1778. February 6.

Rules relative

to correspon

TREATIES WITH FRANCE.

Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States of
America and his Most Christian Majesty.

ORIGINAL.

Treaty of Amity and Commerce.

THE most christian king, and the thirteen United States of dence and com- North America, to wit: New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, merce between Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl

the U. States and France.

nefits.

vania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, willing to fix in an equitable and permanent manner, the rules which ought to be followed relative to the correspondence and commerce which the two parties desire to establish, between their respective countries, states, and subjects, his most christian majesty and the said United States, have judged that the said end could not be better obtained than by taking, for the basis of their agreement, the most perfect equality and reciprocity, and by carefully avoiding all those burthensome preferences which are usually sour

ces of debate, embarrassment and discontent; by leaving also Respecting in- each party at liberty to make, respecting commerce and naviterior regula- gation, those interior regulations which it shall find most tions each party to be at liberty convenient to itself; and by founding the advantage of comto admit other nations to a parmerce solely upon reciprocal utility, and the just rules of free ticipation of be- intercourse; reserving withal to each party the liberty of admitting, at its pleasure, other nations to a participation of the same advantages. It is in the spirit of this intention, and to fulfil these views, that his said majesty, having named and appointed for his plenipotentiary, Conrad Alexander Gerard, royal syndic of the city of Strasbourg, secretary of his majesty's council of state, and the United States on their part, having fully empowered Benjamin Franklin, deputy from the state of Pennsylvania to the general congress, and president of the convention of said state; Silas Deane, late deputy from the state of Connecticut to the said congress, and Arthur Lee, counsellor at law; the said respective plenipotentiaries, after exchanging their powers, and after mature deliberation, have concluded and agreed upon the following articles:

Firm and invio

ART. 1. There shall be a firm, inviolable, and universal lable peace, &c. peace, and a true and sincere friendship between the most christian king, his heirs, and successors, and the United States of America; and the subjects of the most christian king

1778. February 6.

ORIGINAL.

Traité d'Amitié et de Commerce.

Le roi très chrétien, et les treize Etats Unis de l'Amérique Septentrionale, savoir, New Hampshire, la Baye de Massachuset, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensylvanie, les comtés de Newcastle, de Kent et de Sussex sur la Delaware, Maryland, Virginie, Caroline Septentrionale, Caroline Méridionale, et Georgie, voulant établir d'une manière équitable et permanente les régles qui devront être suivies relativement à la correspondence et au commerce que les deux parties désirent d'établir entre leurs païs, etats, et sujets respectifs, sa majesté très chrétienne et les dits Etats Unis ont jugé ne pouvoir mieux atteindre à ce but qu'en prenant pour base de leur arrangement l'égalité et la réciprocité la plus parfaite, et en observant d'éviter toutes les préférences onéreuses, source de discussions, d'embarrass, et de mecontentemens, de laisser à chaque partie la liberté de faire, relativement au commerce et à la navigation les réglemens intérieurs qui seront à sa convenance, de ne fonder les avantages du commerce que sur non utilité reciproque et sur les loix d'une juste concurrence, et de conserver ainsi de part et d'autre la liberté de faire participer, chacun selon son gré, les autres nations, aux mêmes advantages. C'est dans cet esprit et pour remplir ces vuës que sa dite majesté ayant nommé et constitué pour son plénipotentiaire le sieur Conrad Alexandre Gerard, sindic roïal de la ville de Strasbourg, secretaire du conseil d'état de sa majesté, et les Etats Unis aïant, de leur côté, munis de leurs pleins pouvoirs les sieurs Benjamin Franklin, député au congrès général de la part de l'état de Pensylvanie, et président de la convention du dite état, Silas Deane, ci-devant député de l'état de Connecticut, et Arthur Lee, conseiller ès loix, les dits plenipotentiaries respectifs après l'échange de leurs pouvoirs et après mure délibération ont conclu et arrêté les points et articles suivans:

ART. 1. Il y aura une paix ferme, inviolable et universelle, et une amitié vraie et sincère entre le roi très chrétien, ses héritiers et successeurs, et entre les Etats Unis de l'Amérique ainsi qu'entre les sujets de sa majesté très chrétienne et ceux

1778. February 6.

and of the said states; and between the countries, islands, cities, and towns, situate under the jurisdiction of the most christian king, and of the said United States, and the people and inhabitants of every degree, without exception of persons or places; and the terms hereinafter mentioned shall be perpetual between the most christian king, his heirs, and successors, and the said United States.

Favors of commerce &c. gran

ART. 2. The most christian king and the United States ented to other na- gage mutually not to grant any particular favor to other nations to be com tions, in respect of commerce and navigation, which shall not S. and France, immediately become common to the other party, who shall

on the same conditions.

French subjects

enjoy the same favor, freely, if the concession was freely made, or on allowing the same compensation, if the concession was conditional.

ART. 3. The subjects of the most christian king shall pay to enjoy in the or towns, ports of the U. in the ports, havens, roads, countries, islands, cities, 5. in relation to of the United States, or any of them, no other or greater duduties & rights, the same bene- ties, or imposts, of what nature soever they may be, or by what fits allowed to name soever called, than those which the nations most favored

the most favored nations.

U.S. citizens to

enjoy in the

benefits allow

are or shall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities, and exemptions in trade, navigation, and commerce, whether in passing from one port in the said states to another, or in going to and from the same, from and to any part of the world, which the said nations do or shall enjoy.

ART. 4. The subjects, people, and inhabitants of the said

ports of France United States, and each of them, shall not pay in the ports, in Europe, the havens, roads, isles, cities, and places under the domination ed to the most of his most christian majesty, in Europe, any other or greater favored nations, duties or imposts, of what nature soever they may be, or by ties and rights what name soever called, than those which the most favored

relative to du

of trade.

Exemption of 100 sols per ton, except in the

French coasting trade.

nations are or shall be obliged to pay, and they shall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities, and exemptions in trade, navigation, and commerce, whether in passing from one port in the said dominions, in Europe, to another, or in going to and from the same, from and to any part of the world, which the said nations do or shall enjoy.

ART. 5. In the above exemption is particularly comprised the imposition of one hundred sols per ton, established in France on foreign ships; unless when the ships of the United States shall load with the merchandise of France for another

port of the same dominion, in which case the said ships shall berty to estab- pay the duty above mentioned so long as other nations, the most favored, shall be obliged to pay it. But it is understood

1778.

des dits états, comme aussi entre les peuples, isles, villes et places situès sous la jurisdiction du roi très chrétien et des February 6. dits Etats Unis, et entre leurs peuples et habitants de toutes les classes, sans aucune exception de personnes et de lieux; les conditions mentionées au present traité seront perpetuelles et permanentes entre le roi très chrétien, ses héritiers et successeurs, et les dits Etats Unis.

ART. 2. Le roi très chrétien et les Etats Unis s'engagent mutuellement à n'accorder aucune faveur particulière à d'autres nations, en fait de commerce et de navigation, qui ne devienne aussitôt commune à l'autre partie, et celle-ce jouira de cette faveur gratuitement, si la concession est gratuite, ou en accordant la même compensation, si la concession est conditionelle.

ART. 3. Le sujets du roi très chrétien ne païeront dans les ports, havres, rades, contrées, isles, cites et lieux des Etats Unis, ou d'aucun d'entr'eux, d'autres ni plus grands droits ou impôts, de quelque nature qu'ils puissent être, et quelque nom qu'ils puissent avoir, que ceux que les nations les plus favorisées sont, ou seront tenuës de païer; et ils jouiront de tous les droits, libertés, privileges, immunités et exemptions en fait de négoce, navigation et commerce, soit en passant d'un port des dits états à un autre; soit en y allant ou en revenant de quelque partie ou pour quelque partie du monde que ce soit, dont les dites nations jouissent ou jouiront.

ART. 4. Les sujets, peuples et habitans des dits Etats Unis et de chacun d'iceux, ne païeront dans les ports, havres, rades, isles, villes et places de la domination de sa majesté très chrétienne en Europe, d'autres ni plus grands droits ou impôts de quelque nature qu'ils puissent être et quelque nom qu'ils puissent avoir que les nations les plus favorisées sont, ou seront tenuës depaïer, et ils jouiront de tous les droits, libertés, privileges, immunités et exemptions en fait de négoce, navigation et commerce soit en pussant d'un port à un autre des dits états du roi très chrétien en Europe, soit en y allant ou en revenant de quelque partie ou pour quelque partie du monde que ce soit, dont les nations susdites jouissent ou jouiront.

ART. 5. Dans l'exemtion cidessus est nommément compris l'imposition de cent sous par tonneau établie en France sur les navires étrangers, si ce n'est lorsque les navires des Etats Unis chargeront des marchandises de France, dans un port de France; pour un autre port de la même domination auquel cas les dits navires des dits Etats Unis acquiteront le droit dont il s'agit aussi long tems que les autres nations les plus

1778. February 6.

that the said United States, or any of them, are at liberty, when they shall judge it proper, to establish a duty equivalent in the same case.

Vessels &c. be

ART. 6. The most christian king shall endeavor, by all the longing to U.S. means in his power, to protect and defend all vessels and the citizens to be protected in French ports,

and by French

ships of war, whilst in com

pany.

effects belonging to the subjects, people, or inhabitants of the said United States, or any of them, being in his ports, havens. or roads, or on the seas near to his countries, islands, cities, or towns; and to recover and restore to the right owners, their agents or attorneys, all such vessels and effects, which shall be taken within his jurisdiction; and the ships of war of his most christian majesty, or any convoy sailing under his authority, shall, upon all occasions, take under their protection all vessels belonging to the subjects, people or inhabitants of the said United States, or any of them, and holding the same course, or going the same way, and shall defend such vessels as long as they hold the same course, or go the same way, against all attacks, force, and violence, in the same manner as they ought to protect and defend the vessels belonging to the subjects of the most christian king.

French vessels ART. 7. In like manner, the said United States, and their &c. to be protected by the ships of war, sailing under their authority, shall protect and

armed vessels of the U. States.

defend, conformable to the tenor of the preceding article, all the vessels and effects belonging to the subjects of the most christian king, and use all their endeavors to recover, and cause to be restored, the said vessels and effects that shall have been taken within the jurisdiction of the said United States, or any of them.

The French ART. 8. The most christian king will employ his good king to employ his good offices offices and interposition with the king or emperor of Morocco ry powers, in or Fez, the regencies of Algier, Tunis, and Tripoli, or with behalf of the U. any of them; and also with every other prince, state, or power,

with the Barba

States.

of the coast of Barbary, in Africa, and the subjects of the said king, emperor, states, and powers, and each of them, in order to provide as fully and efficaciously as possible for the benefit, conveniency, and safety of the said United States, and each of them, their subjects, people, and inhabitants, and their vessels and effects, against all violence, insult, attacks, or depredations, on the part of the said princes, and states of Barbary, or their subjects.

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