ARTICLE I.-(Search of vessels engaged in the slave-trade.)"The two high contracting parties mutually consent that those ships of their respective navies which shall be provided with special instruction for that purpose, as hereinafter mentioned, may visit such merchant vessels of the two nations as may, upon reasonable grounds, be suspected of being engaged in the African slave-trade, or of having been fitted out for that purpose; or of having, during the voyage on which they are met by the said cruisers, been engaged in the African slavetrade, contrary to the provisions of this treaty; and that such cruisers may detain, or send or carry away, such vessels, in order that they may be brought to trial in the manner hereinafter agreed upon.

"In order to fix the reciprocal right of search in such a manner as shall be adapted to the attainment of the object of this treaty, and at the same time avoid doubts, disputes, and complaints, the said right of search shall be understood in the manner and according to the rules following:

"First. It shall never be exercised except by vessels of war, authorized expressly for that object, according to the stipulations of this treaty.

"Secondly. The right of search shall in no case be exercised with respect to a vessel of the navy of either of the two Powers, but shall be exercised only as regards merchant vessels; and it shall not be exercised by a vessel of war of either contracting party within the limits of a settlement or port, nor within the territorial waters of the other party.

"Thirdly. Whenever a merchant vessel is searched by a ship of war, the commander of the said ship shall, in the act of so doing, exhibit to the commander of the merchant vessel the special instructions by which he is duly authorized to search;

..

"Fourthly. The reciprocal right of search and detention shall be exercised only within the distance of two hundred miles from the coast of Africa, and to the southward of the thirtysecond parallel of north latitude, and within thirty leagues from the coast of the island of Cuba."

ARTICLES II. and III. provide for modes of procedure, and indemnity for losses by wrongful detention of vessels.

ARTICLE VI.-(Establishment of mixed courts.)-"In order to

bring to adjudication with as little delay and inconvenience as possible the vessels which may be detained according to the tenor of the first article of this treaty, there shall be established, as soon as may be practicable, three mixed courts of justice, formed of an equal number of individuals of the two nations, named for this purpose by their respective Governments. These courts shall reside, one at Sierre Leone, one at the Cape of Good Hope, and one at New York.

"But each of the two high contracting parties reserves to itself the right of changing, at its pleasure, the place of residence of the court or courts held within its own territories.

"These courts shall judge the causes submitted to them according to the provisions of the present treaty, and according to the regulations and instructions which are annexed to the present treaty, and which are considered an integral part thereof; and there shall be no appeal from their decision."

ARTICLE V.-Reparation for wrongful acts of officers. ARTICLE VI.-Merchant vessels may be detained if they have on board certain things specified in this article.

ARTICLES VII. to XI. deal with minor matters of detail. ARTICLE XII.-(Ratification and duration.)-Ratifications to be exchanged within six months. The treaty is to continue in force for ten years, and thereafter until one year after notice to terminate it.

Signed by,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
LYONS.1

1 There are two annexes to this convention of same date. The first (A) furnish instructions to the United States and British navies engaged in preventing the slave-trade. The second (B) fixes the regulations for the mixed courts of justice. As to the composition of the courts, each of the contracting parties is to name one judge and one arbitrator who shall be authorized to hear and to decide, without appeal, all cases of capture, etc.

By an additional article, the right of search is extended to the following places within thirty leagues of the islands of Madagascar, Porto Rico, and San Domingo.

:

By an additional convention, concluded June 3, 1870, the mixed courts were discontinued, and the jurisdiction exercised by them was transferred to the respective courts of the two countries, with right of appeal as in other maritime cases.

GREAT BRITAIN, 1863.

TREATY FOR THE FINAL SETTLEMENT OF THE CLAIMS OF THE HUDSON'S BAY AND PUGET'S SOUND AGRICULTURAL COMPANIES, JULY 1, 1863.

It was provided by the 3d and 4th articles of the treaty of 1846, that compensation should be made to these companies for any lands or property belonging to them if for any reason they should be appropriated to the use of the United States. This having taken place to some extent, the question was adjusted by this convention.

Under this agreement, the sum of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars was awarded to the Hudson's Bay Company, and two hundred thousand dollars to the Puget's Sound Company.

GREAT BRITAIN, 1871.

TREATY RELATIVE TO CLAIMS, FISHERIES, NAVIGATION OF THE ST. LAWRENCE, ETC., AMERICAN LUMBER ON THE RIVER ST. JOHN; BOUNDARY.

Concluded May 8, 1871. Ratifications exchanged at London, June 17, 1871. Proclaimed July 4, 1871.

ARTICLE I.-(Alabama claims to be referred to arbitrationArbitrators.)" Whereas differences have arisen between the Government of the United States and the Government of Her Britannic Majesty, and still exist, growing out of the acts committed by the several vessels which have given rise to the claims generically known as the Alabama Claims: '

"And whereas Her Britannic Majesty has authorized her High Commissioners and Plenipotentiaries to express, in a friendly spirit, the regret felt by Her Majesty's Government for the

escape, under whatever circumstances, of the Alabama and other vessels from British ports, and for the depredations committed by those vessels :

"Now, in order to remove and adjust all complaints and claims on the part of the United States, and to provide for the speedy settlement of such claims which are not admitted by Her Britannic Majesty's Government, the high contracting parties agree that all the said claims, growing out of acts committed by the aforesaid vessels and generically known as the 'Alabama Claims,' shall be referred to a tribunal of arbitration to be composed of five Arbitrators, to be appointed in the following manner, that is to say: One shall be named by the President of the United States; one shall be named by Her Britannic Majesty; His Majesty the King of Italy shall be requested to name one; the President of the Swiss Confederation shall be requested to name one; and IIis Majesty the Emperor of Brazil shall be requested to name one." *

ARTICLE II.-(Meeting of Arbitrators-Their powersagents.) "The Arbitrators shall meet at Geneva, in Switzerland, at the earliest convenient day after they shall have been named, and shall proceed impartially and carefully to examine and decide all questions that shall be laid before them on the part of the Governments of the United States and Her Britannic Majesty respectively. All questions considered by the tribunal, including the final award, shall be decided by a majority of all the Arbitrators.

"Each of the high contracting parties shall also name one person to attend the tribunal as its Agent to represent it gererally in all matters connected with the arbitration."

ARTICLES III., IV., and V. provide for the presentation of cases, counter-cases, and arguments.

ARTICLE VI. (Rules to govern the arbitrators in their decisions-British interpretation of these rules.) "In deciding the matters submitted to the Arbitrators, they shall be governed by the following three rules, which are agreed upon by the high contracting parties as rules to be taken as applicable to the case, and by such principles of international law not inconsistent therewith as the Arbitrators shall determine to have been applicable to the case.

RULES.

"A neutral Government is bound

"First, to use due diligence to prevent the fitting out, arming, or equipping, within its jurisdiction, of any vessel which it has reasonable ground to believe is intended to cruise or to carry on war against any Power with which it is at peace; and also to use like diligence to prevent the departure from its jurisdiction of any vessel intended to cruise or carry on war as above, such vessel having been specially adapted, in whole or in part, within such jurisdiction, to warlike use.

"Secondly, not to permit or suffer either belligerent to make use of its ports or waters as the base of naval operations against the other, or for the purpose of renewal or augment tation of military supplies or arms, or the recruitment of

men.

"Thirdly, to exercise due diligence in its own ports and waters, and, as to all persons within its jurisdiction, to prevent any violation of the foregoing obligations and duties.

"Her Britannic Majesty has commanded her High Commissioners and Plenipotentiaries to declare that Her Majesty's Government cannot assent to the foregoing rules as a statement of principles of international law which were in force at the time when the claims mentioned in Article I. arose, but that Her Majesty's Government, in order to evince its desire of strengthening the friendly relations between the two countries, and of making satisfactory provision for the future, agrees that in deciding the questions between the two countries arising out of those claims, the Arbitrators should assume that Her Majesty's Government had undertaken to act upon the principles set forth in these rules.

"And the high contracting parties agree to observe these rules as between themselves in future, and to bring them to the knowledge of other maritime Powers, and to invite them to accede to them."

ARTICLES VII. to XI. provide for the various details of the arbitration and decision.

ARTICLES XII. to XVII. provide for the appointment of three commissioners to adjudicate upon private claims (other than