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fion, unless the matter in litigation fhall be relative to violences which are ftill exifting, and which may tend to opprefs all neuter nations in Europe.

VII. If, notwithstanding the vigilant and amicable care of the two high contracting parties, and the most exact obfervations of neutrality on their part, any Ruffian or Danish merchant fhips fhould happen to be infulted or taken by the fhips of war or privateers of one or the other of the belligerant powers, the Minifter of the of fended party fhall make proper reprefentations to that Court whofe fhips of war or privateers have been guilty of the faid act; he fhall infift upon a reasonable compenfation for the damages or lofs of time, as well as upon a complete fatisfaction for the infult offered to the flag of his Sovereign. The Minifter of the other high contracting party fhall fecond and fupport these representations in the most serious and efficacious manner, and thus they fhall continue jointly and unanimously until their request is granted. But in cafe of a refufal, or any unreasonable delay from time to time to redress these grievances, their aforefaid Majefties do hereby declare, that they will make ufe of reprifals towards that power that refuses to do them justice, and will immediately unite, in the most efficacious means, to execute thefe juft reprisals.

VIII. In cafe that one of the high contracting parties, or both together, fhould be disturbed, molefted, or attacked, in confequence of this convention, or any fubject whatever relative thereto, it is hereby ftipulated and agreed, that the two powers fhall immediately act in concert for their mutual and reciprocal defence, and shall employ and unite all their forces to obtain a proper fatisfaction, as well for the infult offered to their flag, as for the loffes fuftained by their respective subjects.

IX. This convention fhall be in full force as long as this prefent war fhall laft; and the engagements contained therein fhall ferve as the bafis for all future engagements and treaties that may be concluded hereafter, according to circumstances, and in cafe if any other maritime war fhould hereafter unfortunately disturb the tranquillity of Europe. As to the reft, all what has been ftipulated and agreed upon, fhall be confidered as permanent and invari

able,

able, as well with regard to mercantile affairs as for what concerns the navy, and fhall have force of law in all decifions upon the rights of neuter nations.

X. As the end and chief object of this convention is to fecure the general liberty of the commerce and navigation, their Majefties, the Emprefs of Ruffia, and the King of Denmark and Norway, do hereby confent, and engage themselves reciprocally, to permit that other neuter powers may accede thereto; and that these powers fo acceding, being fully acquainted with the fundamental principles and engagements concerned in the obliga tions and advantages of the faid convention.

XI. And in order that the belligerant powers may have no pretext for their proceedings, or pretend to be unac quainted with thefe engagements between their aforefaid Majefties, the high contracting powers do hereby promise, that they will feparately acquaint the belligerant powers with the measures they have taken, and the motives which have engaged them to unite in this affair; which meafures are the lefs hoftile as they are no ways detrimental to any other power, but have only for object the fecurity of the commerce and navigation of their refpective fubjects.

XII. The prefent convention fhall be ratified by the two high contracting parties, and the ratifications fhall be exchanged, in due form, within the term of fix weeks from the date hereof, or fooner if poffible. In virtue whereof we, whofe names are hereunto written, being properly invefted with full powers to that effect, have figned and fealed this prefent convention. Done at Copenhagen, the 9th of July, 1780.

(L. S.) CHARLES VAN OSTENSAKEN.
(L. S.) J. SCHACK RATHLAU.

(L. S.) A. P. Count of BERNSTORFF.
(L.S.) O. THOTT.

(L. S.) H. EICHSTEDT.

The ratifications of this convention have been exchanged at Copenhagen, on the 16th of September,

$ 2

1780,

1780, by the fame Minifters Plenipotentiaries who have figned the fame.

And as a like convention has been concluded at Petersburg, between the Ministers chofen and appointed to that effect, namely, on the part of her Majesty the Empress of Ruffia, Count Nikita Panin, Privy Counfellor, Minifter and Secretary of State, Knight of the orders of St. Andrew, St. Alexander-Newfky, and St. Ann; and Count J. Ofterman, Vice Chancellor of Ruffia, Privy Councellor of State, and Knight of the orders of St. Alexander-Newfky, and St. Ann; and on the part of his Majefty the King of Sweden, Baron Frederick Van Nolken, Envoy Extraordinary from his Swedish Majefty to the Court of Petersburg, Chamberlain, Commander of the order of the Polar Star, and Knight of the orders of the Sword, and St. John, &c. which faid convention has been figned at Petersburg by the above-named Plenipotentiaries, after the customary exchange of their full powers in due form, on the 21st of July, 1780; and the faid convention being word for word of the fame tenor and form as that concluded and figned at Copenhagen, excepting only the fecond article, in which the ftipulations concerning the articles that are to be deemed contraband, are determined and afcertained according to the treaties fubfifting between the Court of Sweden and other powers, it has been thought proper to avoid a repitition of what has already been mentioned, to infert here the fecond article only, word for word the fame as it ftands in the treaty concluded and figned at Petersburg, July 21, 1780, between their Majefties the Emprefs of Ruffia and the King of Sweden.

Article II. To avoid all errors and misunderstandings with regard to commodities which fhall be deemed contraband, her Majefty the Empress of Ruffia, and his Majesty the King of Sweden, 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 refpective Courts, and the one or the other of the belligerant powers.

Her Majefty the Emprefs of Ruffia conforms herself entirely in this refpect to the articles X. and XI. of her treaty of commerce with the Court of Great Britain, and

extends

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 the prefent convention, have no treaty of commerce with her empire.

His Majesty the King of Sweden, for his part, refers chiefly to the eleventh article of this treaty of commerce with the Court of Great Britain, and to the tenor of the preliminary treaty of commerce concluded between Sweden and France in the year 1741; and although the articles that are to be deemed contraband are not expreffly afcertained and determined in the laft-mentioned treaty, the two powers having understood to confider each other as Gens amiciffima, the Court of Sweden has, however, reserved to itself the fame advantages which the HanseTowns enjoy in France fince times immemorial until the prefent period. The advantages which are included in the treaty of Utrecht being fully confirmed, the King has nothing to add thereto. With regard to the Court of Spain, his Swedish Majefty finds himself in the fame fituation as the Emprefs of Ruffia, and following her Majefty's example, the King likewife extends to the Court of Spain all the engagements of the above-mentioned treaties, as being founded upon the natural rights of nations.

In confequence of this difference in the above article, the two Kings who have joined her Majefty the Emprefs of Ruffia, in this affair, have acceded, as principal contracting parties, to the treaties and conventions concluded between them and her faid Imperial Majefty, and to this effect they have figned with their own hand a feparate act, which faid acts have been exchanged in due form at Petersburg by the Minifters of her Imperial Majesty,

Their High Mightineffes the States General of the United Provinces, alfo acceded to the faid convention on the 20th of November, 1780, and under the fame conditions, for what concerns the articles of contraband, according to the treaties fubfifting between their High Mightineffes and other powers, which faid convention has been figned at Petersburg by their Plenipotentiaries

on the 5th of January, 1781, with the addition of the following article:

XIII. For what concerns the command in chief of the naval forces, in cafe the fquadrons or fhips of war of the two high contracting parties fhould happen to meet, or find it expedient to form a junction, it is hereby ftipulated and agreed, that the fame fhall be obeyed as is cuftomary between crowned Sovereigns and the Republick of Holland.

Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the Empire of Ruffia and the Crown of Denmark, concluded at St. Petersburg, the of October, 1782.

In the Name of the Moft Holy and Undivided Trinity.

ER Imperial Majefty of all the Ruffias and his Ma

Hjefty the King of Denmark, having it equally at

heart to cement more and more, by all the ties of friendfhip and good correfpondence, the ftrict union which fubfifts between their Majefties and their respective states, have, amongst other objects, exerted their endeavours to extend and encourage, as much as poffible, a reciprocity of commerce between their subjects; and the more effectually to obtain this end, they have judged it proper to collect into one point of view, and establish the rights and reciprocal obligations upon which they have mutually agreed between them, to encourage industry, and to facilitate the mutual exchanges between the two nations, and to reduce the feveral points agreed on between them for that purpose into a treaty of commerce in due form: in confequence whereof, and to proceed without delay tọ the completion of fo falutary a work, their faid Majesties have chofen and named for their Plenipotentiaries, viz. For her Imperial Majefty of all the Ruffias, the Sieur John Count d'Ofterman, her Vice Chancellor, and Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Newfky, and of St. Anne; the Sieur Alexander Count de Worrontzoff, Privy Counfellor, Senator, Prefident of the College of Commerce,

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