duties due thereon; for further continuing certain temporary acts for the encouragement of trade; and to repeal an act, made in the 22d year of his majefty's reign, for allowing the importation of pher, Nevis, and Montferrat, into any of his majefty's dominions in Europe or America. touched with thefe favours, they will be fenfible of the value of this fortunate revolution, which removes them from a convulfed ftate of disturbances and diffenfions to one of entire fecurity and perfect tranquillity under the pro-goods the growth of St. Chriftotection of the laws; and that, ftriving to imitate the fubmiffion, zeal, and fidelity of thofe who have long had the happiness of living under our government, they will render them felves worthy of our imperial favour, beneficence, and protection. Given at our imperial refidence of St. Petersburgh, the 8th of April, in the year of Grace 1783, and in the 21st year of our reign. An act to repeal fo much of two acts, as prohibits trade and intercourfe with the United States of America. An act for removing and préventing all doubts which have arifen, or might arife, concerning the exclufive rights of the parlia ment and courts of Ireland, in (Signed with her Imperial mamatters of legiflation and judicajefty's own hand) ture; and for preventing any writ of error or appeal from any CATHERINE. (L. S.) of his majefty's courts in that Heads of the principal Acts of Parliament paffed during the prefent Seffion. N allowing the im kingdom from being received, heard, and adjudged, in any of his majefty's courts in the kingdom of Great Britain. An act to difcharge and indemnify the united company of merchants of England trading to the Aportation of goods from Eu- East Indies, from all damages, in rope in neutral hips into the iflands of St. Chriftophor, Nevis, Montferrat, Dominica, St. Vincent, Grenada, and the Grenadines; and of goods the produce or manufacture of the faid iflands, and of Tobago and St. Lucia, from thence into this kingdom, in fuch fhips, upon payment of the British plantation duties, for a limited time; for permitting certain goods, the produce of thofe iflands, fecured in warehouses in this kingdom, to be taken out, on payment of the British plantation duties, and to cancel certain bonds entered into for payment of the tereft, and loffes, in refpect to their not making regular payment of certain fums due, and to become due, to the public, and to allow further time for fuck payment; and to enable the company to borrow a certain fum of money; and to make a dividend of 41. per cent. to the proprietors at Midfummer, 1783. An act for preventing certain inftruments from being required from fhips belonging to the United States of America; and to give to his majefty, for a limited time, certain powers for the better carrying on trade and commerce be tween has made, with Charles Gravier de Vergennes, counfellor of the king in all his councils, commander of his orders, minifter and fecretary of state, vested alfo with full powers by his moft Christian majefty for that purpofe, concluded and figned a contract between his faid moft Chriftian majefty and the United States of North America, in the terms following; Contract between the King and the thirteen United States of North America, concluded by Mr. de Vergennes and Dr. Franklin. As it has pleafed the king to comply with the requests made to him in the name, and on the part of the United Provinces of North America, by affifting them in the war and invafion under which they have groaned during feveral years; and his majesty, after having concluded a treaty of amity and commerce with the faid confederated provinces, on the 6th of February, 1778, having had the goodness to fuccour them, not only by his fea and land. forces, but also by means of advancing them money as bountifully as in its confequence efficaciously, at a time when their affairs were in a very critical fituation; it has been judged proper and neceffary to fix the exact a mount of these advances, the conditions upon which the king has made them, the different periods, at which the congrefs of the United States have agreed to pay them into his majefty's royal reafury; and finally, to regu late this matter fo, that no difficulties may hereafter arife to interrupt that good harmony which his majefty is refolved to fupport on his part with the United States. For the purpose, therefore, of accomplishing to defireable an end, and with a view of ftrengthening those bonds of a. mity and commerce which fubfift between his majefty and the United States: we Charles Gravier de Vergennes, &c. counsellor to the king and all his councils, commander of his orders, minifter and fecretary of state to his command and finances, vefted with full powers by his majefty: and we Benjamin Franklin, minifter plenipotentiary of the United States of North America, vefted equally with full powers by the congrefs of the faid ftates, fter having each communicated our refpective powers, have agreed upon the following articles; Art. I. It is agreed upon and certified, that the fums advanced by his majesty to the congress of the United States, under the title of a loan, in the years 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781, and in the prefent year 1782, amount together to the fum of eighteen millions of livres, of French money, as appears by the twenty-one receipts following, figned by the faid minifter of the congrefs, and given by virtue of his full powers; namely, 1.28 Feb. 1778 3 Aug. I Nov, 750,000 750,000 750,000 750,000 3,000,000 5.-10 June 1,000,000 250,000 inconvenient to the finances of 250,000 the congrefs of the United States, 250,000 and that it might, perhaps, be 250,000 even impracticable, it has pleafed his majesty on that account to release them from the tenor of those receipts given by their minifter 750,000 for the eighteen millions of livres, 750,000 Tournois, mentioned in the pre750,000 ceding article; and he has con1,000,000 fented that the reimbursement of 750,000 the capital in yearly money to his royal treafury fhall be made 4,000,000 in twelve equal payments, of 1,500,000 livres each, and in 750,000 twelve years, to begin the third 750,000 year after the peace. 750,000 750,000 Art. III. Although the receipts 1,000,000 of the minifter of the congrefs of the United States, mention, that "the 18,000,000 of livres above 4,000,000 mentioned, fhall be paid into the royal treasury with five per cent. 1,500,000 intereft;" his majefty, defirous 1,500,000 of giving a fresh proof to the faid 3,000,000 United States, of his friendship, has been pleased to make them a 6,000,000 prefent of the arrears of interest to this day, and alfo to remit it 18,000,000 from this time to the day of the By which receipts, the faid minifter has promifed, in the name of the congrefs, on the part of the thirteen United States, to caufe to be paid and reimbursed to the king's royal treafury, on the 1ft of January, 1788, at the houfe of his principal banker at Paris, the above fum, with the intereft due thereon, at the rate of five per cent. per annum. Art. II. Upon confideration, however, that the payment of fo large a capital at one ftipulated period, namely, the 1ft of January, 1788, may be exceedingly date of the treaty of peace; a favour which the minister of congrefs acknowledges as proceeding purely from the king's bounty, and which he accepts in the name of the United States with the most profound and lively gratitude. Art. IV. The payment of the faid 18,000,000 of livres fhall be made in ready money to his majefty's royal treafury at Paris, in twelve equal payments, and at the period ftated in the fecond article above. The intereft on the faid fum, at the rate of five per cent. to run from the date of the treaty of peace; the payment of it fhall be made at the time of each of the partial reimbursements of the capital, and fhall diminish in proportion in the reimburfements; the congrefs are nevertheless at liberty to free themfelves from this obligation fooner, by anticipating payments, in cafe the ftate of their finances fhould permit. Art. V. Although the loan of 5,000,000 of the Dutch florins, granted by the States General of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, on the terms of the obligation paffed on the 5th of November, 1781, has been made in his majesty's name, and he has pledged himself for the payment of it; it is nevertheless acknowledged by thefe prefents, that the faid loan has been made in reality on account of, and for the fervice of the United States of North America; and that the capital amounting, according to a moderate valuation, to the fum of 10,000,000 livres Tournois, has been paid to the United States, agreeable to receipt given for the payment of the faid fum by the underfigned minifter of congrefs, on the 7th of last June. Art. VI. By the faid convention of the 5th of November, 1781, it has pleafed the king to promife and to engage himself to furnish and to pay to the general office of the States General of the Netherlands the capital of the faid loan, together with the intereft of five per cent. without any charge or deduction whatfoever to the lenders, fo that the faid capital be entirely reimburfed within the fpace of five -years, the payments to be made at ten equal periods, the firft to begin the fixth year after the date of the loan, and from that time, during every year till the final payment of the faid fum; but it is likewife acknowledged by the prefent act, that this engagement has been entered into by the king on the entreaty of the underwritten minifters of the United States, and upon the promife made by him in the name of the congrefs, and on the part of the thirteen United States to reimburse and pay into the royal treasury of his majefty at Paris, the capital, intereft, and expences of the faid loan, agreeable_to_the_conditions and terms, fixed by the convention of the 5th of November, 1781. Art. VII. It has been agreed upon and regulated in confequence, that the faid fum of ten millions of livres Tournois, making, at a moderate eftimate, five millions of Dutch florins as above mentioned, fhall be reimburfed and paid into his majesty's royal treafury at Paris, with the intereft at five per cent. in ten equal payments of one million each, and at the feveral periods, the firft of which fhall be made on the 5th of November, 1787, and thus from year to year till the final payment of the faid sum of ten millions, the intereft diminifhing in proportion with the partial payments of the capital. But from the regard which his majefty bears to the United States, he has been pleafed to take upon himself the expence of the commiffion, and of banking, attending the faid loan, of which expence his majefty makes a prefent to the faid United States; and their underwritten minifter ac cepts, cepts, with thanks, in the name of the congrefs, as an additional proof of his majesty's generofity, and of his friendship for the United States. Art. VIII. With refpect to the intereft on the faid loan, as the king had engaged to pay, during the five years preceding the firft reimbursement of the capital, four per cent. on the whole, into the, general office of the States General of the Netherlands, annually, from the 5th of No. vember, 1781, agreeable to the convention entered into on that day, the minifter of congrefs acknowledges, that the reimburfe ments of the faid intereft is due to his majefty from the United States; and he engages, in the name of the faid ftates, to caufe the payment thereof to be made at the fame rate into the royal treafury of his majefty; the intereft of the firft year to be paid on the 4th of next November, and fo on annually during the five years preceding the firft payment of the capital, fixed on as above, for the 5th of November, 1787. The high contracting parties reciprocally bind themfelves to Given at Versailles, the 16th of July, 1782. (Signed) C. G. DE VERGENNES, (L. S.) Be it known to all and every one, that we the faid United States affembled in congrefs, penetrated with the most lively ideas of the generofity and affection manifefted by his most Christian majefty in the above contract, have ratified and confirmed it; and by thefe prefents we do ratify and confirm the faid contract; and every article and claufe therein." And we do by these presents authorife our minifter plenipotentiary at the court of Versailles; to remit our present act of ratification, in exchange for the ratification of the faid contract on the part of his mott Christian majefty. In faith of which we have caused our feal to be affixed hereunto, in prefence of his excellency Elias Bourdimot, prefident, this 2zd of January, in the year of grace, 1783, and the 7th of our fovereignty and independence: the faithful obfervance of this The PETITION of the People called contract, the ratifications of which fhall be exchanged within the QUAKERS. fpace of nine months from the To the Commons of Great Britain, date hereof, if poffible. In faith of which, we the faid plenipotentiaries of his moft Chriftian majefty, and of the thirteen United States of North America, by virtue of our refpective powers, have figned thefe prefents, and have thereto put the feal of our arms. in Parliament. in this their annual affembly, having folemnly confidered the ftate of the enslaved negroes, conceive them felves engaged in religious duty, to lay the fuffer |