UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

TREATY OF PEACE between Great Britain and the United States. Signed at Ghent, December 24, 1814.

His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, desirous of terminating the War which has unhappily subsisted between the two Countries, and of restoring, upon principles of perfect reciprocity, peace, friendship, and good understanding between them, have for that purpose appointed their respective Plenipotentiaries, that is to say, His Britannic Majesty on His part has appointed the Right Honourable James Lord Gambier, late Admiral of the White, now Admiral of the Red Squadron of His Majesty's fleet; Henry Goulburn, Esq. a Member of the Imperial Parliament, and Under Secretary of State; and William Adams, Esq. Doctor of Civil Laws;—and the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, has appointed John Quincy Adams, James A. Bayard, Henry Clay, Jonathan Russell, and Albert Gallatin, Citizens of the United States; who, after a reciprocal communication of their respective full Powers, have agreed upon the following Articles :

I. There shall be a firm and universal Peace between His Britannic Majesty and the United States, and between their respective countries, territories, cities, towns and people, of every degree, without exception of places or persons. All hostilities both by sea and land shall cease, as soon as this Treaty shall have been ratified by both Parties, as hereinafter mentioned. All territory, places, and possessions whatsoever, taken by either Party from the other during the war, or which

may be taken after the signing of this Treaty, excepting only the Islands hereinafter mentioned, shall be restored without delay, and without causing any destruction, or carrying away any of the artillery, or other public property, originally captured in the said forts or places, and which shall remain therein upon the exchange of the Ratifications of this Treaty, or any slaves or other private property. And all archives, records, deeds, and papers, either of a public nature, or belonging to private persons, which in the course of the war may have fallen into the hands of the officers of either Party, shall be, as far as may be practicable, forthwith restored, and delivered to the proper authorities and persons to whom they respectively belong.

Such of the Islands in the Bay of Passamaquoddy as are claimed by both Parties, shall remain in the possession of the Party in whose occupation they may be at the time of the exchange of the ratifications of this Treaty, until the decision respecting the title to the said Islands shall have been made, in conformity with the fourth Article of this Treaty.

No disposition made by this Treaty, as to such possession of the islands and territories claimed by both Parties, shall in any manner whatever be construed to affect the right of either.

II. Immediately after the ratifications of this Treaty, by both Parties, as herein-after mentioned, orders shall be sent to the armies, squadrons, officers, subjects and citizens of the two Powers, to cease from all hostilities. And to prevent all causes of complaint, which might arise on account of the prizes which may be taken at sea after the said ratifications of this Treaty, it is reciprocally agreed, that all vessels and effects which may be taken after the space of twelve days from the said ratifications upon all parts of the coast of North America, from the latitude of 23 degrees north, to the latitude of 50 degrees north, and as far eastward in the Atlantic Ocean, as the 36th degree of west longitude from the meridian of Greenwich, shall be restored on each side; that the time shall be thirty days in all other parts of the Atlantic Ocean north of the Equinoctial line or Equator, and the same time for the British and Irish Channels, for the Gulf of Mexico, and all parts of the West Indies; forty days for the North Seas, for the Baltic, and for all parts of the Mediterra

nean; sixty days for the Atlantic Ocean, south of the Equator, as far as the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope; ninety days for every other part of the world south of the Equator, and one hundred and twenty days for all other parts of the world without exception.

III. All prisoners of war taken on either side as well by land as by sea, shall be restored as soon as practicable after the ratifications of this Treaty as herein-after mentioned, on their paying the debts which they may have contracted during their captivity. The two Contracting Parties respectively engage to discharge in specie the advances which may have been made by the other for the sustenance and maintenance of such prisoners.

IV. Whereas it was stipulated by the 2d Article in the Treaty of Peace of 1783, between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, that the boundary of the United States should comprehend "all Islands within twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United States, and lying betweenlines to be drawn due east from the points where the aforesaid boundaries, between Nova Scotia on the one part, and East Florida on the other, shall respectively touch the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean, excepting such Islands as now are, or heretofore have been within the limits of Nova Scotia;" And whereas the several Islands in the Bay of Passamaquoddy, which is part of the Bay of Fundy, and the Island of Grand Menau, in the said Bay of Fundy, are claimed by the United States, as being comprehended within their aforesaid boundaries, which said Islands are claimed as belonging to His Britannic Majesty, as having been at the time of, and previous to the aforesaid Treaty of 1783, within the limits of the province of Nova Scotia; in order, therefore, finally, to decide upon these claims, it is agreed that they shall be referred to two Commissioners, to be appointed in the following manner, viz:-One Commissioner shall be appointed by His Britannic Majesty, and one by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof; and the said two Commissioners so appointed, shall be sworn impartially to examine and decide upon the said claims, according to such evidence as shall be laid before them on the part of His Britannic Majesty and of the United States

respectively. The said Commissioners shall meet at St. Andrews, in the Province of New Brunswic, and shall have power to adjourn to such other place or places as they shall think fit. The: said Commissioners shall by a declaration or report under their hands and seals, decide to which of the two Contracting Parties the several Islands aforesaid do respectively belong, in conformity with the true intent of the said Treaty of Peace of 1783 : and if the said Commissioners shall agree in their decision, both Parties shall consider such decision as final and conclusive.

It is further agreed, that in the event of the two Commissioners differing upon all or any of the matters so referred to them, or in the event of both or either of the said Commissioners refusing or declining, or wilfully omitting to act as such, they shall make jointly or separately, report or reports, as well to the Government of His Britannic Majesty, as to that of the United States, stating in detail the points on which they differ, and the grounds upon which their respective opinions have been formed, or the grounds upon which they, or either of them, have so refused, declined, or omitted, to act. And His Britannic Majesty and; the Government of the United States hereby agree to refer the report or reports of the said Commissioners to some friendly. Sovereign or State, to be then named for that purpose, and who shall be requested to decide on the differences which may be stated in the said report or reports, or upon the report of one Commissioner, together with the grounds upon which the other Commissioner shall have refused, declined or omitted to act, as the case may be. And if the Commissioner so refusing, declining or omitting to act, shall also wilfully omit to state the grounds upon which he has so done, in such manner that the said statement may be referred to such friendly Sovereign or State, together with the report of such other Commissioner, then such Sovereign or State shall decide, ex parte, upon the said report alone, and His Britannic Majesty, and the Government of the United States engage to consider the decision of such friendly Sovereign or State, to be final and conclusive on all the matters so referred.

V. Whereas neither that point of the Highlands lying due north from the source of the river St. Croix, and designated in the former Treaty of Peace between the two Powers as the northwest angle of Nova Scotia, nor the north-westernmost head of Connecticut River have yet been ascertained; and whereas that part of the boundary line between the Dominions of the two Powers, which extends from the source of the river St. Croix, directly north to the above-mentioned north-west angle of Nova Scotia, thence along the said Highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean to the north-westernmost head of Connecticut River, thence down along the middle of that river to the 45th degree of north latitude, thence by a line due west on said latitude until it strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraguy, has not yet been surveyed, it is agreed that for these several purposes, two Commissioners shall be appointed, sworn and authorized, to act exactly in the manner directed with respect to those mentioned in the next preceding Article, unless otherwise specified in the present Article. The said Commissioners shall meet at St. Andrews, in the province of New Brunswic, and shall have power to adjourn to such other place or places as they shall think fit. The said Commissioners shall have power to ascertain and determine the points above-mentioned, in conformity with the provisions of the said Treaty of Peace of 1783, and shall cause the boundary aforesaid, from the source of the river St. Croix to the river Iroquois or Cataraguy to be surveyed and marked according to the said provisions; the said Commissioners shall make a map of the said boundary, and annex to it a Declaration under their hands and seals, certifying it to be the true map of the said boundary, and particularizing the latitude and longitude of the north-west angle of Nova Scotia, of the north-westernmost head of Connecticut River, and of such other points of the said boundary as they may deem proper. And both Parties agree to consider such map and Declaration as finally and conclusively fixing the said boundary. And in the event of the said two Commissioners differing, or both, or either of them, refusing, declining or wilfully omitting to act, such reports, declarations or statements shall be made by them or either of them, and such reference