be computed from the day of the exchange of the prefent treaty; each crown respectively difcharging the advances which fhall have been made for the fubfiftence and maintenance of their prisoners, by the fovereign of the country where they fhall have been detained, according to the receipts, attefted accounts, and other authentic vouchers, which fhall be furnished on each fide: and fureties fhall be reciprocally given for the payment of the debts which the prifoners may have contracted in the countries where they may have been detained, until their entire release. And all fhips, as well men of war as merchant fhips, which may have been taken fince the expiration of the terms agreed upon for the ceffation of hoftilities by fea, fhall likewife be restored, bona fide, with all their crews and cargoes. And the execution of this article fhall be pro ceeded upon immediately after the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty.

Art. IV. The king of Great Britain cedes, in full right to his Catho lic majefty, the island of Minorca. Provided that the fame ftipulations inferted in the following article fhall take place in favour of the British fubjects, with regard to the abovementioned island.

Art. V. His Britannic majesty likewife cedes and guarantees, in full right to his Catholic majefty, Eaft Florida as alfo Weft Florida. His Catholic majefty agrees that the British inhabitants, or others who may have been fubjects of the king of Great Britain in the faid countries, may retire in full fecurity and liberty, where they fhall think proper, and may fell their eftates, and remove their effects, as well as their perfons, without being restrained in their emigration, under any pretence whatfoever, ex

cept on account of debts, or criminal profecutions; the term limited for this emigration being fixed to the fpace of eighteen months, to be computed from the day of the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty but if, from the value of the poffeffions of the English proprietors, they fhould not be able to dispose of them within the faid term, then his Catholic majefty fhall grant them a prolongation proportionate to that end. It is further ftipulated, that his Britannic majefty fhall have the power of removing from Eaft Florida all the effects which may belong to him, whether artillery or other matters.

Art. VI. The intention of the two high contracting parties being to prevent as much as poffible, all the caufes of complaint and mifunderftanding heretofore occafioned by the cutting of wood for dying, or logwood; and feveral English fettlements having been formed and extended, under that pretence, upon the Spanish continent; it is exprefsly agreed, that his Britannic majefty's fubjects fhall have the right of cutting, loading and carrying away logwood, in the district lying between the rivers Wallis or Bellize, and Rio-Hondo, taking the courfe of the faid two rivers for unalterable boundaries, fo as that the navigation of them be common to both nations, to wit, by the ri ver Wallis or Bellize, from the fea, afcending as far as oppofite to a lake or inlet which runs into the land, and forms an ithmus, or neck, with another fimilar inlet, which comes from the fide of Rio-Nuevo or New-River; fo that the line of feparation fhall pafs ftraight across the faid ifthmus, and meet another lake formed by the water of Rio-Nuevo or New-River, at its current. The faid line fhall continue with the courfe of the Rio-Nuevo, defcend

ing as far as oppofite to a river, the fource of which is marked in the map, between Rio Nuevo and RioHondo, and which empties itfelf into Rio-Hondo; which river fhall alfo ferve as a common boundary as far as its junction with Rio, Hondo; and from thence defcending by Rio Hondo to the fea, as the whole is marked on the map which the plenipotentiaries of the two crowns have thought proper to make ufe of, for afcertaining the points agreed upon; to the end, that a good correfpondence may reign beTween the two nations, and that the English workmen, cutters, and labourers may not trefpafs from an uncertainty of the boundaries. The refpective commiffaries fhall fix upon convenient places, in the territory above marked out, in order that his Britannic majefty's fubjects, employed in the felling of logwood, may, without interruption, build therein houfes and magazines neceflary for themfelves, their families, and their effects; and his Catholic majefty affures to them the enjoyment of all that is expreffed in the prefent article; provided that thefe ftipulations fhall not be confidered as derogating in any wife from his rights of fove reignty. Therefore all the English, who may be difperfed in any other parts, whether on the Spanish continent, or in any of the islands whatsoever, dependent on the aforefaid Spanish continent, and for whatever reason it might be, with out exception, fhall retire within the district which has been above defcribed, in the fpace of eighteen months, to be computed from the exchange of the ratifications; and for this purpofe, orders fhall be iffued on the part of his Britannic majefty, and on that of his Catholic majefty, his governors fhall be ordered to grant te the English

difperfed every convenience poffible for their removing to the fet tlement agreed upon by the present article, or for their retiring whereever they fhall think proper. It is likewife ftipulated, that it any fortifications fhould actually have been heretofore erected within the limits marked out, his Britannic majefty fhall caufe them all to be demolish. cd; and he will order his fubje&s not to build any new ones. The English inhabitants who fhall fettle there for the cutting of logwood, fhall be permitted to enjoy a free fishery for their fubfiftence, on the coafts of their district above agreed on, or of the islands fituated oppofite thereto, without being in anywife difturbed on that account; provided they do not establish themselves, in any manner, on the said islands.

Art. VII. His Catholic majesty fhall restore to Great Britain the iflands of Providence, and the Bahamas, without exception, in the fame condition they were in when they were conquered by the arms of the king of Spain. The fame ftipulations inferted in the fifth article of this treaty thall take place in favour of the Spanish fubjects, with regard to the iflands mentioned in the prefent article.

Art. VIII. All the countries and territories, which may have been, or which may be conquered in any part of the world whatfoever, by the arins of his Britannic majefty, as well as by thofe of his Catholic majefty, which are not included in the prefent treaty, neither under the head of ceffions, nor under the head of refti tutions, fhall be reftored without difficulty, and without requiring any compenfation.

Art. IX. Immediately after the exchange of the ratifications, the two high contracting parties fhail name commiffaries to treat concerning new arrangements of com

merce

merce between the two nations, on the basis of reciprocity and mutual convenience; which arrangements fhall be fettled and concluded within the space of two years, to be computed from the first of January, 1784.

Art. X. As it is neceffary to appoint a certain period for the reftitutions and evacuations to be made by each of the high contracting parties, it is agreed, that the king of Great Britain fhall caufe East Florida to be evacuated three months after the ratification of the prefent treaty, or fooner, if it can be done. The king of Great Britain fall in like manner enter again into poffeffion of the islands of Providence, and the Bahamas, without excep tion, in the space of three months after the ratification of the prefent treaty, or fooner, if it can be done. In confequence whereof, the neceffary orders fhall be fent by each of the high contracting parties, with reciprocal paffports for the hips which fhall carry them, immediately after the ratification of the prefent treaty.

Art. XI. Their Britannic and Catholic majefties, promife to obferve fincerely, and bona fide, all the articles contained and established in the prefent treaty; and they will not fuffer the fame to be infringed, directly or indirectly, by their refpective fubjects: and the faid high contracting parties guaranty to each other, generally and reciprocally, all the ftipulations of the prefent treaty.

Art. XII. The folemn ratifications of the prefent treaty, prepared in good and due form, fhall be exchanged in this city of Verfailles, between the high contracting parties, in the space of one month, or fooner if poffible, to be computed from the day of the fig

Le Compte d'Aranda. (L. S.) Manchester. (L. S.) SEPARATE ARTICLES. Art. I. Some of the titles made ufe of by the contracting parties, whether in the full powers, and other inftruments, during the courfe of the negociation, or in the preamble of the prefent treaty, not being generally acknowledged, it has been agreed that no prejudice fhould ever refult therefrom to either of the faid contracting parties ; and that the titles taken or omitted, on either fide, upon occafion of the faid negociation, and of the prefent treaty, fhall not be cited, or quoted as a precedent.

Art. II. It has been agreed and determined, that the French language, made ufe of in all the copies of the prefent treaty, fhall not form an example which may be alledged, or quoted as a precedent, or, in any manner, prejudice either of the contracting powers; and that they hall conform, for the future, to what has been observed, and ought to be obferved, with regard to, and on the part of powers, who are in the practice and poffeffion of giving and receiving copies of like treaties in a different language from the French; the prefent treaty having nevertheless the fame force

and

DECLARATION.

THE new flate in which commerce may perhaps be found, in all parts of the world, will demand revifions and explanations of the fubfifting treaties; but an entire abrogation of thofe treaties, in whatever period it might be, would throw commerce into fuch confufion as would be of infinite prejudice to it. In fome of the treaties of this fort there are not only articles which relate merely to commerce, but many others which enfue reciprocally, to the refpective fubjects, privileges, facilities for conducting their affairs, perfonal protections, and other advantages, which are not, and which ought not to be of a changeable nature, fuch as the regulations relating merely to the value of goods and merchandize, variable from circumstances of every kind.

When therefore the ftate of the trade between the two nations fhall be treated upon, it is requifite to be understood, that the alterations which may be made in the fubfifting treaties are to extend only to arrangements merely commercial;

COUNTER-DECLARATION. THE Catholic king, in propofing new arrangements of commerce, has had no other defign than to re-medy, by the rules of reciprocity and mutual convenience, whatever may be defective in preceding treaties of commerce. The king of Great Britain may judge from thence, that the intention of his Catholic majefty is not in any manner to cancel all the ftipulations contained in the above mentioned treaties; he declares, on the contrary, from henceforth, that he is difpofed to maintain all the privileges, facilities and advantages expreffed in the old treaties, as far as they fhall be reciprocal, or compenfated by equivalent advantages. It is to attain this end, defired on each fide, that commiffaries are to be named to treat upon the ftate of trade between the two nations, and that a confiderable fpace of time is to be allowed for compleating their work. His Catholic majefty hopes that this object will be purfued with the fame good faith, and with the fame fpirit of conciliation, which have prefided over the difcuffion of all the other points included in the definitive treaty; and his faid majefty is equally confident, that the refpective commiffaries will employ

WE, ambaffador plenipotentiary of his Imperial and royal apoftolic majefty, having acted as mediator in the work of pacification, declare that the treaty of peace figned this day at Verfailles, between his Britannic majefty and his Catholic majey, with the two feparate articles

The DEFINITIVE TREATY of PEACE and FRIENDSHIP, between his Britannicajefty, and the United States of America, figred at Paris the 3d day of September, 1783.

In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity.

T having pleafed the divine Pro

form a part, as alfo with all the claufes, conditions, and ftipulations which are therein contained, was concluded by the mediation of his Inperial and royal apoftolic majefty. In witnefs whereof, we have figned thefe prefents with our hand, and have caufed the feal of our arms to

be affixed thereto.

Done at Verfailles, this third of September, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-three.

Le Compte de Mercy Argenteau. (L. S.)

WE, minifters plenipotentiary of her Imperial majefty of all the Ruffias, having acted as mediators in the work of pacification, declare that the treaty of peace, figned this day at Verfailles, between his Britannic majesty and his Catholic majefty, with the two feparate articles thereto annexed, and of which they form a part, as alfo with all the claufes, conditions, and ftipulations which are therein contained, was concluded by the mediation of her Imperial majefty of all the Ruffias. In witnefs whereof, we have figned thefe prefents with our hands, and have caufed the feals of our arms to be affixed thereto.

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the moft ferene and most potent prince George the Third, by the grace of God, king of Great Bri tain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, arch-treafuter and prince elector of the holy Roman empire, &c. and of the United States of America, to forget all pat mifunderstandings and differences that have unhappily interrupted the good correfpondence and triendship which they mutually wish to reftore, and to establish fuch a bene ficial and fatisfactory intercourse between the two countries, upon the ground of reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience, as may promote and fecure to both perpetual peace and harmony; and having for this defirable end already laid the found-. ation of peace and reconciliation by the provifional articles figned at Pa ris on the 30th of November, 1782, by the commiffioners empowered on each part, which articles were agreed to be inferted in and to conftitute the treaty of peace proposed to be concluded between the crown of Great Britain and the faid United States, but which treaty was not to be concluded until terms of peace

(H)

fhould