The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 04
History
The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 04
United States -- Foreign relations -- 1775-1783; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources
In order to remove and prevent on both sides every difficulty and
misunderstanding, that commonly happen respecting merchandise
heretofore denominated contraband, and which shall be judged such by
the powers of Europe in their respective treaties, that is to say,
arms and warlike stores, it has been agreed, that in case where one of
the contracting parties shall be engaged in a war against any other
nation, none of these articles carried in the vessels, or by the
subjects of one of the parties to the enemies of the other, shall be
considered contraband under any pretext whatever, nor be confiscated
or taken away as such from any individual. It shall, nevertheless, be
lawful to stop such vessels, and to detain them as long as the captors
shall think necessary to prevent the inconveniencies or damages that
may result from the continuation of their voyage, by paying, however,
to the proprietors a reasonable compensation for the loss, which such
detention may occasion; moreover, the captors shall be permitted to
use, in whole or in part, the warlike stores thus detained, provided
that they pay the full value thereof to the proprietors.
ARTICLE XIII.
All vessels and merchandise of whatsoever kind, that shall be
recovered from pirates of the high seas, shall be brought into some
port of one of the two States and delivered to the care of the
officers of the said port, in order that they may be completely
restored to their true proprietor, as soon as he shall have duly and
sufficiently proved his property.
ARTICLE XIV.
None of Her Most Faithful Majesty's subjects shall take a commission
or letter of marque to arm any vessel or vessels for the purpose of
acting as privateers against the United States, or any of them, or
against their subjects, people, or inhabitants, or against their
property, or that of the inhabitants of either of them, from any
prince whatever, with whom the said States shall be at war. In like
manner, no citizen, or subject, or inhabitant of the aforesaid United
States, or any of them, shall demand any commission or letter of
marque to arm any vessel or vessels to cruise against the subjects of
Her Most Faithful Majesty, or any of them, or their property, from any
prince or State whatever with whom the said Queen shall be at war; and
if any one belonging to either nation takes such commission or letter
of marque, he shall be punished as a pirate.
ARTICLE XV.
In case the vessels, subjects, and inhabitants of one of the two
contracting parties shall approach the coasts of the other, without
designing, however, to enter into the port, or, after having entered,
without intention to discharge their cargo, or to break bulk, they
shall be at liberty to depart or to pursue their voyage without
molestation.
ARTICLE XVI.
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