of cession.
VII. Ratification.

The United States of America and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, being desirous of strengthening, if possible, the good understanding which exists between them, have, for that purpose, appointed as their Plenipotentiaries: the President of the United States, William H. Seward, Secretary of State; and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, the Privy Counsellor Edward de Stoeckl, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States.

And the said Plenipotentiaries, having exchanged their full powers, which were found to be in due form, have agreed upon and signed the following articles:

ARTICLE I.

His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias agrees to cede to the United States, by this convention, immediately upon the exchange of the ratifications thereof, all the territory and dominion now possessed by his said Majesty on the continent of America and in the adjacent islands, the same being contained within the geographical limits herein set forth, to wit: The eastern limit is the line of demarcation between the Russian and the British possessions in North America, as established by the convention between Russia and Great Britain, of February 28-16, 1825, and described in Articles III and IV of said convention, in the following terms:

"Commencing from the southernmost point of the island called Prince of Wales Island, which point lies in the parallel of 54 degrees 40 minutes north latitude, and between the 131st and 1334 degree of west longitude, (meridian of Greenwich,) the said line shall ascend to the north along the channel called Portland channel, as far as the point of the continent where it strikes the 56th degree of north latitude; from this last mentioned point, the line of demarcation shall follow the summit of the mountains situated parallel to the coast as far as the point of intersection of the 141st degree of west longitude, (of the same meridian;) and finally, from the said point of intersection, the said meridian line of the 141st degree, in its prolongation as far as the Frozen ocean.

"IV. With reference to the line of demarcation laid down in the preceding article, it is understood

"1st That the island called Prince of Wales Island shall belong wholly to Russia," (now, by this cession, to the United States.)

Federal cases: Kinkead v. U. S., 150 U. S.; 18 Ct. Cl., 504; 24 Ct. Cl., 459; Callsen v. Hope, 75 Fed. Rep., 758.

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