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[Treaty of Ghent.]

1783. And both parties agree to consider such designation and Decision as final and conclusive.

Arbitration in case of Difference.

And in the event of the said two Commissioners differing, or both, or either of them refusing, declining, or wilfully omitting to act, such Reports, Declarations, or Statements, shall be made by them, or either of them, and such reference to a friendly Sovereign or State shall be made in all respects, as in the latter part of the IVth Article is contained, and in as full a manner as if the same was herein repeated.

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Boundary; Determination, by Last Commissioners, of Water Line from Lake Huron and Lake Superior to the Lake of the Woods, and of Islands therein, and Latitude and Longitude of North-West Point of Lake of the Woods.

ART. VII. It is further agreed, that the said two last-mentioned Commissioners, after they shall have executed the duties assigned to them in the preceding Article, shall be, and they are hereby authorised, upon their oaths, impartially to fix and determine, according to the true intent of the said Treaty of Peace of 1783,† that part of the boundary between the dominions of the two Powers, which extends from the water communication between Lake Huron and Lake Superior, to the most North-Western Point of the Lake of the Woods; to decide to which of the two Parties the several Islands lying in the Lakes, water communications, and Rivers, forming the said Boundary, do respectively belong, in conformity with the true intent of the said Treaty of Peace of 1783, and to cause such parts of said Boundary as require it, to be surveyed and marked.

Report and Declaration, Final and Conclusive.

The said Commissioners shall, by a Report or Declaration, under their hands and seals, designate the Boundary aforesaid, state their decision on the points thus referred to them, and

The Commissioners were :-For Great Britain, Mr. Anthony Barclay; for the United States, Mr. Peter B. Porter. They met at New York, and on the 23rd October, 1826, they made their Report. They were unable, however, to agree on certain points, and the line of Boundary was finally settled by the Treaty of 9th August, 1842.

See Treaty between Great Britain and United States of 3rd September, 1783. Appendix.

[Treaty of Ghent.]

particularise the latitude and longitude of the most NorthWestern Point of the Lake of the Woods, and of such other parts of the said Boundary as they may deem proper, and both Parties agree to consider such designation and Decision as final and conclusive.

Arbitration in case of Difference.

And in the event of the said two Commissioners differing, or both or either of them refusing, declining, or wilfully omitting to act, such Reports, Declarations, or Statements shall be made by them, or either of them, and such reference to a friendly Sovereign or State shall be made in all respects as in the latter part of Article IV is contained, and in as full a manner as if the same was herein repeated.

Boundary: Appointment of Secretary, Surveyor, and last Commissioners. Duplicates of Reports, Declarations, Statements, Decisions, Accounts, and Journals of Proceedings. Payments of Salaries and Expenses. Supply of Vacancies.

ART. VIII, The several Boards of two Commissioners, mentioned in the four preceding Articles, shall respectively have power to appoint a Secretary, and to employ such Surveyors or other persons as they shall judge necessary. Duplicates of all their respective Reports, Declarations, Statements, and Decisions, and of their Accounts, and of the Journal of their Proceedings, shall be delivered by them to the Agents of His Britannic Majesty, and to the Agents of the United States, who may be respectively appointed and authorised to manage the business on behalf of their respective Governments. The said Commissioners shall be respectively paid in such manner as shall be agreed between the two Contracting Parties, such agreement being to be settled at the time of the exchange of the Ratifications of this Treaty. And all other expenses attending the said Commissioners shall be defrayed equally by the Two Parties. And in case of death, sickness, resignation, or necessary absence, the place of every such Commissioner respectively shall be supplied in the same manner as such Commissioner was first appointed, and the new Commissioner shall take the same oath or affirmation, and do the same duties.

Validity of Grants of Land in Islands in question made by Power in possession before the War.

It is further agreed between the two Contracting Parties,

[Treaty of Ghent.]

that in case any of the Islands mentioned in any of the preceding Articles, which were in the possession of one of the parties prior to the commencement of the present War between the two Countries, should, by the decision of any of the Boards of Commissioners aforesaid, or of the Sovereign or State so referred to, as in the four next preceding Articles contained, fall within the dominions of the other party, all Grants of Land made previous to the commencement of the War by the party having had such possession, shall be as valid as if such Island or Islands had, by such decision or decisions, been adjudged to be within the dominions of the party having had such possession.

Cessation of Hostilities with all the Tribes or Nations of Indians. Restoration of their Possessions. Rights and Privileges as in 1811, previous to the War.

ART. IX. The United States of America engage to put an end, immediately after the Ratification of the present Treaty, to hostilities with all the Tribes or Nations of Indians with whom they may be at war at the time of such Ratification, and forthwith to restore to such Tribes or Nations respectively, all the possessions, rights, and privileges which they may have enjoyed or been entitled to in 1811, previous to such hostilities. Provided always, that such Tribes or Nations shall agree to desist from all hostilities against the United States of America, their citizens and subjects, upon the ratification of the present Treaty being notified to such Tribes or Nations, and shall so desist accordingly.

And His Britannic Majesty engages, on his part, to put an end, immediately after the ratification of the present Treaty, to hostilities with all the Tribes or Nations of Indians with whom he may be at war at the time of such ratification, and forthwith to restore to such Tribes or Nations respectively, all the possessions, rights, and privileges which they may have enjoyed or been entitled to in 1811, previous to such hostilities. Provided always, that such tribes or nations shall agree to desist from all hostilities against His Britannic Majesty and his subjects, upon the ratification of the present Treaty being notified to such Tribes or Nations, and shall so desist accordingly.

Continuance of efforts to promote entire extinction of the Slave Trade.

ART. X. Whereas the Traffic in Slaves is irreconcilable with

[Treaty of Ghent.]

the principles of humanity and justice, and whereas both His Majesty and the United States are desirous of continuing their efforts to promote its entire abolition, it is hereby agreed that both the Contracting Parties shall use their best endeavours to accomplish so desirable an object.

Ratifications without Alteration.

ART. XI. This Treaty, when the same shall have been ratified on both sides, without alteration by either of the Contracting Parties, and the Ratifications Mutually exchanged, shall be binding on both parties, and the Ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington, in the space of four months from this day, or sooner, if practicable.

In faith whereof, we, the respective Plenipotentiaries, have signed this Treaty, and have thereunto affixed our seals.

Done, in triplicate, at Ghent, the 24th day of December, 1814.

(L.S.) JOHN QUINCEY ADAMS.

(L.S.) J. A. BAYARD.

(L.S.) GAMBIER.

(L.S.) H. GOULBURN. (L.S.) WM. ADAMS.

(L.S.) H. CLAY.

(L.S.) JON. RUSSELL.

(L.S.) ALBERT GALLATIN.

[Slave Trade.]

No. 7.-DECLARATION of the Eight Powers, relative to the Universal Abolition of the Slave Trade. Vienna, 8th February, 1815.

[This Declaration formed Annex XV to the Vienna Congress Treaty of 9th June, 1815, No. 27.]

(Translation as laid before Parliament.*)

THE Plenipotentiaries of the Powers who signed the Treaty of Paris of the 30th May, 1814 (No. 1), assembled in Conference.

Having taken into consideration that the commerce, known by the name of "The Slave Trade" (Traite des Nègres d'Afrique), has been considered, by just and enlightened men of all ages, as repugnant to the principles of humanity and universal morality; that the particular circumstances from which this commerce has originated, and the difficulty of abruptly arresting its progress, may have concealed, to a certain extent, what was odious in its continuance, but that at length the public voice, in all civilised countries, calls aloud for its prompt suppression; that since the character and the details of this traffic have been better known, and the evils of every kind which attend it, completely developed, several European Governments have virtually come to the resolution of putting a stop to it, and that successively all the Powers possessing Colonies in different parts of the world have acknowledged, either by Legislative Acts, or by Treaties, or other formal engagements, the duty and necessity of abolishing it ;†

That by a separate Article of the late Treaty of Paris (No. 1), Great Britain and France engaged to unite their efforts at the Congress of Vienna to induce all the Powers of Christendom to proclaim the universal and definitive abolition of the Slave Trade;

That the Plenipotentiaries assembled at this Congress cannot do greater credit to their mission, better fulfil their duty, and manifest the principles which actuate their august Sovereigns, than by endeavouring to carry this engagement into effect, and by proclaiming, in the name of their Sovereigns, their wish of putting an end to a scourge which has so long desolated Africa, degraded Europe, and afflicted humanity;

The said Plenipotentiaries have agreed to open their deliberations, on the means of accomplishing so salutary an object, by a solemn declaration of the principles which have governed them in this undertaking; accordingly, being duly authorised for *For French version, see "State Papers," vol. iii, p. 971. + See Hertslet's Treaties, vol. xii, Index, p. 142.

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