VENEZUELA. No. 200. TREATY OF AMITY, COMMERCE, AND NAVIGATION BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND COLOMBIA,* TOGETHER WITH AN ADDITIONAL ARTICLE THEREUNTO ANNEXED. Signed at Bogota, April 18, 1825.† In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity. EXTENSIVE Commercial intercourse having been established for a series of years between the Dominions of His Britannick Majesty and the several Provinces or Countries of America, which (now united) constitute the State of Colombia, it seems good for the security as well as encouragement of such commercial intercourse, and for the maintenance of good understanding between His said Britannick Majesty and the said State, that the relations now subsisting between them should be regularly acknowledged and confirmed, by the signature of a Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation. For this purpose they have named their respective Plenipotentiaries, that is to say: His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, John Potter Hamilton, Esquire; and Patrick Campbell, Esquire ; And the Vice-President, charged with the Executive Power of the State of Colombia, Pedro Gual, Secretary of State in the Department for Foreign Affairs; and General Pedro Briceño Mendez; Who, after having communicated to each other their respective Full Powers, found to be in due and proper form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles: ARTICLE I. There shall be perpetual, firm, and sincere Amity between the Dominions and Subjects of His Majesty The King of the United This Treaty is now only in force in Venezuela, which formed, at the time of its conclusion, an integral part of the State of Colombia. Signed also in Spanish. Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, His Heirs and Successors, and the State and People of Colombia. ARTICLE II. Freedom of Commerce, Navigation, and Residence.-Hiring, &c., of Houses and Warehouses. There shall be, between all the Territories of His Britannick Majesty in Europe, and the Territories of Colombia, a reciprocal freedom of Commerce. The Subjects and Citizens of the two Countries, respectively, shall have liberty freely and securely to come, with their Ships and Cargoes, to all such Places, Ports, and Rivers, in the Territories aforesaid, to which other Foreigners are or may be permitted to come, to enter into the same, and to remain and reside in any part of the said Territories, respectively; also to hire and occupy houses and warehouses for the purposes of their Commerce; and, generally, the Merchants and Traders of each Nation, respectively shall enjoy the most complete protection and security for their Commerce; subject always to the laws and statutes of the two Countries respectively. ARTICLE III. Commerce and Navigation in all British Dominions out of Europe.Most-favoured nation Treatment. His Majesty The King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland engages further, that the Citizens of Colombia shall have the like liberty of Commerce and Navigation stipulated for in the preceding Article, in all His Dominions situated out of Europe, to the full extent in which the same is permitted at present, or shall be permitted hereafter, to any other Nation. ARTICLE IN Imports and Exports: Duties and Prohibitions.-Most-favourednation Treatment. No higher or other duties shall be imposed on the importation into the Territories of His Britannick Majesty of any articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of Colombia-and no higher or other duties shall be imposed on the importation into the Territories of Colombia, of any articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of His Britannick Majesty's Dominions, than are or shall be payable on the like articles, being the growth, produce, or manufacture of any other Foreign Country; nor shall any other or higher duties or charges be imposed in the Territories or Dominions of either of the Contracting Parties, on the exportation of any articles to the Territories or Dominions of the other, than such as are or may be payable on the exportation of the like articles to any other Foreign Country; nor shall any prohibition be imposed upon the exportation or importation of any articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of His Britannick Majesty's Dominions, or of the said Territories of Colombia, to or from the said Dominions of His Britannick Majesty, or to or from the said Territories of Colombia, which shall not equally extend to all other Nations. ARTICLE V. Tonnage, Light, Harbour, Pilotage, and Salvage Dues.-National Treatment. No higher or other duties or charges on account of Tonnage, Light, or Harbour Dues, Pilotage, Salvage in case of damage or shipwreck, or any other local charges, shall be imposed, in any of the Ports of Colombia, on British Vessels, than those payable, in the same Ports, by Colombian Vessels; nor, in the Ports of His Britannick Majesty's Territories, on Colombian Vessels than shall be payable, in the same Ports, on British Vessels. ARTICLE VI. Imports or Exports in Vessels of either Country.-National Treatment. The same duties shall be paid on the importation into the Territories of Colombia of any article the growth, produce, or manufacture of His Britannick Majesty's Dominions, whether such importation shall be in Colombian or in British Vessels; and the same duties shall be paid on the importation into the Dominions of His Britannick Majesty of any article of the growth, produce, or manufacture of Colombia, whether such importation shall be in British or Colombian Vessels. The same duties shall be paid, and the same drawbacks and bounties allowed, on the exportation to Colombia of any articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of His Britannick Majesty's Dominions, whether such exportation shall be in Colombian or in British Vessels; and the same duties shall be paid, and the same bounties and drawbacks allowed, on the exportation of any articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of Colombia to His Britannick Majesty's Dominions, whether such exportation shall be in British or Colombian Vessels. ARTICLE VII. National Vessels. In order to avoid any misunderstanding with respect to the regulations which may respectively constitute a British ora Colombian Vessel, it is hereby agreed that all vessels built in the Dominions of His Britannick Majesty, and owned by British Subjects, or by any of them, and whereof the Master and three-fourths of the mariners, at least, are British Subjects, excepting where the laws provide for any extreme cases, shall be considered as British Vessels; and that all Vessels built in the Territories of Colombia, and owned by the Citizens thereof, or any of them, and whereof the Master and threefourths of the mariners, at least, are Colombian Citizens, excepting where the laws provide for any extreme cases, shall be considered as Colombian Vessels. ARTICLE VIII. Transaction of Business.-Employment of Agents. All Merchants, Commanders of Ships, and others, the Subjects of His Britannick Majesty, or Citizens of the State of Colombia, shall have full liberty, in all the Territories of both Powers, respectively, to manage their own affairs themselves, or to commit them to the management of whomsoever they please, as Broker, Factor, Agent, or Interpreter; nor shall they be obliged to employ any other persons for those purposes, nor to pay them any salary or remuneration, unless they shall choose to employ them; and absolute freedom shall be allowed, in all cases to the buyer and seller, to bargain and fix the price of any goods, wares, or merchandize imported into, or exported from, the Territories of either of the Contracting Parties, as they shall see good. ARTICLE IX. Loading and Unloading of Vessels.—Acquisition and Disposal of Property.-Administration of Justice.—Most-favoured-nation and National Treatment. In whatever relates to the lading and unlading of Ships, the safety of merchandize, goods, and effects, the succession to personal estates, and the disposal of personal property of every sort and denomination, by sale, donation, exchange, or testament, or in any other manner whatsoever, as also the administration of justice, the Subjects and Citizens of the two Contracting Parties shall enjoy, in their respective Dominions and Territories, the same privileges, liberties, and rights as the most favoured Nation, and shall not be charged, in any of these respects, with any higher imposts or duties than those which are paid, or may be paid, by the Native Subjects or Citizens of the Power in whose Dominions or Territories they may be resident. Exemption from Military Service, Forced Loans, &c.-Taxes.National Treatment. They shall be exempted from all compulsory military Service whatsoever, whether by Sea or Land, and from all forced loans, or military exactions and requisitions; neither shall they be compelled to pay any ordinary taxes, under any pretext whatsoever, greater than those that are paid by the Subjects or Citizens of one or other Power. ARTICLE X. Appointment of Consular Officers. It shall be free for each of the two Contracting Parties to appoint Consuls for the protection of Trade, to reside in the Dominions and Territories of the other Party; but before any Consul shall act as such, he shall, in the usual form be approved and admitted by the Government to which he is sent; and either of the Contracting Parties may except from the residence of Consuls such particular places as either of them may judge fit to be so excepted. ARTICLE XI. Rupture of Friendly Relations.-Position of Persons and For the better security of commerce between the Subjects of His Britannick Majesty and the Citizens of Colombia, it is agreed that if, at any time, any interruption of friendly commercial intercourse, or any rupture should unfortunately take place between the two Contracting Parties, the Subjects or Citizens of either of the two Contracting Parties residing in the Dominions of the other shall have the privilege of remaining and continuing their trade therein, without any manner of interruption, so long as they behave peaceably, and commit no offence against the laws; and their effects and property, whether entrusted to individuals or to the State, shall not be liable to seizure or sequestration, or to any other demands than those which may be made upon the like effects or property, belonging to the native Inhabitants of the State in which such Subjects or Citizens may reside. ARTICLE XII. Liberty of Conscience.-Freedom of Religious Worship.—Burials. The Subjects of His Britannick Majesty residing in the Territories of the State of Colombia shall enjoy the most perfect and entire security of conscience, without being annoyed, prevented, or disturbed on account of their religious belief. Neither shall they be annoyed, molested, or disturbed in the proper exercise of their religion, provided that this take place in private houses, and with the decorum due to Divine Worship, with due respect to the laws, usages, and customs of the Country. Liberty shall also be granted to bury the Subjects of His Britannick Majesty who may die in the said Territories of Colombia, in convenient and adequate places, to be appointed and established by themselves for that purpose, with the knowledge of the local Authorities. Nor shall the funerals or sepulchres of the dead be disturbed in any wise, nor upon any account. In the like manner, the Citizens of Colombia shall enjoy, |