Alexander Gerard, Royal Syndic of the city of Straf burg, and Secretary of his Majesty's Council of State. And on the part of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, Deputy to the General Congrefs from the State of Pennsylvania, and Prefident of the Convention of the faid State; Silas Deane, heretofore Deputy from the State of Connecticut; and Arthur Lee, Counsellor at Law, have figned the above articles both in the French and English languages: declaring, nevertheless, that the prefent treaty was originally compofed and concluded in the French language, and they have hereunto affixed

their feals.

Done at Paris, the 6th day of February, 1778.

(L. S.) C. A. GERARD, (L. S) B. FRANKLIN, (L. S.) SILAS DEANE, (L. S.) ARTHUR LEE.

Tranflation of the Naval Treaty, or Convention, for an armed Neutrality, concluded at Copenhagen, June 28, 1780, O. S. between her Majefty the Emprefs of Ruffia, and his Majefty the King of Denmark and Norway, for the Prefervation of the Liberty of the Commerce and Navigation of neuter Nations; to which bis Majefty the King of Sweden, and their High Mightineffes the States General of the United Provinces, have acceded, and reSpectively figned the fame at Petersburg, on the 21ft of July, 1780, and the 5th of January, 1781.

WHE

HEREAS the commerce and navigation of neuter powers is greatly injured by the present war at fea which has broken out between Great Britain, on the one part, and France and Spain, on the other part, her Majefty the Emprefs of Ruffia, and his Majefty the King of Denmark and Norway, in confequence of their affiduous attention to fupport their own dignity, and to unite their conftant care for the fafety and welfare of their refpective fubjects; as well as from the refpect which they have at all times manifefted for the rights of nations

in general, have found it neceffary, in the prefent circumstances, to determine their conduct according to thefe fentiments.

Her Majesty the Emprefs of Ruffia, in her declaration to the belligerant powers, dated February 28, 1780, has plainly stated, in the face of all Europe, the fundamental principles which derive from the primitive rights of mankind, and which her faid Majefty claims and adopts as a rule of her conduct in the prefent war. As this attention of her Imperial Majefty, in watching over the reciprocal rights of nations, has been honoured with the approbation of all neutral powers, her faid Majefty has engaged in this affair, which materially concerns her most effential interefts, and has proceeded therein fo far that it may be seriously confidered as a fubject worthy of the attention of both the present and future time, as it tends to the establishment of a permanent and invariable system of the rights, prerogatives, and engagements of neutralitv.

His Majesty the King of Denmark and Norway, convinced of the juftice of thefe principles, has likewise eftablished and claimed them in his declaration of the 8th of July, 1780, which declaration (as well as that of the Emprefs of Ruffia) his faid Majefty has caufed to be communicated to the belligerant powers; and in order to fupport thefe principles efficacioufly, his Majefty has ordered part of his fleet to be fitted out. From thefe proceedings have arifen that harmony and unanimity with which her Majefty the Emprefs of Ruffia, and his Majefty the King of Denmark and Norway, have thought neceffary, in mutual friendship and reciprocal confidence, and in conformity to the interest of their respective subjects, to confirm their common engagements by the conclufion of a formal convention.

To this end their Imperial and Royal Majefties have chofen and appointed the following Plenipotentiaries, viz. Her Majefty the Emprefs of Ruffia has appointed Charles Van Often, commonly called Baron Saken, Privy Counsellor of State, Knight of the order of St. Ann, Minifter Plenipotentiary from her faid Majesty to the Court of Denmark, &c. and his Majefty the King of. Denmark

Denmark and Norway has appointed Otton Count of Thott, Privy Counsellor of State, Knight of the order of the Elephant, &c. Joachim Otton Baron de SchackRathlau, Privy Counfellor of State, Knight of the order of the Elephant, &c. John Henry Baron Eichstedt, Privy Counsellor of State, Governor of his Royal Highnefs the Hereditary Prince of Denmark, Knight of the order of the Elephant, &c. and Andrew Peter Count Bernstorff, Privy Counsellor and Minister and Secretary of State for the foreign depart.nent, Prefident of the Royal German Chancery, Knight of the order of the Elephant, &c. which faid Minifters, after having exchanged their full powers, which were found to be in due form, have concluded and agreed to the following

articles :

Article I. That their aforefaid Majefties are fincerely determined to maintain, conftantly, the most perfect friendship and harmony with the different powers at prefent engaged in war, and to obferve the moft fcrupulous neutrality; and in confequence thereof they declare, that adhering to this determination, the prohibition of all contraband trade with the powers at prefent at war, or with those who may hereafter be engaged therein, shall be ftrictly observed by their refpective fubjects.

II. To avoid all errors and misunderstandings with regard to commodities which fhall be deemed contraband, her Majefty the Emprefs of Ruffia, and his Majefty the King of Denmark and Norway, do hereby declare, that they fhall only acknowledge fuch articles to be contraband commodities as are included and mentioned in the treaties now fubfifting between their respective Courts and the one or the other of the belligerant powers.

Her Majesty the Emprefs of Ruffia conforms herfelf entirely in this refpect to the articles X. and XII. of her treaty of commerce with the Court of Great Britain, and extends likewife the engagements of this treaty, which are founded upon the natural rights of nations, to the Courts of France and Spain; which faid Courts, until the date of this prefent convention, have no treaty of commerce with her empire.

His Majesty the King of Denmark and Norway, on his part, conforms himself chiefly to the IId. article of this treaty of commerce with the Court of Great Britain, and to the articles XXVI. and XXVII. of his treaty of commerce with France, and extends alfo the engagements of this laft-mentioned treaty to the Court of Spain, as his faid Majesty has no treaty with the laft-mentioned power, which determines any conditions relative to this subject.

III. As by thefe means all contraband goods and commodities are determined and afcertained conformable to the treaties and special convention fubfifting between the high contracting parties and the belligerant powers, and chiefly in the treaty between Ruffia and Great Britain of the 20th of June, 1766, as well as in that between Denmark and Great Britain, dated July 11th, 1670, and by that concluded between Denmark and France, on the 23d of Auguft, 1742; the will and intention of her Majefty the Emprefs of Ruffia, and of his Majefty the King of Denmark and Norway are, that all other commerce shall be and remain free.

Their faid Majefties having already fet forth in their declaration to the belligerant powers, that they have laid down, as the bafis of their conduct, the general principles of the natural rights of mankind, from whence the liberty of commerce and navigation, and the rights of neuter nations derive, are refolved not to depend any longer upon the arbitrary explication of thefe rights, which is generally dictated by partial advantages and momentary interefts; with this view, their faid Majefties have agreed upon the following articles:

1. That all neutral veffels fhall be permitted to navigate from port to port, and on the coafts of the belligerant powers.

2. That the effects belonging to fubjects of the belligerant powers fhall be free on board neuter fhips and veffels, excepting only fuch articles as are ftipulated to be deemed contraband.

3. port blocked up, it is hereby declared, that that port shall only be deemed as fuch into which no fhips can enter without being expofed to an evident peril from the forces

In order to determine what is to be confidered as a

that

that attack the faid port, and the fhips that fhall have taken a station near enough for that purpose.

4. That neuter veffels fhall only be liable to be ftopped and feized for juft and cogent reafons, and upon the most convincing proofs, that juftice fhall be done unto them without lofs of time, and that the proceedings fhall always be uniform, fpeedy, and according to the laws; and that whenever any fhall be found to have been stopped, or fuffered any damage without any fufficient cause, they fhall not only be entitled to a fufficient compenfation, but alfo to a complete fatisfaction for the infult offered to the flag of their Majefties.

IV. In order to obtain this end, and to protect the general commerce of their fubjects, founded upon these invariable principles, her Majefty, the Emprefs of Ruffia, and his Majefty, the King of Denmark and Norway, have refolved to fit out, feparately, a proportionate number of ships of the line and frigates; and the fquadrons of these refpective powers fhall repair to fuch latitudes, and fhall serve as convoys to the trading fhips of their respective fubjects, wherever the commerce and navigation of each nation fhall require it.

V. In cafe that any merchant fhips belonging to fubjects of one of the high contracting parties fhould hap pen to be in a fea or latitude where no fhips of war of their Sovereign are stationed, and that they confequently could not obtain any protection from the forces of their own nation, the commander of the ships of war of the other power, upon being duly requested, fhall immediately afford them all neceffary affiftance; and in this cafe, it is hereby ftipulated, that the fhips and frigates of the one power fhall always grant the neceffary protection and affiftance to the trading fhips of the other power; provided always, that those who fhall claim fuch affiftance or protection, fhall not carry on any illicit trade which may be contrary to the laws of neutrality, as received and mentioned here above.

VI. The prefent convention fhall not be retroactive, and confequently neither of the high contracting parties can take recognizance of any differences that may have arifen between them and other powers before its concluVOL. III.

S

fion,