Salvador.

favored nation; each contracting party, however, remaining at liberty to except those ports and places in which the admission and residence of such Consuls may not seem convenient.

682.. ARTICLE XXXI.

In order that the Consuls and Vice-Consuls of the two contracting parties may enjoy the rights, prerogatives, and immunities which belong to them by their public character, they shall, before entering on the exercise of their functions, exhibit their commission or patent in due form to the government to which they are accredited; and, having obtained their exequatur, they shall be held and considered as such by all the authorities, magistrates, and inhabitants in the consular district in which they reside.

683.. ARTICLE XXXII.

It is likewise agreed that the Consuls, their Secretaries, officers, and persons attached to the service of Consuls, they not being citizens of the country in which the Consul resides, shall be exempt from all public service, and also from all kind of taxes, imposts, and contributions, except those which they shall be obliged to pay on account of commerce or their property, to which the citizens and inhabitants, native and foreign, of the country in which they reside are subject, being in everything besides subject to the laws of the respective States. The archives and papers of the Consulates shall be respected inviolably, and under no pretext whatever shall any magistrate seize, or in any way interfere, with them.

684.. ARTICLE XXXIII.

The said Consuls shall have power to require the assistance of the authorities of the country for the arrest, detention, and custody of deserters from the public and private vessels of their country; and for that purpose they shall address themselves to the courts, judges, and officers competent, and shall demand in writing the said deserters, proving by an exhibition of the registers of the vessel's or ship's roll, or other public documents, that those men were part of the said crews; and on this demand, so proved, (saving, however, where the contrary is proved by other testimonies,) the delivery shall not be refused. Such deserters, when arrested, shall be put at the disposal of the said Consuls, and may be put in the public prisons at the request and expense of those who reclaim them, to be sent to the ships to which they belonged, or to others of the same nation; but if they be not sent back within two months, to be counted from the day of arrest, they shall be set at liberty, and shall be no more arrested for the same cause.

Salvador.

685.. ARTICLE XXXIV.

For the purpose of more effectually protecting their commerce and navigation, the two contracting parties do hereby agree to form, as soon hereafter as circumstances will permit, a Consular Convention, which shall declare specially the powers and immunities of the Consuls and Vice-Consuls of the respective parties.

SIAM.

Treaty concluded May 29, 1856, (Peace and Friendship.)

686.. ARTICLE I.

There shall henceforward be perpetual peace and friendship between the United States and their Majesties the first and second Kings of Siam and their successors.

All American citizens coming to Siam shall receive from the Siamese government full protection and assistance to enable them to reside in Siam in all security, and trade with every facility, free from oppression or injury on the part of the Siamese. Inasmuch as Siam has no ships trading to the ports of the United States, it is agreed that the ships of war of the United States shall render friendly aid and assistance to such Siamese vessels as they may meet on the high seas, so far as can be done without a breach of neutrality; and all American Consuls residing at ports visited by Siamese vessels shall also give them such friendly aid as may be permitted by the laws of the respective countries in which they reside.

687.. ARTICLE II.

The interests of all American citizens coming to Siam shall be placed under the regulations and control of a Consul, who will be appointed to reside at Bangkok. He will himself conform to and will enforce the observance by American citizens of all the provisions of this treaty, and such of the former treaty, negotiated by Mr. Edmund Roberts in 1833, as shall still remain in operation. He shall also give effect to all rules and regulations as are now or may hereafter be enacted for the government of American citizens in Siam, the conduct of their trade, and for the prevention of violations of the laws of Siam. Any disputes arising between American citizens and Siamese subjects shall be heard and determined by the Consul, in conjunction with the proper Siamese officers, and criminal offenses will be punished, in the case of American offenders by the Consul, according to American laws, and in the case of Siamese offenders by their own laws, through the Siamese authori

ties.

Siam.

But the Consul shall not interfere in any matters referring solely to Siamese; neither will the Siamese authorities interfere in questions which only concern the citizens of the United States.

688.. ARTICLE III.

If Siamese in the employ of American citizens cffend against the laws of their country, or if any Siamese, having so offended, or desiring to desert, take refuge with American citizens in Siam, they shall be searched for, and, upon proof of their guilt or desertion, shall be delivered up by the Consul to the Siamese authorities. In like manner, any American offenders, resident or trading in Siam, who may desert, escape to, or hide themselves in Siamese territory, shall be apprehended and delivered over to the American Consul on his requisition.

689.. ARTICLE IV.

American citizens are permitted to trade freely in all the seaports of Siam, but may reside permanently only at Bangkok, or within the limits assigned by this treaty.

American citizens coming to reside at Bangkok may rent land and buy or build houses, but cannot purchase land within the circuit of two hundred seng (not more than four miles English) from the city walls, until they shall have lived in Siam for ten years, or shall obtain special authority from the Siamese government to enable them to do so. But, with the exception of this limitation, American residents in Siam may, at any time, buy or rent houses, lands, or plantations situated anywhere within a distance of twenty-four hours' journey from the city of Bangkok, to be computed by the rate at which boats of the country can travel. In order to obtain possession of such lands or houses it will be necessary that the American citizen shall, in the first place, make application through the Consul to the proper Siamese officer, and the Siamese officer and the Consul, having satisfied themselves of the honest intentions of the applicant, will assist him in settling, upon equitable terms, the amount of the purchase money; will make out and fix the boundaries of the property, and will convey the same to the American purchaser under sealed deeds, whereupon he and his property shall be placed under the protection of the governor of the district, and that of the particular local authorities. He shall conform in ordinary matters to any just direction given him by them, and will be subject to the same taxation that is levied on Siamese subjects. But if, through negligence, the want of capital, or other cause, an American citizen should fail to commence the cultivation or improvements of the lands so acquired within a term of three years from the date of receiving possession thereof, the Siamese government shall have the power of resuming the property upon returning to the American citizen the purchase money paid by him for the same.

Siam.

690.. ARTICLE VI.

American ships of war may enter the river and anchor at Paknam; but they shall not proceed above Paknam unless with the consent of the Siamese authorities, which shall be given where it is necessary that a ship shall go into dock for repairs. Any American ships of war conveying to Siam a public functionary, accredited by the American government to the court of Bangkok, shall be allowed to come up to Bangkok, but shall not pass the forts called Phrachamit and Pit-pach-nuck, unless expressly permitted to do so by the Siamese government. But, in the absence of an American ship of war, the Siamese authorities engage to furnish the Consul with a force sufficient to enable him to give effect to his authority over American citizens, and to enforce discipline among American shipping.

691.. ARTICLE VII.

The measurement duty hitherto paid by American vessels trading to Bangkok under the treaty of 1833 shall be abolished from the date of this treaty coming into operation, and American shiping or trade will thenceforth only be subject to the payment of import and export duties on the goods landed or shipped.

On the articles of import the duty shall be three per cent., payable, at the option of the importer, either in kind or money, calculated upon the market value of the goods. Drawback of the full amount of duty shall be allowed upon goods found unsalable and re-exported. Should the American merchant and the custom-house officers disagree as to the value to be set upon imported articles, such disputes shall be referred to the Consul and a proper Siamese officer, who shall each have the power to call in an equal number of merchants as assessors, not exceeding two on either side, to assist them in coming to an equitable decision.

Opium may be imported free of duty, but can only be sold to the opium farmer or his agents. In the event of no arrangement being effected with them for the sale of the opium, it shall be re-exported, and no impost or duty shall be levied thereon. Any infringement of this regulation shall subject the opium to seizure and confiscation. Articles of export, from the time of production to the date of shipment, shall pay one impost only, whether this be levied under the name of inland tax, transit duty, or duty on exportation. The tax or duty to be paid on each article of Siamese produce previous to or upon exportation is specified in the tariff attached to this treaty; and it is distinctly agreed that goods or produce that pay any description of tax in the interior shall be exempted from any further payment of duty on exportation. American merchants are to be allowed to purchase directly from the producer the articles in which they trade, and in like manner to sell their goods directly to the parties wishing to purchase the same, without the interference in either case of any other person.

Siam.

The rates of duty laid down in the tariff attached to this treaty are those that are now paid upon goods or produce shipped in Siamese or Chinese vessels or junks; and it is agreed that American shipping shall enjoy all the privileges now exercised by, or which hereafter may be granted to, Siamese or Chinese vessels or junks.

American citizens will be allowed to build ships in Siam on obtaining permission to do so from the Siamese authorities.

Whenever a scarcity may be apprehended of salt, rice, and fish, the Siamese government reserve to themselves the right of prohibiting by public proclamation the exportation of these articles, giving 30 days' (say thirty days) notice, except in case of war.

Bullion or personal effects may be imported or exported free of charge.

692.. ARTICLE VIII.

The code of regulations appended to this treaty shall be enforced by the Consul, with the co-operation of the Siamese authorities; and they, the said authorities and Consul, shall be enabled to introduce any further regulations which may be found necessary in order to give effect to the objects of this treaty.

All fines and penalties inflicted for infraction of the provisions and regulations of this treaty shall be paid to the Siamese government.

693..REGULATION III.

When an American vessel shall have cast anchor at Bangkok, the master, unless a Sunday should intervene, will, within four-andtwenty hours after arrival, proceed to the American Consulate and deposit there his ship's papers, bills of lading, &c., together with a true manifest of his import cargo; and upon the Consul's reporting these particulars to the custom-house, permission to break bulk will at once be given by the latter.

For neglecting so to report his arrival, or for presenting a false manifest, the master will subject himself, in each instance, to a penalty of four hundred ticals; but he will be allowed to correct, within twenty-four hours after delivery of it to the Consul, any mistake he may discover in his manifest, without incurring the above-mentioned penalty.

694..REGULATION V.

As soon as an American vessel shall have discharged her cargo, and completed her outward lading, paid all her duties, and delivered a true manifest of her outward cargo to the American Consul, a Siamese port clearance shall be granted her, on application from the Consul, who, in the absence of any legal impediment to her departure, will then return to the master his ship's papers, and allow the vessel to leave. A custom-house officer will accompany the vessel