[Dutch Colonies.]

Parties, equally animated by those sentiments of cordial goodwill and attachment to each other, have nominated for their Plenipotentiaries, namely:

His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, one of His said Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, a Member of Parliament, Colonel of the Londonderry Regiment of Militia, Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, and his Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, &c.;

And His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange-Nassau, Prince Sovereign of the United Netherlands, his Excellency Henry Fagel, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Court of His Britannic Majesty;

Who, after having exchanged their Full Powers, found in good and due form, have agreed to the following Articles :—

Colonies restored to the Netherlands;-the Cape of Good Hope, Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice excepted.

ART. I. His Britannic Majesty engages to restore to the Prince Sovereign of the United Netherlands, within the term which shall be hereafter fixed, the Colonies, Factories, and Establishments, which were possessed by Holland at the commencement of the late War, viz., on the 1st of January, 1803, in the Seas and on the continents of America, Africa, and Asia, with the exception of the Cape of Good Hope and the Settlements of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice, of which possessions the High Contracting Parties reserve to themselves the right to dispose by a Supplementary Convention, hereafter to be negotiated according to their mutual interests; and especially with reference to the provisions contained in Articles VI and IX of the Treaty of Peace signed between His Britannic Majesty and His Most Christian Majesty, on the 30th of May, 1814 (No. 1).

*

Cession of Banca by Great Britain to the Netherlands, in exchange for Cochin.

ART. II. His Britannic Majesty agrees to cede in full Sovereignty the Island of Banca, in the Eastern Seas, to the Prince Sovereign of the Netherlands, in exchange for the Settlement of Cochin and its dependencies on the coast of Malabar, which is to remain in full Sovereignty to His Britannic Majesty.

* See 1st Additional Article; and Convention between Great Britain and Netherlands of 12th August, 1815.

[Dutch Colonies.]

Surrender of Places and Forts.

ART. III. The Places and Forts in the Colonies and Settlements which by virtue of the two preceding Articles are to be ceded and exchanged by the two High Contracting Parties, shall be given up in the state in which they may be at the moment of the signature of the present Convention.

Commerce, &c., of the Dutch within British Dominions in India placed on footing of the most favoured Nation.

ART. IV. His Britannic Majesty guarantees to the Subjects of His Royal Highness the Prince Sovereign of the United Netherlands, the same facilities, privileges, and protection with respect to Commerce, and the security of their Property and Persons, within the limits of the British sovereignty on the Continent of India, as are now or shall be granted to the most favoured Nations.

No Fortifications to be erected by the Dutch. Number of Troops to be limited in Colonies restored.

His Royal Highness the Prince Sovereign, on his part, having nothing more at heart than the perpetual duration of Peace between the Crown of England and the United Netherlands, and wishing to do his utmost to avoid anything which might affect their mutual good understanding, engages not to erect any Fortifications in the Establishments which are to be restored to him within the limits of the British Sovereignty upon the Continent of India, and only to place in those Establishments the number of troops necessary for the maintenance of the police.

Periods of Cession.

ART. V. Those Colonies, Factories, and Establishments which are to be ceded to His Royal Highness the Sovereign Prince of the United Netherlands by His Britannic Majesty, in the seas or on the continent of America, shall be given up within three months, and those which are beyond the Cape of Good Hope within the six months which follow the ratification of the present Convention.

Security of Persons and Property in Countries ceded and restored.

ART. VI. The High Contracting Parties, desirous to bury in entire oblivion the dissensions which have agitated Europe, declare and promise that no individual, of whatever rank or condition he may be, in the countries restored and ceded by the present Treaty,

[Dutch Colonies.]

shall be prosecuted, disturbed, or molested in his person or property, under any pretext whatever, either on account of his conduct or political opinions, his attachment either to any of the Contracting Parties, or to any Government which has ceased to exist, or for any other reason except for Debts contracted towards individuals, or acts posterior to the date of the present Treaty.

Right of Emigration.

ART. VII. The native inhabitants and aliens, of whatever nation or condition they may be, in those countries which are to change Sovereigns, as well in virtue of the present Convention as of subsequent arrangements to which it may give rise, shall be allowed a period of six years, reckoning from the exchange of the ratifications, for the purpose of disposing of their property, if they think fit, whether it be acquired before or during the late war, and of retiring to whatever Country they may choose.

Abolition of Slave Trade.

ART. VIII. The Prince Sovereign of the United Netherlands, anxious to co-operate, in the most effectual manner, with His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, so as to bring about the total abolition of the Trade in Slaves on the Coast of Africa, and having spontaneously issued a Decree on the 15th June, 1814, wherein it is enjoined that no ships or vessels whatever, destined for the Trade in Slaves, be cleared out or equipped in any of the harbours or places of his dominions, nor admitted to the forts or possessions on the coast of Guinea, and that no inhabitants of that country shall be sold or exposed as Slaves,-does moreover hereby engage to prohibit all his subjects in the most effectual manner and by the most solemn laws, from taking any share whatsoever in such inhuman traffic.

Ratifications.

ART. IX. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the Ratifications shall be duly exchanged at London within three weeks from the date hereof, or sooner if possible.

In witness whereof, we the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, in virtue of our respective Full Powers, have signed the present Convention, and have affixed thereto the Seal of our Arms.

Done at London, this 13th day of August, 1814.

(L.S.) CASTLEREAGH. (L.S.) H. FAGEL.

[Dutch Colonies.]

FIRST ADDITIONAL ARTICLE.

In order the better to provide for the Defence and incorporation of the Belgic Provinces with Holland, and also to provide, in conformity to Article IX of the Treaty of Paris (No. 1), a suitable Compensation for the rights ceded by His Swedish Majesty under the said Article, which Compensation, it is understood, in the event of the above reunion, Holland should be liable to furnish, in pursuance of the above stipulations; it is hereby agreed between the High Contracting Parties, that His Britannic Majesty shall take upon himself, and engage to defray the following charges :

§ 1. Compensation to Sweden for Guadaloupe.

1st. The payment of £1,000,000 sterling [24,000,000 francs] to Sweden, in satisfaction of the claims aforesaid, and in pursuance of a Convention this day executed with His Swedish Majesty's Plenipotentiary to that effect, a copy of which Convention is annexed to these Additional Articles.*

§ 2. Expenses of Defence of the Low Countries, and of their Union with Holland.

2ndly. The advance of £2,000,000 sterling, to be applied, in concert with the Prince Sovereign of the Netherlands, and in aid of an equal sum, to be furnished by him, towards augmenting and improving the Defences of the Low Countries (Pays Bas). §3. Cession to Great Britain of the Cape of Good Hope, Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice. Dutch Proprietors in Berbice. Resort of Dutch Ships to the Cape.

3rdly. To bear, equally with Holland, such further charges as may be agreed upon between the said High Contracting Parties and their Allies, towards the final and satisfactory settlement of the Low Countries, in union with Holland, and under the dominion of the House of Orange, not exceeding in the whole the sum of £3,000,000 to be defrayed by Great Britain.

In consideration and in satisfaction of the above engagements, as taken by His Britannic Majesty, the Prince Sovereign of the Netherlands agrees to cede in full Sovereignty to His Britannic Majesty, the Cape of Good Hope, and the Settlements of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice, upon the condition, nevertheless, that the Subjects of the said Sovereign Prince, being Proprietors in the said Colonies or Settlements, shall be at liberty (under such (13th August, 1814). See Appendix.

[Dutch Colonies.]

Regulations as may hereafter be agreed upon in a Supplementary Convention) to carry on trade between the said settlements and the territories in Europe of the said Sovereign Prince.*

It is also agreed between the two High Contracting Parties, that the ships of every kind belonging to Holland, shall have permission to resort freely to the Cape of Good Hope, for the purposes of refreshment and repairs, without being liable to other charges than such as British subjects are required to pay.

SECOND ADDITIONAL ARTICLE.

Cession to Great Britain of District of Bernagore near

Calcutta.

The small District of Bernagore, situated close to Calcutta, being requisite to the due preservation of the peace and police of that city, the Prince of Orange agrees to cede the said district to His Britannic Majesty, upon a payment of such sum annually to His Royal Highness as may be considered, by Commissioners to be appointed by the respective Governments, to be just and reasonable, with reference to the profits or revenue usually derived by the Dutch Government from the same.

THIRD ADDITIONAL ARTICLE.

Validity of Additional Articles. To be ratified with Treaty.

The present Additional Articles shall have the same force and validity as if they were inserted word for word in the Convention signed this day. They shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at the same time and place.†

In witness whereof, we the undersigned Plenipotentiaries have signed and affixed to them the seal of our arms. Done at London, this 13th day of August, 1814.

(L.S.) CASTLEREAGII. (L.S.) H. FAGEL.

For Treaty of Peace between Denmark and Prussia of 25th August, 1814. See Appendix.

See Convention between Great Britain and Netherlands of 12th August, 1815.

+ See reference to delay in the execution of this Convention in British Note attached to the Treaty of 17th March, 1824.