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[Russian-Dutch Loan.]

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No. 18.-CONVENTION between Great Britain and the Netherlands and Russia, respecting the Russian-Dutch Loan. -Signed at London, 19th May, 1815.

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1. Portion of Loan to be borne by Great Britain and the Netherlands. 2. Interest and Sinking Fund.

3. Mode of Payment.

4. Russia to be security to Creditors, and to administer the Loan. Great Britain and the Netherlands liable to Russia for their respective Proportions.

5. Payments by Great Britain and the Netherlands to cease on Belgic Provinces being severed from the Netherlands: but not to cease in case of War.

6. Ratifications.

Additional Article.

Payments to be made in case of part of Belgic Provinces being severed from Dominions of Belgium.

Payments to be made in case of Invasion or Temporary Occupation of Belgic Provinces.

Ratification.

(Translation as laid before Parliament.*)

Preamble.

In the name of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity.

His Majesty the King of the Netherlands being desirous, upon the final Re-union of the Belgic Provinces with Holland, to render to the Allied Powers, who were Parties to the Treaty concluded at Chaumont on the 1st of March, 1814,† a suitable return for the heavy expense incurred by them in delivering the said Territories from the power of the enemy; and the said Powers having, in consideration of arrangements made with each other, mutually agreed to waive their several pretensions under this head in favour of His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias, His said Majesty the King of the Netherlands has thereupon resolved to proceed immediately to execute with His Imperial Majesty a Convention to the following effect, to which His Britannic * For French version see "State Papers," vol. ii, p. 378. + See Appendix.

[Russian-Dutch Loan.]

Majesty agrees to be a party in pursuance of engagements taken by His said Majesty with the King of the Netherlands, in a Convention signed at London on the 13th day of August, 1814 (No. 5).

In consequence thereof, the Three said High Contracting Parties have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries, namely: His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, one of His said Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, &c.;

His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias, the Sieur Christopher Count de Lieven, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to His Britannic Majesty, &c.; and

His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, the Sieur Henry Baron Fagel, a Member of the Corps des Nobles of the Province of Holland, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to His Britannic Majesty, &c. ;

Who, after having mutually exchanged their Full Powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles:

Portion of Loan to be borne by Great Britain and the Netherlands.

ART. I. His Majesty the King of the Netherlands hereby engages to take upon himself a part of the capital and arrears of interests, to the 1st of January, 1816, of the Russian Loan made in Holland through the intervention of the House of Hope and Co. in Amsterdam, to the amount of 25,000,000 of florins, Dutch currency; the annual interest of which sum, together with an annual payment for the liquidation of the same, as hereafter specified, shall be borne by, and become a charge upon the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

And His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, engages on his part, to recommend to his Parliament to enable him to take upon himself an equal capital of the said Russian Loan, viz., 25,000,000 of florins, Dutch currency; the annual interest of which sum, together with an annual payment for the liquidation of the same, as hereafter specified, shall be borne by, and become a charge upon the Government of His Britannic Majesty.*

*See Act of Parliament, 55 Geo. III, c. 115, 28th June, 1815; and Statement at page 154.

[Russian-Dutch Loan.]

Interest and Sinking Fund.

ART. II. The future charge to which their said Belgic and Britannic Majesties shall be respectively liable in equal shares on account of the said debt, is to consist of an annual Interest of Five per cent. on the said capitals, each of 25,000,000, together with a sinking fund of one per cent. for the extinction of the same, the said sinking fund being subject, however, to be increased on the demand of the Russian Government, to any annual sum not exceeding three per cent.; the same to be payable till the capital of the said debt shall be fully discharged, when the aforesaid charge for interests and sinking fund shall wholly cease to be borne by their said Belgic and Britannic Majesties respectively.

Mode of Payment.

ART. III. Their said Belgic and Britannic Majesties respectively bind themselves, on or before the usual day or days in each year, on which the interest on the said debt shall be due and payable, to deposit with the agent of the Russian Government in Holland, their respective proportions of the said interest and sinking fund, as above specified; provided always, that previously to the advance of each successive instalment so to be paid, the said agent shall be authorised to furnish a certificate to each of the said two High Contracting Parties, declaring that the preceding instalment has been duly applied in discharge of the interest, and in reduction of the principal of the said debt: together with the corresponding payments, on account of the Russian Government on that part of the debt which shall remain a charge on the said Government.

Russia to be security to Creditors, and to administer the Loan. Great Britain and the Netherlands liable to Russia for their respective proportions.

ART. IV. The Russian Government shall continue, as heretofore, to be security to the creditors for the whole of the said loan, and shall be charged with the administration of the same; the Governments of the King of the Netherlands and of His Britannic Majesty remaining liable and bound to the Government of His Imperial Majesty, each for the punctual discharge, as above, of the respective proportions of the said charge.

[Russian-Dutch Loan.]

Payments by the Netherlands and Great Britain to cease on Belgic Provinces being severed from the Netherlands.

ART. V. It is hereby understood and agreed between the High Contracting Parties, that the said payments on the part of their Majesties the King of the Netherlands and the King of Great Britain, as aforesaid, shall cease and determine, should the possession and Sovereignty (which God forbid) of the Belgic Provinces at any time pass or be severed from the dominions of His Majesty the King of the Netherlands previous to the complete liquidation of the same.*

Payments not to cease in case of War.

It is also understood and agreed between the High Contracting Parties, that the payments on the part of their Majesties the King of the Netherlands and the King of Great Britain, as aforesaid, shall not be interrupted in the event (which God forbid) of a War breaking out between any of the three High Contracting Parties; the Government of His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias being actually bound to its creditors by a similar agreement.

Ratifications.

ART. VI. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the Ratifications thereof shall be exchanged at London in six weeks, or sooner if possible.

In faith whereof we the Undersigned, in virtue of our Full Powers, have signed the present Convention, and affixed thereto the Seal of our Arms.

Done at London, the 19th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, 1815.

(L.S.) CASTLEREAGH.
(L.S.) LIEVEN.
(L.S.) H. FAGEL.

* See also Additional Article, page 153. The Union between the Netherlands and Belgium was dissolved by the Treaty between the 5 Powers and Belgium of 15th November, 1831; and on the 16th November, 1831, a Convention was concluded between Great Britain and Russia, relative to the Russian-Dutch Loan, which was carried into effect by an Act of Parliament, 2 and 3 Wm. IV, c. 81, 3rd August, 1832. On the 8th August, 1850, a Convention was concluded between the Netherlands and Russia respecting the ancient Russian Debt.

[Russian-Dutch Loan.]

ADDITIONAL ARTICLE.

Payments to be made in case of Part of Belgic Provinces being Severed from the Dominions of Belgium.

In order to prevent any doubts that might hereafter arise, with respect to the meaning and operation of Article V of the Convention this day signed, it is understood and agreed between the 3 High Contracting Parties, that in the event of a part of the Belgic Provinces being at any time hereafter severed from the Dominions of His Belgic Majesty, a proportionate reduction only of the charge agreed to be borne by their Majesties the King of the Netherlands, and the King of Great Britain, to be calculated according to the Population of the Districts so severed, shall thereupon take place; the residue of the respective payments continuing to be regularly defrayed, as provided for in the said Convention.

Payments to be made in case of Invasion or Temporary Occupation of Belgic Provinces.

It is further understood and agreed, that the invasion or temporary occupation of the said Provinces, by an enemy, shall not be considered as determining any part of the said payments, unless continued beyond the period of a year; in which case it shall be competent for their said Majesties the King of the Netherlands, and the King of Great Britain, to suspend their respective payments, subject to account with the Government of His Imperial Majesty, upon the expulsion or evacuation of the said Provinces by the enemy, for the whole, or such proportion of the said Arrears as may correspond with the state of possession in which His Majesty the King of the Netherlands may at such period find himself established.

Ratifications.

This Additional Article shall be ratified on the same day as the Convention signed on this day; and it shall have the same force and validity as if it were inserted word for word in the said Convention.

In faith whereof, we, the Undersigned, in virtue of our Full Powers, have signed the present Additional Article, and affixed thereto the Seal of our Arms.

* See page 152.

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