ARTICLE VI.

The same duties shall be paid on the importation into the territories of the Republic of Nicaragua of any article being the growth, produce, and manufacture of the territories of the United States, whether such importations shall be made in Nicaraguan vessels or in vessels of the United States; and the same duties shall be paid on the importation into the territories of the United States of any article being the growth, produce, or manufacture of the Republic of Nicaragua, whether such importation shall be made in United States or Nicaraguan vessels.

The same dues shall be paid and the bounties and drawbacks allowed on the exportation to the Republic of Nicaragua of any articles being the growth, produce, or manufacture of the territories of the United States, whether such exportations shall be made in Nicaraguan or United States vessels; and the same duties shall be paid and the same bounties and drawbacks allowed on the exportation of any articles being the growth, produce, or manufacture of the Republic of Nicaragua to the territories of the United States, whether such exportation shall be made in the vessels of the United States or of Nicaragua.

ARTICLE VII.

All merchants, commanders of ships, and others, citizens of the United States, shall have full liberty in all the territories of the Republic of Nicaragua to manage their own affairs themselves, as permitted by the laws, or to commit them to the management of whomsoever they please, as broker, factor agent, or interpreter; nor shall they be obliged to employ any other persons in those capacities than those employed by Nicaraguans, nor to pay them any other salary or remuneration than such as is paid in like cases by Nicaraguan citizens; and absolute freedom shall be allowed in all cases to the buyer and seller to bargain and fix the price of any goods, wares, or merchandise imported into, or exported from, the Republic of Nicaragua, as they shall see good, observing the laws and established customs of the country.

The same privileges shall be enjoyed in the territories of the United States by the citizens of the Republic of Nicaragua under the same conditions.

The citizens of the high contracting parties shall reciprocally receive and enjoy full and perfect protection for their persons and property, and shall have free and open access to the courts of justice in said countries, respectively, for the prosecution and defense of their just rights; and they shall be at liberty to employ, in all cases, the advocates, attorneys, or agents, of whatever description, whom they may think proper; and they shall enjoy, in this respect, the same rights and privileges therein as native citizens.

ARTICLE VIII.

In whatever relates to the police of the ports, the lading and unlading of ships, the safety of the merchandise, goods, and effects; the suc cession to personal estates, by will or otherwise; and the disposal of personal property of every sort and denomination, by sale, donation, exchange, testament, or any other manner whatsoever, as also the administration of justice, the citizens of the two high contracting parties shall reciprocally enjoy the same privileges, liberties, and rights as native citizens; and they shall not be charged, in any of these respects, with any higher imposts or duties than those which are, or may be, paid

by native citizens, submitting, of course, to the local laws and regulations of each country, respectively.

The foregoing provisions shall be applicable to real estate situated within the States of the American Union or within the Republic of Nicaragua, in which foreigners shall be entitled to hold or inherit real estate.

But in case real estate situated within the territories of one of the contracting parties should fall to a citizen of the other party, who, on account of his being an alien, could not be permitted to hold such property in the state in which it may be situated, there shall be accorded to the said heir, or other successor, such term as the laws of the state will permit to sell such property; he shall be at liberty at all times to withdraw and export the proceeds thereof without difficulty, and without paying to the Government any other charges than those which, in a similar case, would be paid by an inhabitant of the country in which the real estate may be situated.

If any citizen of either of the two high contracting parties shall die without a will or testament in any of the territories of the other, the minister or consul or other diplomatic agent of the nation to which the deceased belonged (or the representative of such minister or consul or other diplomatic agent, in case of absence), shall have the right to nominate curators to take charge of the property of the deceased, so far as the laws of the country will permit, for the benefit of the lawful heirs and creditors of the deceased, giving proper notice of such nomination to the authorities of the country.

ARTICLE IX.

1. The citizens of the United States residing in Nicaragua, or the citizens of Nicaragua residing in the United States, may intermarry with the natives of the country, hold and possess, by purchase, marriage, or descent, any estate, real or personal, without thereby changing their national character, subject to the laws which now exist or may be enacted in this respect.

2. The citizens of the United States residents in the Republic of Nicaragua, and the citizens of Nicaragua residents in the United States, shall be exempted from all forced (or compulsory) military service whatsoever, by land or sea; from all contributions of war, military exactions, forced loans in time of war; but they shall be obliged in the same manner as the citizens of each nation to pay lawful taxes, municipal and other modes of imposts and ordinary charges, loans, and contributions in time of peace (as the citizens of the country are liable), in just proportion to the property owned.

3. Nor shall the property of either, of any kind, be taken for any public object, without full and just compensation to be paid in advance; and,

4. The citizens of each of the two high contracting parties shall have the unlimited right to go to any part of the territories of the other, and in all cases enjoy the same security as the natives of the country where they reside, with the condition that they duly observe the laws and ordinances.

ARTICLE X.

It shall be free for each of the two high contracting parties to appoint consuls for the protection of trade, to reside in any of the territories of the other party.

But before any consul shall act as such, he shall, in the usual form, be approved and admitted by the government to which he is sent, and either of the high contracting parties may except from the residence of consuls such particular places as they judge fit to be excepted.

The diplomatic agents of Nicaragua and consuls shall enjoy in the territories of the United States whatever privileges, exemptions, and immunities whatever as are, or shall be, allowed to the agents of the same rank belonging to the most favored nations; and, in like manner, the diplomatic agents and consuls of the United States in Nicaragua, shall enjoy, according to the strictest reciprocity, whatever privileges, exemptions, and immunities that are, or may be, granted in the Republic of Nicaragua to the diplomatic agents and consuls of the most favored nations.

ARTICLE XI.

For the better security of commerce between the citizens of the United States and the citizens of Nicaragua it is agreed that if at any time any interruption of friendly intercourse or any rupture should unfortunately take place between the two high contracting parties, the citizens of either, who may be within the territories of the other, shall, if residing on the coast, be allowed six months, and if in the interior, a whole year, to wind up their accounts and dispose of their property; and a safe conduct shall be given to them to embark at any port they themselves may select. Even in case of a rupture all such citizens of either of the high contracting parties, who are established in any of the territories of the other in trade or other employment, shall have the privilege of remaining and of continuing such trade or employment without any manner of interruption, in the full enjoyment of liberty and property, so long as they behave peacefully and commit no offense against the laws, and their goods and effects, of whatever description they may be, whether in their own custody or intrusted to individuals, or to the state, shall not be liable to seizure or sequestration nor to any other charges or demands than those which may be made upon the like effects or property belonging to the native citizens of the country in which such citizens may reside. In the same case, debts between individuals, property out in public funds, and shares of companies, shall never be confiscated nor detained.

ARTICLE XII.

The citizens of the United States and the citizens of the Republic of Nicaragua, respectively, residing in any of the territories of the other party shall enjoy in their houses, persons, and property the protection of the Government, and shall continue in possession of the guarantees which they now enjoy. They shall not be disturbed, molested, or annoyed in any manner on account of their religious belief, nor in the proper exercise of their religion, agreeably to the system of tolerance established in the territories of the high contracting parties, provided they respect the religion of the nation in which they reside, as well as the constitution, laws, and customs of the country.

Liberty shall be also granted to bury the citizens of either of the two high contracting parties who may die in the territories aforesaid, in burial places of their own, which, in the same manner, may be freely established and maintained; nor shall the funerals or sepulchres of the dead be disturbed in any way or upon any account.

ARTICLE XIII.

Whenever the citizens of either of the contracting parties shall be forced to seek refuge or asylum in the rivers, bays, ports, or dominions of the other, with their vessels, whether merchant or war, public or private, through stress of weather, pursuit of pirates or enemies, or want of provisions or water, they shall be received and treated with humanity and given all favor and protection for repairing their vessels, procuring provisions and placing themselves in all respects in a condition to continue their voyage without obstacle or hinderance of any kind.

ARTICLE XIV.

The Republic of Nicaragua hereby grants to the United States, and to their citizens and property, the right of transit between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the territories of that republic on any route of communication, natural or artificial, whether by land or water, which may now or hereafter exist or be constructed under the authority of Nicaragua, to be used and enjoyed, in the same manner and upon equal terms by both republics and their respective citizens, the Republic of Nicaragua, however, reserving its right of sovereignty over the same.

ARTICLE XV.

The United States hereby agree to extend their protection to all such routes of communication as aforesaid, and to guarantee the neutrality of the same. They also agree to employ their influence with other nations to induce them to guarantee such neutrality and protection. And the Republic of Nicaragua on its part undertakes to establish two free ports, one at each of the extremities of the communications aforesaid on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. At these ports no tonnage or other duties shall be imposed or levied by the Government of Nicaragua on the vessels of the United States, or on any effects or merchandise belonging to citizens or subjects of the United States, or upon the vessels or effects of any other country intended bona fide for transit across the said routes of communication and not for consumption, within the Republic of Nicaragua.

The United States shall also be at liberty to carry troops and munitions of war in their own vessels or otherwise to either of the said free ports, and shall be entitled to their conveyance between them without obstruction by the authorities of Nicaragua, and without any charges or tolls whatever for their transportation on either of said routes of communication. And no higher or other charges or tolls shall be imposed on the conveyance or transit of persons or property of citizens or subjects of the United States or of any other country across the said routes of communication than are or may be imposed on the persons and property of citizens of Nicaragua. And the Republic of Nicaragua recognizes the right of the Postmaster-General of the United States to enter into contracts with any individuals or companies to transport the mails of the United States along the said routes of communication, or along any other routes across the isthmus, in its discretion, in closed bags, the contents of which may not be intended for distribution within the said republic, free from the imposition of all taxes or duties by the Government of Nicaragua; but this liberty is not to be construed so as to permit such individuals or companies, by virtue of this right to transport the mails, to carry also passengers or freight.

ARTICLE XVI.

The Republic of Nicaragua agrees that, should it become necessary at any time to employ military force for the security and protection of persons and property passing over any of the routes aforesaid, it will employ the requisite force for that purpose; but, upon failure to do this for any cause whatever, the Government of the United States may, after notice to the Government of Nicaragua, or to the minister thereof in the United States, employ such force, for this and for no other purpose; and when the necessity ceases, such force shall be immediately withdrawn.

ARTICLE XVII.

It is understood, however, that the United States, in according protection to such routes of communication, and guaranteeing their neutrality and security, always intend that the protection and guarantee are granted conditionally, and may be withdrawn if the United States should deem that the persons or company undertaking or managing the same adopt or establish such regulations concerning the traffic thereupon as are contrary to the spirit and intention of this treaty, either by making unfair discriminations in favor of the commerce of any nation or nations over the commerce of any other nation or nations, or by imposing oppressive exactions or unreasonable tolls upon mails, passengers, vessels, goods, wares, merchandise, or other articles.

The aforesaid protection and guarantee shall not, however, be withdrawn by the United States without first giving six months' notice to the Republic of Nicaragua.

ARTICLE XVIII.

And it is further understood and agreed that in any grants or contracts which may hereafter be made or entered into by the Government of Nicaragua having reference to the interoceanic routes above referred to, or either of them, the rights and privileges granted by this convention to the Government and citizens of the United States shall be fully protected and reserved. And if any such grants or contracts now exist of a valid character, it is further understood that the guarantee and protection of the United States stipulated in Article XV of this treaty shall be held inoperative and void until the holders of such grants or contracts shall recognize the concessions made in this treaty to the Government and citizens of the United States with respect to such interoceanic routes, or either of them, and shall agree to observe and be governed by those concessions as fully as if they had been embraced in their original grants or contracts; after which recognition and agreement, said guarantee and protection shall be in full force; provided that nothing herein contained shall be construed either to affirm or deny the validity of any of the said contracts.

ARTICLE XIX.

After ten years from the completion of a railroad or any other route of communication through the territory of Nicaragua, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, no company which may have constructed, or be in possession of the same, shall ever divide, directly or indirectly, by the issue of new stock, the payment of dividends, or otherwise, more than fifteen per cent. per annum, or at that rate, to its stockholders from