1778.

losses sustained at sea: and these captains and masters shall November 14 lodge in the chancery of the said consuls and vice consuls, the

Duties of consuls in cases of shipwreck.

acts which they may have made in other ports on account of the accidents which may have happened to them on their voyage. If a subject of the most christain king and a citizen of the United States, or a foreigner, are interested in the said cargo, the average shall be settled by the tribunals of the country, and not by the consuls or vice consuls; but when only the subjects or citizens of their own nation shall be interested, the respective consuls or vice consuls shall appoint skilful persons to settle the damages and average.

ART. 7. In cases where, by tempest or other accident, French ships or vessels shall be stranded on the coasts of the United States, and ships or vessels of the United States shall be stranded on the coasts of the dominions of the most christian king, the consul or vice consul nearest to the place of shipwreck shall do whatever he may judge proper, as well for the purpose of saving the said ship or vessel, its cargo and appurtenances, as for the storing and the security of the effects and merchandise saved. He may take an inventory of them, without the intermedling of any officers of the military, of the customs, or justice, or of the police of the country, otherwise than to give to the consuls, vice consuls, captain, and crew of the vessel shipwrecked or stranded, all the succor and favor which they shall ask of them, either for the expedition and security of the saving and of the effects saved; or to prevent all disturbance.-And in order to prevent all kind of dispute and discussion in the said cases of shipwreck, it is agreed, that when there shall be no consul or vice consul to attend to the saving of the wreck, or that the residence of the said consul or vice consul (he not being at the place of the wreck) shall be more distant from the said place than that of the competent judge of the country, the latter shall immediately proceed therein, with all the despatch, certainty, and precautions prescribed by the respective laws; but the said territorial judge shall retire on the arrival of the consul or vice consul, and shall deliver over to him the report of his proceedings, the expenses of which the consul or vice consul shall cause to be reimbursed to him, as well as those of saving the wreck. The merchandise and effects saved shall be deposited in the nearest custom house, or other place of safety, with the inventory thereof which shall have been made by the consul or vice consul, or by the judge who shall have proceeded in their absence, that the said effects and merchandise may

yées a la mer, et ces capitaines et patrons remettront dans la chancéilerie des dits consuls et vice-consuls les actes qu'ils auront faits dans d'autres ports pour les accidents qui leur seront arrivés pendant leur voyage. Si un sujet du roi très chrétien et un habitant des Etats Unis, ou un étranger sont interessés dans la dite cargaison, l'avarie sera réglée par les tribunaux du païs, et non par les consuls et vice consuls, mais lorsqu'il n'y aura d'intéressés que les sujets ou citoyens de leur propre nation, les consuls ou les vice consuls respectifs nommeront des experts pour régler les dommages et avaries.

ART. 7. Dans le cas où, par tempête, ou autres accidents, des vaisseaux ou bâtimens Français échouëront sur les côtes des Etats Unis, et des vaisseaux et bâtimens des Etats Unis échoueront sur les côtes des états de sa majesté très chrétienne le consul au le vice consul, le plus proche du lieu du naufrage, pourra faire tout ce qu'il jugera convenable, tant pour sauver le dit vaisseau ou bâtiment, son chargement et appartenances, que pour le magazinage et la sûreté des éffets sauvés et marchandises. Il pourra en faire l'inventaire, sans qu'aucuns officiers militaires, des douanes, de justice ou de police du païs, puissent s'y immiscer autrement que pour faciliter aux consuls et vice consuls, capitaine et équipage du vaisseau naufragé, ou échoué, tous les secours et faveurs qu'ils leur de manderont, soit pour la célérité, et la sûreté du sauvetage et des éffets sauvés, soit pour éviter tous désordres. Pour prevenir même toute espéce de conflit et de discution dans les dits cas de naufrage, il a été convenû que lorsqu'il ne se trouvera pas de consul ou vice consul pour faire travailler au sauvètage, ou que la résidence du dit consul ou vice consul, qui ne se trouvera pas sur le lieu du naufrage, sera plus éloignée du dit lieu que celle du juge territorial compétent, ce dernier fera procéder sur le champ avec toute la célérité, la sûreté et les précautions préscrites par les loix respectives, sauf au dit juge territorial à se retirer, le consul ou vice consul survenant, et à lui remettre l'expédition des procédures par lui faites, dont le consul ou vice consul lui fera rembourser les fraîx, ainsi que ceux de sauvétage. Les marchandises et éffets sauvés devront être déposés à la douane ou autre lieu de sûreté le plus prochain avec l'inventaire qui en aura été dressé par le consul ou vice consul, ou en leur absence par le juge qui en aura connû, pour les dits éffets et marchandises être ensuite délivrés après le prélevement des fraix, et sans forme de procés, aux propriétaires,

1788.

November 14.

1788.

be afterwards delivered, (after levying therefrom the costs,) November 14. and without form of process, to the owners, who being furnished with an order for their delivery, from the nearest consul or vice consul, shall reclaim them by themselves, or by their order, either for the purpose of re-exporting such merchandise, in which case they shall pay no kind of duty of exportation, or for that of selling them in the country, if they be not prohibited there; and in this last case, the said merchandise, if they be damaged, shall be allowed an abatement of entrance duties, proportioned to the damage they have sustained, which shall be ascertained by the affidavits taken at the time the vessel was wrecked or struck.

Consuls to exercise police

their nation.

ART. 8. The consuls or vice consuls shall exercise police over vessels of over all the vessels of their respective nations, and shall have on board the said vessels all power and jurisdiction in civil matters, in all the disputes which may there arise; they shall have an entire inspection over the said vessels, their crew, and the changes and substitutions there to be made. For which purpose they may go on board the said vessels whenever they may judge it necessary. Well understood that the functions. hereby allowed shall be confined to the interior of the vessels, and that they shall not take place in any case which shall have any interference with the police of the ports where the said vessels shall be.

Consuls may

from the vessels

ART. 9. The consuls and vice consuls may cause to be ararrest deserters rested the captains, officers, mariners, sailors, and all other of their nation. persons being part of the crews of the vessels of their respective nations, who shall have deserted from the said vessels, in order to send them back and transport them out of the country. For which purpose the said consuls and vice consuls shall address themselves to the courts, judges, and officers competent, and shall demand the said deserters in writing, proving by an exhibition of the registers of the vessel or ship's roll, that those men were part of the said crews; and on this demand so proved (saving however where the contrary is proved) the delivery shall not be refused; and there shall be given all aid and assistance to the said consuls and vice consuls for the search, seizure, and arrest of the said deserters, who shall even be detained and kept in the prisons of the country, at their request and expense, until they shall have found an opportunity of sending them back. But if they be not sent back witnin three months, to be counted from the day of their arrest, they shall be set at liberty, and shall be no more arrested for the

same cause.

1778.

qui, munis de la main levée du consul ou vice consul le plus proche, les réclameront par eux mêmes, ou par leurs manda- November 14. taires soit pour rééxporter les marchandises, et dans ce cas elles ne païeront aucune espèce de droits de sortie, soit pour les vendre dans le païs, si elles n'y sont pas prohibées; et dans ce dernier cas, les dites marchandises se trouvant avariées, on leur accordera une modération sur les droits d'entrée proportionnée au dommage souffert, lequel sera constaté par le procés verbal dressé lors du naufrage ou l'échouëment.

ART. 8. Les consuls ou vice consuls éxercéront la police sur tous les bâtimens de leurs nations respectives, et auront à bord des dits bâtimens tout pouvoir et jurisdiction en matière civile dans toutes les discutions qui pourront y survenir; ils auront une entière inspection sur les dits bâtimens, leurs équipages et les changements et remplacements à y faire, pour quel éffet ils pourront se transporter à bord des dits bâtimens toutes les fois qu'ils le jugeront necessaire; bein entendu que les fonctions ci-dessus énoncées seront concentrées dans l'intérieur des bâtimens, et qu' elles ne pourront avoir lieu dans aucun cas qui aura quelque rapport avec la police des ports où les dits bâtimens se trouveront.

ART. 9. Les consuls et vice consuls pourront faire arrêter les capitaines, officiers, mariniers, matelots, et toutes autres personnes faisant partie des équipages des bâtimens de leurs nations respectives qui auroient déserté des dits bâtimens, pour les renvoyer et faire transporter hors du païs. Auquel éffet les dits consuls et vice consuls, s'addresseront aux tribunaux, juges, et officiers compétents et leur feront, par écrit, la demande des dits déserteurs, en justifiant par l'exhibition des régistres du bâtiment ou rôle d'équipage, que ces hommes faisoient partie des susdits équipages. Et sur cette demande, ainsi justifiée, sauf toutefois la preuve contraire, l'extradition ne pourra être refusée, et il sera donné toute aide et assistance aux dits consuls et vice consuls pour la recherche, saisie et arrestation des susdits déserteurs, lesquels seront même detenûs et gardés dans les prisons du païs, a leur réquisition, et à leurs fraix, jusqu'à ce qu'ils aïent trouvé occasion de les renvoyer. Mais s'ils n'étoint renvoyés dans le délai de trois mois à compter du jour de leur arrêt, ils seront élargis, et ne pourront plus être arrêtés pour la même cause.

1788.

'November 14.

ART. 10. In cases where the respective subjects or citizens Citizens or sub- shall have committed any crime, or breach of the peace, they

jects amenable

for crimes to the shall be amenable to the judges of the country.

magistrates of ART. 11. When the said offenders shall be a part of the

the country.

*

Offenders may crew of a vessel of their ́nation, and shall have withdrawn be taken from on board their themselves on board the said vessel, they may be there seized ships. and arrested by order of the judges of the country: these shall give notice thereof to the consul or vice consul, who may repair on board if he thinks proper: but this notification shall not in any case delay execution of the order in question. The persons arrested shall not afterwards be set at liberty until the consul or vice consul shall have been notified thereof; and they shall be delivered to him, if he requires it, to be put again on board of the vessel on which they were arrested, or of others of their nation, and to be sent out of the country.

Differences be

by consuls with

out eosts.

ART. 12. All differences and suits between the subjects of tween citizens, the most christian king, in the United States, or between the or subjects, of either party, to citizens of the United States, within the dominions of the most be determined christian king, and particularly all disputes relative to the wages and terms of engagement of the crews of the respective vessels, and all differences of whatever nature they be, which may arise between the privates of the said crews, or between any of them and their captains, or between the captains of different vessels of their nation, shall be determined by the respective consuls and vice consuls, either by a reference to arbitrators, or by a summary judgment, and without costs. No officer of the country, civil or military, shall interfere therein, or take any part whatever in the matter: and the appeals from the said consular sentences shall be carried before the tribunals of France or of the United States, to whom it may appertain to take cognizance thereof.

Both parties to

ART. 13. The general utility of commerce having caused to enjoy the bene- be established within the dominions of the most christian king, fit of tribunals for deciding dis particular tribunals and forms for expediting the decision of putes in relation commercial affairs, the merchants of the United States shall

to commerce.

Citizens & sub

enjoy the benefit of these establishments; and the congress of the United States will provide in the manner the most conformable to its laws, for the establishment of equivalent advantages in favor of the French merchants, for the prompt despatch and decision of affairs of the same nature...

ART. 14. The subjects of the most christian king, and the jects, on proof citizens of the United States, who shall prove by legal evibeing alien, to be exempt from dence that they are of the said nations respectively, shall in personal service consequence enjoy an exemption from all personal service in the place of their settlement.