coast, or any part of Central America; nor will either make use of any protection which either affords, or may afford, or any alliance which either has, or may have, to or with any state or people, for the purpose of maintaining or erecting any such fortifications, or of occupying, fortifying, or colonizing Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Mosquito coast, or any part of central America, or of assuming or exercising dominion over the same; nor will the United States or Great Britain take advantage of any intimacy, or use any alliance, connexion, or influence that either may possess with any state or Government through whose territory the said canal may pass, for the purpose of acquiring or holding directly or indirectly, for the citizens or the subjects of the one, any rights or advantages in regard to commerce or navigation through the said canal, which shall not be offered on the same terms to the citizens or subjects of the other.

Art. 2. Vessels of the United States or Great Britain traversing the said canal shall, in case of a war between the contracting parties, be exempted from blockade, detention, or capture by either of the belligerents; and this provision shall extend to such a distance from the two ends of said canal as it may hereafter be found expedient to establish.

Art. 3. In order to secure the construction of the said canal, the contracting parties engage that if any such canal shall be undertaken upon any fair and equitable terms by any parties having the authority of any local Government or Governments through whose territory the same may pass, then the persons employed in making the said canal, and their property used or to be used for that object, shall be protected from the commencement of the said canal to its completion by the Governments of the United States and Great Britain from unjust detention, confiscation, seizure, or any violence

whatsoever.

Art. 4. The contracting parties will use whatever influence they respectively exercise with any state, states, or Govern

ments possessing or claiming to possess any jurisdiction or right over the territory which the said canal shall traverse, and which shall be near the waters applicable thereto, in order to induce such states or Governments to facilitate the construction of the said canal by every means in their power. And furthermore, the United States and Great Britain agree to use their good offices whatever or however it may be expedient so to do, in order to procure the establishment of two free ports, one at each end of the said canal.

Art. 5. The contracting parties further engage, that when the said canal shall have been completed, they will protect it from interruption, seizure, or unjust confiscation; and that they will guarantee the neutrality thereof, so that the said canal may be for ever open and free, and the capital invested therein secure. Nevertheless, the Governments of the United States and Great Britain, in according their protection to the construction of the said canal, and guaranteeing its neutrality and security when completed, always understand that this protection and guarantee are granted conditionally, and if both Governments or either Government should deem that the persons undertaking or managing the same adopt or establish such regulations concerning the traffic thereupon as are contrary to the spirit and intention of this convention, either by making unfair discriminations in favour of either of the commerce of the contracting parties over the commerce of the other, or by imposing oppressive exactions or unreasonable tolls upon passengers, vessels, goods, wares, merchandizes, or other articles, then it shall be open to either Government to seek redress in such manner as they may deem advisable. Neither party, however, shall withdraw the aforesaid protection and guarantee, without giving six months notice to the other.

Art. 6. The contracting parties in this convention engage to invite any state with which both or either have friendly intercourse, to enter into stipulations with them similar to

those they have entered into with each other, to the end that all the states may share in the honour and advantage of having contributed to a work of such general interest and importance as the canal herein contemplated. And the contracting parties likewise agree that each shall enter into such treaty stipulations with such of the Central American states as they may deem advisable for the purpose of more effectually carrying out the design of this convention, namely, that of constructing and maintaining the said canal as a ship communication between the two oceans for the benefit of mankind on equal terms to all and of protecting the same. And they also agree that the good offices of either shall be employed when requested by the other in aiding and assisting the negotiations of such treaty stipulations. And should any differences arise as to right or property over the said territory through which the said canal shall pass between the states or Governments of Central America, and such differences should in any way impede or obstruct the execution of said canal, the Governments of the United States and Great Britain will use their good offices to settle such differences in the manner best suited to promote the interests of the said canal, and to strengthen the bonds of friendship and alliance which exist between the contracting parties.

Art. 7. It being desirable that no time should be unnecessarily lost in commencing and constructing the said canal, the Governments of the United States and Great Britain determine to give their support and encouragement to such persons or company as may first offer to commence the same with the necessary capital, with the consent of the local authorities, and on such principles as accord with the spirit and intention of this convention; and, if any persons or company should already have with any state through which the proposed canal may pass, a contract for the construction of such a canal as that specified in this convention, to the stipulations of which contract neither of the parties in this

convention have any just cause to object, and the said persons or company shall have made preparations, and expended time, money, and trouble, on the faith of such contract, it is hereby agreed that such persons shall have a priority of claim over every other person or company to the protection of the United States and Great Britain, and be allowed a year from the date of the exchange of the ratifications of this convention for concluding their arrangements and presenting evidence of sufficient capital subscribed to accomplish the undertaking; it being understood that if, at the expiration of the aforesaid period such persons or company shall not be able to commence and carry on the projected enterprise, then the Governments of the United States and Great Britain shall be free to afford their protection to any persons or company that shall be prepared to commence and proceed with the construction of the canal in question.

Art. 8. The Governments of the United States and Great Britain having not only desired in entering into this convention to accomplish a particular object, but also to establish a general principle, they hereby agree to extend their protection by treaty stipulation to any other practicable communications, whether by canal or railway, across the Isthmus which connects North and South America, and especially to the Inter-oceanic communications, should the same prove to be practicable, whether by canal or railway, which are now proposed to be established by the way of Tehuantepec or Panama. In granting, however, their protection to any such canals or railways as are by this article specified, it is always understood by the United States and Great Britain that the parties constructing or owning the same shall impose no other charges or conditions of traffic thereupon than the aforesaid Governments shall approve of as just and equitable; and that the said canals or railways being open to the citizens and subjects of the United States and Great Britain on equal terms shall also be open on like terms to the citizens

and subjects of every other state which is willing to grant thereto such protection as the United States and Great Britain engage to afford.

Art. 9. The ratification of this convention shall be exchanged at Washington within six months from this day, or sooner if possible. In faith whereof we the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed this convention, and have hereunto affixed our seals.

Done at Washington the 19th day of April, Anno Domini, 1850.

JOHN M. CLAYTON

(L.S.)

HENRY LYTTON BULWER (L.S.)