[Vallee des Dappes.] No. 339.-TREATY between France and Switzerland, relative to an Exchange of Territory in the Vallée des Dappes. Signed at Berne, 8th December, 1862. Preamble. Reference to Vienna Congress Treaty of 1815. 1. Cession to France. Cession to Switzerland. 2. Military Works not to be erected. 3. Choice of Nationality. 4. Carriage Road between the French and Swiss Territory. 5. New Road to be free from Transit Dues, &c. Postal Regulations. 6. Rights of Proprietors of Woods. 7. Treaty not to interfere with acquired Rights. 8. Appointment of Boundary Commissioners. 9. Ratifications. (Translation.*) Preamble. Reference to Arrangements of 1815. His Majesty the Emperor of the French and the Federal Council of Switzerland, animated by the desire to put an end to the discussions, existing since 1815 (No. 27, Art. LXXV), between France and Switzerland, on the subject of the possession of the Vallée des Dappes, have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries, namely: His Majesty the Emperor of the French, M. le Marquis Turgot, his Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation, &c.; And the Federal Council of Switzerland, M. Jacques Staempfli, President of the Confederation; Who have agreed upon the following Articles: Cession to France. ART. I. The Swiss Confederation abandons, and France resumes possession and full Sovereignty of that part of the Vallée des Dappes, including: 1. The Mont des Tuffes and its declivities, as far as and including the Rousses Road to Faucille; 2. A strip of land, to the East of that road, of about 150 metres wide, say 500 Swiss feet, following the direction as shown on the Plan annexed to the present-Treaty. Cession to Switzerland. France cedes to the Swiss Confederation, to form part of the *For French version see "State Papers," vol. liii, p. 151. [Vallee des Dappes.] Canton de Vaud, a Territory of equal extent, stretching from the point of junction of the roads of Saint-Cergues and Faucille along the slope of the Mirmont, as far as the Limit of the Vallée de Joux, following the direction pointed out in the annexed Plan. The Road of Saint-Cergues, from the place called the Cure, forms part of this Cession. Military Works not to be erected. ART. II. No Military Works shall be erected on the portions of Territory mentioned in the preceding Article. Choice of Nationality. ART. III. The Inhabitants natives of the part of the Vallée des Dappes reverting to France, by virtue of the present Treaty, shall become French Subjects, unless they shall, within the space of one year, declare their intention to preserve their Swiss Nationality, in which case they shall be allowed to retain their domicile and their establishments on the Territory of the Empire. The Inhabitants natives of the part ceded by France to the Swiss Confederation shall become Swiss, unless they shall declare, within the same delay, their wish to remain French Subjects, in which case they shall be allowed to retain their domicile and their establishments on the Swiss Territory. Carriage Road between the French and Swiss Territory. ART. IV. The Road actually existing and named after the Sandy Ground (Landes), shall be improved so as to form a Carriage Road and to establish a direct communication between the Saint-Cergues Road, at its junction with the Faucille Road, near the Cure, and the Road of the Bois d'Amont, near Bertets. These works shall be completed within two years from the exchange of the Ratifications, and each of the Contracting Parties shall defray the expenses of the part of the new Road situate within its own Territory. New Road to be free from Transit Dues, &c. ART. V. The communication of the Vaudois district of the Vallée de Joux with Saint-Cergues, by the Bois d'Amont Road, shall be free from all Transit, Toll, or Customs Dues. PLAN OF THE VALLEE DES DAPPES. DE Plan général des nouvelles frontières dans la Vallée des Dappes et au Mairmont. DOUBS Boud Amontr ROUTE DE BOIS D'AMONT VALLÉE Bois de la Guinne ROUTE DE ST CERCUES CANTON DE Les s Bois Tuffer indes Dappe Bois des Tuffes. ROUSSES VALLES Encoavaloup ROUTE Les Bossaton Leral Prince. LeRecuer Bois des PreParadis Lebrand Sonrailley." LA SUISSE. Surface S cédée par la Suisse environ 704 hectares. cédée par la France environ 703 hectares. [Vallee des Dappes.] Postal Regulations. The Postal correspondence exchanged between the points, and the postal walks which the Swiss Postal Administration shall think fit to establish on the same road, shall not be subject to any Tax, or to pay any Duty for journeys on French Territory. Rights of Proprietors of Woods. ART. VI. Until the arrangement contemplated by Article VIII of the Treaty of 18th July, 1828, for the regulation of bordering Forests, shall have been concluded, the Proprietors of Woods situated on the Territories respectively ceded shall enjoy the free right to work them, and to remove the produce. The same right applies to pay and other produce of the Territories respectively ceded. ART. VII. Treaty not to interfere with acquired Rights. Appointment of Boundary Commissioners. ART. VIII. The Contracting Parties shall appoint Commissioners to determine on the spot the new Line of Frontier resulting from the present Treaty, taking account, as far as possible, of local circumstances and the division of Property, to erect stakes and to draw up a procès-verbal of their operations. That procès-verbal shall be considered as forming part of the one drawn up by the French and Swiss Commissioners appointed for the demarcation of the Frontier between the Canton of Vaud and France, and signed on the 16th September, 1825. The new Frontier shall form the object of a Topographical statement, made by Staff Officers or Engineers of the two Countries. Ratifications.* ART. IX. The present Treaty shall be ratified, and the Ratifications exchanged as soon as possible. In testimony whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the above Articles, under the reservation of their Ratification, and have affixed thereto the Seal of their Arms. Berne, 8th December, 1862. (L.S.) TURGOT. * Ratifications exchanged at Berne, 20th February, 1863. |