conventions concluded and ratified April 30, 1803, by the United States of America and the French Republic, relative to the cession of Louisiana:

"The President of the United States of America and the First Consul of the French Republic, in the name of the French people, always animated with the desire to remove all misunderstandings in relation to the subjects of discussion mentioned in the second and fifteenth articles of the convention of the 8th Vendemiaire, year nine (September 30, 1899), in relation to the claims of the United States, in virtue of the treaty concluded at Madrid the 27th of October, 1795, between his Catholic majesty and the said United States, wishing to maintain the union and friendship, which, at the period of the aforesaid convention, was happily re-established between the two nations, have named, respectively, their plenipotentiaries as follows:

"The President of the United States of America, with the advice and consent of the Senate of said States, names as his minister plenipotentiary, Robert R. Livingston, and James Monroe, minister plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary of the United States to the government of the French Republic; and the First Consul, in the name of the French people, names the citizen Francis Barbe Marbois, minister of the public treasury, who, after having exchanged their respective powers, have agreed upon the following articles:

"Article 1st. In virtue of Article 3d of the treaty concluded at San Ildefonso, the 9th Vendemiaire, year nine (October 1, 1800), between the First Consul of the French Republic and his Catholic majesty, it was stipulated as follows: His Catholic majesty promises and binds himself on his part to cede to the French Republic, six months after the full and complete execution of the conditions and agreements of the said article in relation to his royal highness, the Duke of Parma, the colony and Province of Louisiana, in all its extent as now actually possessed by Spain, and as formerly possessed by France, and as also stipulated in all treaties that might have been made between Spain and other States. In consequence of said treaty, and particularly of the third article, the French Republic, enjoying the incontestable rights of domain and possession of the said territory, and the First Consul, desirous of giving to the United

States incontestable proofs of his friendship, cedes to them by these presents, in the name of the French Republic, forever, and in full sovereignty, the said territory, with all its rights and dependencies, as fully and in the same manner as she acquired it in virtue of the above cited treaty concluded with his Catholic majesty.

"Article 2d. In the cession made by the preceding article there is included all the islands adjacent and belonging to Louisiana, all the lots and public places, the vacant levees, the buildings, fortifications, barracks, and other buildings that have no owners; the archives, papers and instructions relating to the domains and sovereignty of Louisiana will be placed into the possession of the commissioners of the United States, and copies of the same, in good and due form, will be furnished to the magistrates and municipal officers that may be necessary to them.

"Article 3d. The inhabitants of the ceded territory will be incorporated into the Union of the States, and admitted as soon as possible, conformably to the requirements of the Federal Constitution, to enjoy all the rights, advantages and immunities of the citizens of the United States, and during this time they will be upheld and protected in the enjoyment of their liberty, property and religion they profess.

"Article 4th. The French government will send a commissioner to Louisiana, who will prepare all that is necessary, as much to receive from the officers of his Catholic majesty the said territory, with its dependencies, in behalf of the French Republic, if that has not already been done, as to transmit it in the name of the French Republic to the commissioner or agent of the United States.

"Article 5th. Immediately after the ratification of the present treaty on the part of the President of the United States, and of that of the First Consul, if it has been done, the commissioner of the French Republic will deliver up all the military posts of New Orleans, as of other parts of the said territory, to the commissioner appointed by the President to receive possession; all the French and Spanish troops that may be there will cease to occupy the said posts from the moment of the delivery of possession, and will be embarked, if possible, in the course of three months after the ratification of this treaty.

"Article 6th.

The United States engages

and promises to execute all the treaties and articles that might have been agreed on between the Indian tribes and Spain until such time as, by mutual consent between the United States and said tribes or people, other suitable articles are agreed on.

"Article 7th. As it is equally advantageous to the commerce of France and the United States to foster the intercourse of the two nations for a limited period in the country ceded by the present treaty, until arrangements are made relative to the commerce of the two nations, the contracting parties have agreed that all the French vessels coming directly from France or her colonies, loaded exclusively with her productions, and also that those coming directly from Spain or her colonies, and loaded in like manner with her productions, will be admitted for the period of twelve years into the ports of New Orleans, as well as in all those of the ceded territory, in the same manner as the vessels of the United States coming directly from France or Spain, or their colonies, without being subject to other duties on their cargoes or other imposts than those paid by the citizens of the United States during the period of time above specified; no other nation shall partake of this privilege in the said territory, the twelve years to commence three months after the exchange of ratifications, whether at Paris or in the United States, well understood that this article has for its object to favor the manufactures, commerce charges and navigation of France and Spain alone, as to the importations which these two nations may make in the above said ports of the United States, without detriment to the regulations which the said United States may adopt for the exportation of the products or merchandise of their States, nor to their right to establish others.

"Article 8th. After the expiration of the twelve years all French vessels will be treated on the same footing as the most favored nations in the above mentioned ports.

"Article 9th. The especial convention signed this day by the respective ministers, having for its object the payment of the debts due to citizens of the United States by the French Republic prior to the 30th of September, 1800 (8th Vendemiaire, year nine), is approved, and to be put in full execution, as stipulated in the present treaty, it will be

ratified at that same time, and in the same manner, so that the one will not be without the other.

"Another special convention, signed the same date as the present treaty, relative to the definite law between the contracting parties, and which has been in like manner approved, will also be confirmed at the same time.

"Article 10th. The present treaty will be ratified in good and proper form, and the ratifications exchanged within six months after the date of signatures of the ministers plenipotentiary, or sooner, if possible, in faith of which the ministers plenipotentiary have signed these articles in French and in English, remarking, however, that the present treaty is primitively in the French idiom, and have thereto affixed their seals.

"Executed at Paris the 10th Floreal, eleventh year of the French Republic (the 30th of April, 1803). (Signed)

"ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON, "JAMES MONROE,

"F. BARBE MARBOIS."

The convention between the United States of America and the French Republic was as follows:

"The President of the United States of America and the First Consul of the French Republic, in the name of the French people, in consequence of the treaty of cession of Louisiana, which has been signed this day, desiring to settle definitely all matters pertaining to the said cession, have for that purpose authorized the plenipotentiaries, to-wit, the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the Senate of the said States, has appointed for their plenipotentiary Robert R. Livingston, minister plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary of the said States to the government of the French Republic, and the First Consul of the French Republic, in the name of the French people, has appointed for plenipotentiary of the said republic the citizen Francis Barbe Marbois, who, in virtue of their full powers, this day exchanged, have agreed upon the following articles:

"Article Ist. The government of the United States obligates itself to pay to the French government, in the manner specified in the next article, the sum of sixty millions of livres, independent of that which will be

fixed upon by another convention, to pay the debts which France has contracted toward the citizens of the United States.

"Article 2d. For the payment of the sixty millions of livres stipulated in the preceding article, the United States will create a stock of $11,250,000, bearing interest at 6 per cent per annum, payable half-yearly at London, Amsterdam, or at Paris, being the sum of $337,500 for six months, in the proportions that the French government will determine on for these places. The principal of this fund reimbursed at the treasury of the United States in annual payments of not less than three millions each, the first of which will commence fifteen years after the date of the exchange of ratifications. This fund will be remitted to the French government, or any person who will be empowered to receive it, in three months at the furthest, after the exchange or ratifications of the treaty, and of the possession of Louisiana on the part of the United States. It is also agreed that if the French government desires to earlier realize the capital of this stock by disposing of it to Europe, they will take the proper steps, as well to augment the credit of the United States as to give greater value to said stock.

"Article 3d. It is also agreed that the dollar of the United States specified in the present convention shall be fixed at five livres and eight sous tournois; the present convention shall be ratified in good and due form, and the ratifications exchanged in the period of six months from this day's date, or sooner if possible.

"In faith of which the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the said articles in both French and English, declaring also that the present treaty was made and primitively written in the French idiom, to which they have attached their seals.

"Done at Paris, the 10th Floreal, the eleventh year of the French Republic, April 30, 1800 (1803?).

after having, by a treaty of this date, terminated all difficulties relating to Louisiana, always desiring to establish on a solid basis the friendship which unites the two nations, more and more animated with the desire to accommodate the second and fifteenth articles of the convention of the 8th Vendemiaire, year nine of the French republic (30th September, 1800), and to assure the payment of the amount due by France to citizens of the United States, having respectively appointed for their plenipotentiaries, namely, the President of the United States of America, with the advice and consent of their Senate, has appointed Robert R. Livingston, minister plenipotentiary, and James Monroe, also minister plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary of the United States near the government of the French Republic; and the First Consul, in the name of the French people, has appointed the citizen Francis Barbe Marbois, minister of the public treasury, who, after exchanging their full powers, agreed upon the following articles:

"Article 1st. The debts due by France to citizens of the United States, contracted prior to the 8th Vendemiaire, year nine of the French Republic (September 30, 1800), will be paid in the following manner, with interest at 6 per cent from the date of the presentation of their claims, by the parties interested, to the French government.

"Article 2d. The claims to be paid by the preceding article are those designated in the note annexed to the present convention, which, with interest, must not exceed the sum of twenty million livres; the claims included in said note, which will be found rejected in the articles following, can not be admitted to the benefits of this provision.

"Article 3d. The principal and interest of said debts will be paid by the United States through orders drawn by their ministers plenipotentiary on their treasury; these orders will be payable sixty days after the exchange of the ratification of the treaty and conventions this day signed, and after the French commissioners shall place those of the United States in possession of Louisiana.

"Article 4th. It is especially agreed that the foregoing articles are confined exclusively to the debts contracted to the citizens collectively, who have been, or may yet be, creditors of France for provisions embargoed and taken on the high seas, and for which

the claim was duly made within the time specified in said convention on the 8th Vendemiaire, year nine (September 30, 1800).

"Article 5th. The preceding article will be only applicable, first, to prizes which the prize court have ordered to be restored, well understood that the claimant can have no relief from the United States otherwise than he could have had from the French government; and, second, the claim specified in the above mentioned second article of convention, contracted prior to the 8th Vendemiaire, year nine (September 30, 1800), the payment of which has heretofore been demanded from the actual government of France, and for which the creditors have the right to demand the protection of the United States.

"Article 6th. For the purpose of amicably clearing up the various questions that may arise from the preceding article, the ministers plenipotentiary of the United States will appoint three persons, who will act provisionally at this time, having full power to examine without delay all the statements of the various claims already liquidated by the offices established for that purpose by the French Republic, and to satisfy themselves if they are admissible into the classes of claims designated in the present convention, and based upon the regulations there found, or if they are included in some one of the exceptions; and declaring by their certificates that the debt is due to American citizens, or their representatives, and existing before the 8th Vendemiaire, year nine (September 30, 1800), the debtor (creditor?) will receive an order on the treasury of the United States in the manner described in the third article.

"Article 9th. According as the debts possess the authority to examine the claims presented for examination, and to certify those that should be allowed-in marking them to show that they are not to be shut out with those excluded by the present convention.

"Article 8th. The same agents will also examine the claims which may not have been presented for liquidation, and will certify that they decide them inadmissible for liquidation.

"Article 9th. According as the debts designated in these articles will be admitted, they will be paid, with interest at 6 per cent, by the treasury of the United States.

above mentioned conditions, and to reject all unjust and exorbitant demands, the commercial agent of the United States at Paris, in his capacity as minister plenipotentiary of the United States, will appoint, if he thinks proper, an agent to assist in the operations of the offices and examine the claims preferred. If he thinks the debt is not sufficiently proven, or that it is perhaps comprised in the rules of the fifteenth article above mentioned; and if, notwithstanding his opinion, the offices established by the French government should decide that the debt should be settled, he will pass his observations thereon to the judicial courts of the United States, which will at once examine into it, and give the result to the minister of the United States, who will transmit his observations in like manner to the minister of the treasury of the French republic, and the French government will then decide definitely on the case.

"Article 11th. All decisions must be made within the period of one year from the exchange of the ratifications, after which period no claim will be considered.

"Article 12th. In cases where the claims for debts contracted by the French government with citizens of the United States since the 8th Vendemiaire, year nine (September 30, 1800), are not included in this convention, the payment of the same can be claimed and prosecuted as if no convention had been agreed on.

"Article 13th. This convention will be ratified in good and due form, and the ratifications exchanged within six months from the date of the signatures of the minister plenipotentiary, or sooner if possible. In faith of which the ministers plenipotentiary, respectively, have signed the foregoing articles in French and in English, declaring that the present treaty was first made and written in the French idiom, to which they have affixed their seals.

"Done at Paris, the 10th Floreal, year eleventh of the French republic (April 30, 1803). (Signed)

"ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON,
"JAMES MONROE,

"F. BARBE MARBOIS."

Treaty of Fontainebleau.-The treaty, so-called, was the secret treaty signed by France and Spain at Fontainebleau, November 13, 1762, in which France ceded to