or demands than those which may be made upon the like effects or property belonging to the native citizens of the country in which such citizens may reside. In the same case debts between individuals, property in public funds, and shares of companies, shall never be confiscated, sequestered, nor detained.

ARTICLE XII.

The citizens of the United States and the citizens of the Republic of Honduras, respectively, residing in any of the territories Further privileges. of the other party, shall enjoy in their houses, persons, and properties the protection of the Government, and shall continue in possession of the guarantees which they now enjoy. They shall not be disturbed, molested, or annoyed in any manner on account of their religious belief, nor in the proper exercise of their religion, either within their own private houses or in the places of worship destined for that purpose, agreeably to the system of tolerance established in the territories of the two high contracting parties; provided they respect the religion of the nation in which they reside, as well as the constitution, laws, and customs of the country. Liberty shall also be granted to bury the citizens of either of the two high contracting parties who may die in the territories aforesaid, in burial places of their own, which in the same manner may be freely established and maintained; nor shall the funerals or sepulchres of the dead be disturbed in any way, or upon any

account.

Termination of cer

treaty.

ARTICLE XIII.

In order that the two high contracting parties may have the opportu nity of hereafter treating and agreeing upon such other ar tain articles of this rangements as may tend still further to the improvement of their mutual intercourse, and to the advancement of the interests of their respective citizens, it is agreed that, at any time after the expiration of seven years from the date of exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty, either of the high contracting parties shall have the right of giving to the other party notice of its intention to terminate Articles IV, V, and VI of the present treaty; and that at the expiration of twelve months after such notice shall have been received by either party from the other, the said articles, and all the stipulations contained therein, shall cease to be binding on the two high contracting parties.

Honduras oceanic Company.

Inter

ARTICLE XIV.

Inasmuch as a contract was entered into by the Government of Honduras and a company entitled the "Honduras Inter-oceanic Railway Railway Company," for the coustruction of a railway from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, through the territories of Honduras, which contract was ratified by the constitutional powers of the State, and proclaimed as a law on the 28th April, 1854; and inasmuch, by the terms of article 5, section VI, of said contract, "the Government of Honduras, with the view to secure the route herein contemplated from all interruption and disturbance from any cause, or under any circumstances, engages to open negotiations with the various Governments with which it may have relations for their separate recog nition of the perpetual neutrality, and for the protection of the aforesaid route;" therefore, to carry out the obligations thus incurred:

1. The Government of Honduras agrees that the right of way or or transit over such route or road, or any other that may be constructed within its territories, from sea to sea, shall be at all times open and free to the Government and citizens of the United States for all lawful purposes

whatever. No tolls, duties, or charges of any kind shall be imposed by the Government of Honduras on the transit of property belonging to the Government of the United States, or on the public mails sent under authority of the same, nor on the citizens of the United States. And all lawful produce, manufactures, merchandise, or other property belonging to the citizens of the United States, passing from one ocean to the other, in either direction, shall be subject to no import or export duties whatever, nor to any discriminating tolls or charges for conveyance or transit, on any such route or road as aforesaid, and shall be secure and protected from all interruption or detention on the part of the State. The Republic of Honduras further agrees that any other privilege or advantage, commercial or other, which is or may be granted to the subjects or citizens of any other country, in regard to such route or road as aforesaid, shall also, and at the same time, be extended to citizens of the United States; and finally, as an evidence of its disposition to accord to the travel and commerce of the world all the advantages resulting from its position in respect to the two great oceans, Honduras, of her own good will, engages to establish the ports at the extremities of the contemplated road, as free ports, for all the purposes of commerce and trade.

2. In consideration of these concessions, in order to secure the construction and permanence of the route or road herein contemplated, and also to secure, for the benefit of mankind, the uninterrupted advantages of such communication from sea to sea, the United States recognizes the rights of sovereignty and property of Honduras in and over the line of said road, and for the same reason guaratees, positively and effica ciously, the entire neutrality of the same, so long as the United States shall enjoy the privileges conceded to it in the preceding section of this article. And when the proposed road shall have been completed, the United States equally engages, in conjunction with Honduras, to protect the same from interruption, seizure, or unjust confiscation, from whatsoever quarter the attempt may proceed.

3. Nevertheless, the United States, in according its protection to the said route or road, and guaranteeing its neutrality, when completed, always understand that this protection and guarantee are granted conditionally, and may be withdrawn if the United States should deem that the persons or company undertaking or managing the same adopt or establish such regulations concerning the traffic thereupon as are contrary to the spirit and intention of this article, either by making unfair discriminations in favor of the commerce of any nation or nations over the commerce of any other nation or nations, or by imposing oppressive exactions or unreasonable tolls upon passengers, vessels, goods, wares, merchandise, or other articles. The aforesaid protection and guarantee shall not, however, be withdrawn by the United States without first giving six months' notice to the Republic of Honduras.

ARTICLE XV.

The present treaty shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Comayagua within the space of one year, or sooner if possible.

Ratifications.

In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto their respective seals.

Done at Comayagua this fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.

THOS. H. CLAY. [L. S.]

M. COLINDRES.

L. S.

ITALY.

ITALY, 1868.

CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE KING OF ITALY, DEFINING THE RIGHTS, IMMUNITIES, AND PRIVILEGES OF CONSULS. CONCLUDED FEBRUARY 8, 1868; RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED SEPTEMBER 17, 1868; PROCLAIMED FEBRUARY 23, 1869.

The President of the United States and His Majesty the King of Italy, recognizing the utility of defining the rights, priviContracting parties. leges, and immunities of consular officers in the two countries, deem it expedient to conclude a consular convention for that purpose. Accordingly, they have named:

The President of the United States, William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States; His Majesty the King of Italy, the Commander Marcello Cerruti, &c., &c.;

Who, after communicating to each other their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following articles:

Consuls-General,

ARTICLE I.

Each of the high contracting parties agrees to receive from the other Consuls General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Consular Consuls, &c. Agents, in all its ports, cities, and places, except those where it may not be convenient to recognize such officers. This reservation, however, shall not apply to one of the high contracting parties without also applying to every other Power.

ARTICLE II.

Consular officers, on the presentation of their commissions in the forms established in their respective countries, shall be furnished Exequatur. with the necessary exequatur free of charge, and on the exhibition of this instrument they shall be permitted to enjoy the rights, prerogatives, and immunities granted by this convention.

Consular officers

arrest, &c.

ARTICLE III.

Consular officers, citizens or subjects of the State by which they are appointed, shall be exempt from arrest, except in the case of to be exempt from offences which the local legislation qualifies as crimes, and punishes as such; from military billetings, from service in the militia or in the national guard, or in the regular army, and from all taxation, Federal, State, or municipal. If, however, they are citizens or subjects of the State where they reside, or own property, or engage in business there, they shall be liable to the same charges of all kinds as other citizens or subjects of the country, who are merchants or owners of property.

ARTICLE IV.

No consular officer who is a citizen or subject of the State by which

Consuls as witnesses.

he was appointed, and who is not engaged in business, shall be compelled to appear as a witness before the courts of the country where he may reside. When the testimony of such a consular officer is needed, he shall be invited in writing to appear in court, and if unable to do so, his testimony shall be requested in writing, or be taken orally, at his dwelling or office.

It shall be the duty of said consular officer to comply with this request, without any delay which can be avoided.

In all criminal cases contemplated by the sixth article of the amendments to the Constitution of the United States, whereby the right is secured to persons charged with crimes to obtain witnesses in their favor, the appearance in court of said consular officer shall be demanded, with all possible regard to the consular dignity and to the duties of his office. A similar treatment shall also be extended to United States Consuls in Italy in the like cases.

ARTICLE V.

Consuls General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Consular Agents may place over the outer door of their offices, or of their dwelling- Arms and flag of houses, the arms of their nation, with this inscription, "Con- nation of Consul. sulate, or Vice-Consulate, or Consular Agency," of the United States, or of Italy, &c., &c. And they may also raise the flag of their country on their offices or dwellings, except in the capital of the country, when there is a legation there.

ARTICLE VI.

&c.

Consular officers,

The consular offices and dwellings shall be at all times inviolable. The local authorities shall not, under any pretext, invade them. In no case shall they examine or seize the papers dwellings, papers, there deposited. In no case shall those offices or dwellings be used as places of asylum. When, however, a consular officer is engaged in other business, the papers relating to the consulate shall be kept separate.

ARTICLE VII.

In the event of the death, incapacity, or absence of Consuls General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Consular Agents, their chancellors

Case of the absence

officers.

or secretaries, whose official character may have previously or death of Consular been made known to the Department of State at Washington, or to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Italy, may temporarily exercise their functions, and while thus acting they shall enjoy all the rights, prerogatives, and immunities granted to the incumbents.

ARTICLE VIII.

Vice-Consuls.

Consuls General and Consuls may, with the approbation of their respective Governments, appoint Vice-Consuls and Consular Agents in the cities, ports, and places within their consular jurisdiction. These officers may be citizens of the United States, Italian subjects, or other foreigners. They shall be furnished with a commission by the Consul who appoints them, and under whose orders they are to act. They shall enjoy the privileges stipulated for consular officers in this convention, subject to the exceptions specified in Articles III and IV.

Infractions of treaties or conventions.

ARTICLE IX.

Consuls General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Consular Agents, may complain to the authorities of the respective countries, whether Federal or local, judicial or local, judicial or execu tive, within their consular district, of any infraction of the treaties and conventions between the United States and Italy, or for the purpose of protecting the rights and interests of their countrymen. If the complaint should not be satisfactorily redressed, the consular officers aforesaid, in the absence of a diplomatic agent of their country, may apply directly to the Government of the country where they reside.

ARTICLE X.

Consuls General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Consular Agents may take at their offices, at the residence of the parties, at their Powers of Consuls. private residence, or on board ship, the depositions of the captains and crews of vessels of their own country, of passengers on board of them, and of any other citizen or subject of their nation. They may also receive at their offices, conformably to the laws and regula tions of their country, all contracts between the citizens and subjects of their country, and the citizens, subjects, or other inhabitants of the country where they reside, and even all contracts between the latter, provided they relate to property situated or to business to be transacted in the territory of the nation to which said consular officer may belong. Copies of such papers, and official documents of every kind, whether in the original, copy, or translation, duly authenticated and legalized, by the Consuls General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Consular Agents, and sealed with their official seal, shall be received as legal documents in courts of justice throughout the United States and Italy.

Powers of Consuls.

ARTICLE XI.

Consuls General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Consular Agents shall have exclusive charge of the internal order of the merchant vessels of their nation, and shall alone take cognizance of dif ferences which may arise, either at sea or in port, between the captains, officers, and crews, without exception, particularly in reference to the adjustment of wages and the execution of contracts. Neither the Federal, State, or municipal authorities or courts in the United States, nor any court or authority in Italy, shall on any pretext interfere in these differences, but shall render forcible aid to consular officers, when they may ask it, to search, arrest, and imprison all persons composing the crew whom they may deem it necessary to confine. Those persons shall be arrested at the sole request of the Consuls, addressed in writing to either the Federal, State, or municipal courts or authorities in the United States, or to any court or authority in Italy, and supported by an official extract from the register of the ship, or the list of the crew, and shall be held, during the whole time of their stay in the port, at the disposal of the consular officers.

Their release shall be granted at the mere request of such officers made in writing. The expenses of the arrest and detention of those persons shall be paid by the consular officers.

ARTICLE XII.

In conformity with the act of Congress, (5 [3] March, 1855, "to regu