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renew, in a manner clear and positive, by means of a Treaty or general convention of peace, amity and commerce, the rules which shall in future be mutually observed in the intercourse of their respective countries; for which most desirable object, the President of the United States and the August Sovereign of the Ta Tsing Empire have named for their Plenipotentiaries to wit: The President of the United States of America, William B. Reed, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to China and His Majesty the Emperor of China, Kweiliang, a member of the Privy Council and Superintendent of the Board of Punishments; and Hwashana, President of the Board of Civil Office and Major General of the Bordered Blue Banner Division of the Chinese Bannermen, both of them being Imperial Commissioners and Plenipotentiaries: And the said Ministers, in virtue of the respective full powers they have received from their Governments, have agreed upon the following articles.

ARTICLE I.

There shall be, as there have always been, peace and friendship between the United States of America and the Ta Tsing Empire, and between their people respectively. They shall not insult or oppress each other for any trifling cause so as to produce an estrangement between them, and if any other nation should act unjustly or oppressively, the United States will exert their good offices, on being informed of the case, to bring about an amicable arrangement of the question, thus showing their friendly feelings.

ARTICLE II.

In order to perpetuate friendship, on the exchange of ratifications by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate of the United States, and by His Majesty the Emperor of China, this treaty shall be kept and sacredly guarded in this way: viz: The original treaty as ratified by the President of the United States, shall be deposited at Pekin, the capital of His Majesty the Emperor of China in charge of the Privy Council; and as ratified by His Majesty the Emperor of China, shall be deposited at Washington, the capital of the United States, in charge of the Secretary of State.

ARTICLE III.

In order that the people of the two countries may know and obey the provisions of this treaty, the United States of America agree immediately on the exchange of ratifications to proclaim the same and to publish it by proclamation in the gazettes where the laws of the United States of America are published by authority and His Majesty the Emperor of China, on the exchange of ratifications, agrees immediately to direct the publication of the same at the capital and by the Governors of all the Provinces.

ARTICLE IV.

In order further to perpetuate friendship, the Minister or Commissioner or the highest diplomatic representative of the United States of America in China, shall at all times have the right to correspond on terms of perfect equality and confidence with the Officers

of the Privy Council at the capital, or with the Governors General of the Two Kwangs, the Provinces of Fuhkien and Chehkiang or of the Two Kiangs, and whenever he desires to have such correspondence with the Privy Council at the Capital he shall have the right to send it through either of the said Governors General or by the General Post, and all such communications shall be sent under seal which shall be most carefully respected. The Privy Council and Governors General, as the case may be, shall in all cases consider and acknowledge such communications promptly and respectfully.

ARTICLE V.

The Minister of the United States of America in China, whenever he has business, shall have the right to visit and sojourn at the capital of His Majesty the Emperor of China, and there confer with a member of the Privy Council, or any other high officer of equal rank deputed for that purpose, on matters of common interest and advantage. His visit shall not exceed one in each year, and he shall complete his business without unnecessary delay. He shall be allowed to go by land or come to the mouth of the Peiho, into which he shall not bring ships of war and he shall inform the authorities at that place in order that boats may be provided for him to go on his journey. He is not to take advantage of this stipulation to request visits to the capital on trivial occasions. Whenever he means to proceed to the capital he shall communicate in writing, his intention to the Board· of Rites at the capital, and thereupon the said Board shall give the necessary directions to facilitate his journey and give him necessary protection and respect on his way. On his arrival at the capital, he shall be furnished with a suitable residence prepared for him and he shall defray his own expenses and his entire suite shall not exceed twenty persons, exclusive of his Chinese attendants, none of whom shall be engaged in trade.

ARTICLE VI.

If at any time His Majesty the Emperor of China shall by Treaty voluntarily made, or for any other reason, permit the Representative of any friendly nation to reside at his Capital for a long or short time, then without any further consultation or express permission, the Representative of the United States in China shall have the same privilege.

ARTICLE VII.

The superior authorities of the United States and of China in corresponding together, shall do so on terms of equality, and in form of mutual communication (chau hwui). The Consuls and the local officers, civil and military, in corresponding together, shall likewise employ the style and form of mutual communication (chau-hwui). When inferior officers of the one government address superior officers of the other, they shall do so in the style and form of memorial (shinchin). Private individuals in addressing superior officers, shall employ the style of petition (pin ching). In no case shall any terms or style be used or suffered which shall be offensive or disrespectful to either party. And it is agreed that no presents, under any pretext or form whatever shall ever be demanded of the United States by China, or of China by the United States.

ARTICLE VIII

In all future personal intercourse between the Representative of the United States of America and the Governors General or Governors the interviews shall be had at the official residence of the said officers or at their temporary residence or at the residence of the Representative of the United States of America, whichever may be agreed upon between them nor shall they make any pretext for declining these interviews. Current matters shall be discussed by correspondence so as not to give the trouble of a personal meeting.

ARTICLE IX.

Whenever national vessels of the United States of America in cruising along the coast and among the ports opened for trade, for the protection of the commerce of their country, or for the advancement of science, shall arrive at or near any of the ports of China, Commanders of said ships and the superior local authorities of Government shall, if it be necessary, hold intercourse on terms of equality and courtesy in token of the friendly relations of their respective nations, and the said vessels shall enjoy all suitable facilities on the part of the Chinese Government in procuring provisions or other supplies and making necessary repairs. And the United States of America agree that in case of the shipwreck of any American vessel and its being pillaged by pirates or in case any American vessel shall be pillaged or captured by pirates on the seas adjacent to the coast, without being shipwrecked, the national vessels of the United States shall pursue the said pirates, and if captured deliver them over for trial and punishment.

ARTICLE X.

The United States of America shall have the right to appoint Consuls and other commercial agents for the protection of trade to reside at such places in the dominions of China as shall be agreed to be opened, who shall hold official intercourse and correspondence with the local officers of the Chinese Government (a Consul or a Vice-Consul in charge taking rank with an intendant of circuit or a prefect) either personally or in writing as occassions may require, on terms of equality and reciprocal respect. And the Consuls and local officers shall employ the style of mutual communication. If the officers of either nation are disrespectfully treated or aggrieved in any way by the other authorities they have the right to make representation of the same to the Superior Officers of the respective Governments who shall see that full inquiry and strict justice shall be had in the premises; and the said Consuls and agents shall carefully avoid all acts of offense to the officers and people of China. On the arrival of a Consul duly accredited at any port in China, it shall be the duty of the Minister of the United States to notify the same to the Governor General of the province where such port is, who shall forthwith recognize the said Consul and grant him authority to act.

ARTICLE XI.

All citizens of the United States of America in China, peaceably attending to their affairs, being placed on a common footing of amity and good will with the subjects of China, shall receive and enjoy for

themselves and everything appertaining to them the protection of the local authorities of government, who shall defend them from all insult or injury of any sort. If their dwellings or property be threatened or attacked by mobs, incendiaries, or other violent or lawless persons, the local officers, on requisition of the consul, shall immediately despatch a military force to disperse the rioters, apprehend the guilty individuals and punish them with the utmost rigor of the law. Subjects of China guilty of any criminal act towards citizens of the United States shall be punished by the Chinese authorities according to the laws of China. And citizens of the United States, either on shore or in any merchant vessel, who may insult, trouble or wound the persons or injure the property of Chinese or commit any other improper act in China, shall be punished only by the Consul or other public functionary thereto authorized according to the laws of the United States. Arrests in order to trial may be made by either the Chinese or the United States authorities.

ARTICLE XII.

Citizens of the United States residing or sojourning at any of the ports open to foreign commerce shall be permitted to rent houses and places of business or hire sites on which they can themselves build houses or hospitals, churches and cemeteries. The parties interested can fix the rent by mutual and equitable agreement, the proprietors shall not demand an exorbitant price, nor shall the local authorities interfere unless there be some objections offered on the part of the inhabitants respecting the place. The legal fees to the officers for applying their seal shall be paid. The citizens of the United States shall not unreasonably insist on particular spots but each party shall conduct with justice and moderation. Any desecration of the cemeteries by natives of China shall be severely punished according to law. At the places where the ships of the United States anchor or their citizens reside, the merchants seamen or others can freely pass and repass in the immediate neighborhood, but in order to the preservation of the public peace, they shall not go into the country to the villages and marts to sell their goods unlawfully in fraud of the

revenue.

ARTICLE XIII.

If any vessel of the United States be wrecked or stranded on the coast of China, and be subjected to plunder or other damage, the proper officers of Government, on receiving information of the fact, shall immediately adopt measures for its relief and security: the persons on board shall receive friendly treatment and be enabled to repair at once to the nearest port, and shall enjoy all facilities for obtaining supplies of provisions and water. If the merchant vessels of the United States, while within the waters over which the Chinese Government exercises jurisdiction, be plundered by robbers or pirates, then the Chinese local authorities civil and military, on receiving information thereof, shall arrest the said robbers or pirates, and punish them according to law, and shall cause all the property which can be recovered, to be restored to the owners or placed in the hands of the Consul. If by reason of the extent of territory and numerous population of China, it shall in any case happen that the robbers cannot be apprehended, and the property only in part recovered, the Chinese Government shall not make indemnity for the goods lost. But if it

shall be proved that the local authorities have been in collusion with the robbers, the same shall be communicated to the superior authorities for memorializing the Throne, and these officers shall be severely punished and their property be confiscated to repay the losses.

ARTICLE XIV.

The citizens of the United States are permitted to frequent the ports and cities of Canton and Chau-chau or Swatau, in the Province of Kwang-tung: Amoy, Fuh-chau, and Tai-wan in Formosa, in the Province of Fuh-Kien: Ningpoin the Province of Cheh-Kiang and Shanghai in the Province of Kiang-su, and any other port or place hereafter by treaty with other powers or with the United States opened to commerce, and to reside with their families and trade there: and to proceed at pleasure with their vessels and merchandise from any of these ports to any other of them. But said vessels shall not carry on a clandestine and fraudulent trade at other ports of China not declared to be legal or along the coasts thereof; and any vessel under the American flag violating this provision shall, with her cargo, be subject to confiscation to the Chinese Government; and any citizen of the United States who shall trade in any contraband article of merchandise, shall be subject to be dealt with by the Chinese Government, without being entitled to any countenance or protection from that of the United States; and the United States will take measures to prevent their flag from being abused by the subjects of other nations as a cover for the violation of the laws of the Empire.

ARTICLE XV.

At each of the ports open to Commerce, citizens of the United States shall be permitted to import from abroad and sell, purchase, and export, all merchandise of which the importation or exportation is not prohibited by the laws of the Empire. The Tariff of duties to be paid by citizens of the United States on the export and import of goods from and into China shall be the same as was agreed upon at the treaty of Wanghia, except so far as it may be modified by treaties with other nations; it being expressly agreed that citizens of the United States shall never pay higher duties than those paid by the most favored nation.1

ARTICLE XVI.

Tonnage duties shall be paid on every merchant vessel belonging to the United States entering either of the open ports at the rate of four mace per ton of forty cubic feet, if she be over one hundred and fifty tons burden: and one mace per ton of forty cubic feet, if she be of the burden of one hundred and fifty tons or under, according to the tonnage specified in the register, which with her other papers, shall on her arrival, be lodged with the Consul, who shall report the same to the Commissioner of Customs. And if any vessel having paid tonnage duty at one port shall go to any other port to complete the disposal of her cargo, or being in ballast to purchase an entire or fill up an incomplete cargo, the Consul shall report the same to the Commissioner of customs, who shall note on the port clearance that the tonnage duties have been paid and report the circumstances to the col

See Article III, p. 121.

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