MEXICO. No. 111. TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP, COMMERCE, AND NAVIGATION BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND MEXICO. Signed at Mexico, November 27, 1888.* [Ratifications exchanged at Mexico, February 11, 1889.] HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Excellency the President of the United States of Mexico, being desirous of maintaining and strengthening friendly relations, and of promoting commercial intercourse between the dominions of Her Britannic Majesty and the territories of the Mexican Republic, have resolved to conclude a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation, and have named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Sir Spenser St. John, Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Her Britannic Majesty in Mexico; And his Excellency the President of the United States of Mexico, Señor Senador Don Emilio Velasco, ex-Minister Plenipotentiary of Mexico in France, &c., &c., &c. ; Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles : ARTICLE I. Peace and Friendship. There shall be perfect peace and sincere friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of Mexico. The High Contracting Parties shall use their best endeavours that this friendship and good understanding may be constantly and perpetually maintained. * Signed also in Spanish. ARTICLE II. Commerce and Navigation. Most-favoured-nation Treatment. -- The Contracting Parties agree that, in all matters relating to commerce aud navigation, any privilege, favour, or immunity whatever, which either Contracting Party has actually granted, or may hereafter grant, to the subjects or citizens of any other State, shall be extended immediately and unconditionally to the subjects or citizens of the other Contracting Party, it being their intention that the trade and navigation of each country shall be placed, in all respects, by the other on the footing of the most favoured nation. ARTICLE III. Imports, Exports, and Transit: Duties and Prohibitions.-Mostfavoured-nation Treatment. The produce and manufactures of the dominions and possessions of Her Britannic Majesty which are imported into the United States of Mexico, and the produce and manufactures of Mexico which are imported into the dominions and possessions of Her Britannic Majesty, whether intended for consumption, warehousing, re-exportation, or transit, shall be treated in the same manner as, and, in particular, shall be subjected to no higher or other duties, whether general, municipal, or local, than the produce, manufactures, and goods of any third country the most favoured in this respect. No other or higher duties shall be levied in Mexico on the exportation of any goods to the dominions and possessions of Her Britannic Majesty, or in the dominions and possessions of Her Britannic Majesty on the exportation of any goods to Mexico, than may be levied on the exportation of the like goods to any third country the most favoured in this respect. Neither of the Contracting Parties shall establish a prohibition of importation, exportation, re-exportation, or transit against the other which shall not, under like circumstances, be applicable to any third country the most favoured in this respect. Local Dues, Brokerage, Commercial Travellers' Patterns, &c. Most-favoured-nation Treatment. In like manner, in all that relates to local dues, customs formalities, brokerage, patterns, or samples introduced by commercial travellers, and all other matters connected with trade, British subjects in Mexico, and Mexican citizens in the dominions and possessions of Her Britannic Majesty, shall enjoy most-favoured-nation treatment. [536] 2 N Alterations in Mexican Laws.-Tariff, &c. In the event of any changes being made in Mexican laws, Customs Tariff or Regulations, sufficient notice shall be given, in order to enable British subjects to make the necessary arrangements for meeting them. The Mexican authorities shall, moreover, deal equitably with all cases arising from unintentional ignorance of any of the changes above mentioned. ARTICLE IV. Vessels and Cargoes. - Most-favoured-nation Treatment. British ships and their cargoes shall, in Mexico, and Mexican vessels and their cargoes shall, in the dominions and possessions of Her Britannic Majesty, from whatever place arriving, and whatever may be the place of origin or destination of their cargoes, be treated in every respect as ships and cargoes of the most favoured nation. Harbour, &c., Dues.-Pilotage, &c. The preceding stipulation applies to local treatment, dues, and charges in the ports, basins, docks, roadsteads, harbours, and rivers of the two countries, pilotage, and, generally, to all matters connected with navigation. Navigation. Most-favoured-nation Treatment. Every favour or exemption in these respects, or any other privilege in matters of navigation, which either of the Contracting Parties shall grant to a third Power, shall be extended immediately and unconditionally to the other Party. National Vessels. All vessels which, according to British law, are to be deemed British vessels, and all vessels which, according to the law of Mexico, are to be deemed Mexican vessels, shall, for the purposes of this Treaty, be respectively deemed British or Mexican vessels. Ports. For the same purpose shall be considered as ports of each of the Contracting Parties those which are, or hereafter may be, declared open by the respective Governments for import or export trade. Maritime Jurisdiction.- Three Marine Leagues from Low Water-mark. The two Contracting Parties agree to consider, as a limit of their territorial waters on their respective coasts, the distance of 3 marine leagues reckoned from the line of low water-mark. Nevertheless, this stipulation shall have no effect, excepting in what may relate to the observance and application of the Custom-house Regulations and the measures for preventing smuggling, and cannot be extended to other questions of civil or criminal jurisdiction, or of international maritime law. ARTICLE V. Freedom of Residence.-Hiring, &c., of Houses and Warehouses.— Acquisition and Disposal of Property.-National Treatment. The subjects or citizens of each of the Contracting Parties shall be permitted to reside, permanently or temporarily, in the dominions or possessions of the other, and to occupy and hire houses and warehouses for purposes of commerce, whether wholesale or retail. They shall also be at full liberty to exercise civil rights, and therefore to acquire, possess, and dispose of every description of property, movable and immovable, as far as the laws of each country will permit. They may acquire and transmit the same to others, whether by purchase, sale, donation, exchange, marriage, testament, succession ab intestato, and in any other manner, under the same conditions as natives of the country. Their heirs and legal representatives may succeed to and take possession of it, either in person or by procurators, in the same manner and in the same legal forms as natives of the country. Duties, &c., on Property.-National Treatment. In none of these respects shall they pay upon the value of such property any other or higher impost, duty, or charge than is payable by natives of the country. In every case the subjects or citizens of the Contracting Parties shall be permitted to export their property, or the proceeds thereof, if sold, freely and without being subjected on such exportation to pay any duty different from that to which natives of the country are liable under similar circumstances. Subjects. Rights and Obligations.-Most-favoured-nation Treatment. The citizens or subjects of each one of the Contracting Parties, who may be residing, temporarily or permanently, in the [536] 2 N 2 dominions and possessions of the other, are subject to the laws of the country where they reside, especially to those which determine the rights and obligations of foreigners, on the same conditions as those of the citizens or subjects of the most favoured nation. ARTICLE VI. Inviolability of Dwellings, &c. The dwellings, manufactories, warehouses, and shops of the subjects or citizens of each of the Contracting Parties in the dominions and possessions of the other, and all premises appertaining thereto, destined for purposes of residence or commerce, shall be respected. Domiciliary Visits, &c.-National Treatment. It shall not be allowable to proceed to make a search of, or a domiciliary visit to, such dwellings and premises, or to examine or inspect books, papers, or accounts, except under the conditions and with the forms prescribed by the laws for natives of the country. Administration of Justice.-National Treatment. The subjects or citizens of each of the two Contracting Parties in the dominions and possessions of the other shall have free access to the Courts of Justice for the prosecution and defence of their rights, without other conditions, restrictions, or taxes beyond those imposed on natives of the country, and shall, like them, be at liberty to employ, in all causes, their advocates, attorneys, or agents from among the persons admitted to the exercise of those professions according to the laws of the country. ARTICLE VII. Exemptions from Military Service, Forced Loans, &c.-Requisitions, &c., on Real Property.-National Treatment. The subjects or citizens of each of the Contracting Parties in the dominions and possessions of the other shall be exempted from all compulsory military service whatever, whether in the army, navy, or national guard, or militia. They shall likewise be exempted from all contributions, whether pecuniary or in kind, imposed as a compensation for personal service, and, finally, from forced loans, and from charges, requisitions, and war contributions, unless imposed on real property, when they shall pay them equally with nationals. |