Their high mightinesses representing the Batavian republic, to all those who shall see these presents, or hear the same read, greeting, make known:- That, the proposition of the raadpensionary, to the following effect, having been received and approved by us, has consequently been resolved, so as enacted by these presents.-Art. I. That, from the promulgation hereof, all laws, publications, ordinances, and decrees, made and passed until the date of these presents, against the trade with Great Britain, the importation of British merchandizes and manufactures, and the exportation of sundry articles of ammunition, naval stores or provisions, are held annulled and without effect, so as it is enacted by these presents, and with the same, also all orders and instructions issued to officers in the service of this country on the aforesaid subject.-Art. II. That no vessels coming directly from ports situated in Great Britain, or any place or places in Europe, possessed or garrisoned by civil or military authorities, subject to the said empire, and having partly or wholly loaded there, shall be admitted into this republic, nor into the ports of the same.-Art. III. That any vessel which, notwithstanding, should venture to enter, from any port or ports in Great Britain, or any other

ports in Europe dependent thereon, without any, or with false or simulated papers, shall be confiscated, together with all the goods she may have taken at the said port or ports, independent of what the same may consist.-Art. IV. That the master or commander of a vessel, coming from neutral countries, which by necessity, contrary wind, or any other defect or want, may have put into any port or ports of Great Britain, whether that the same has discharged there, and afterwards re-loaded in whole or in part the discharged goods, or whether the cago has remained untouched, shall be obliged to declare the same, on his entrance in the river, at the first office of the customs. In which case, if such vessel should have taken in at any such port or ports any additional or other goods or merchandizes which did not belong to her original cargo, such additional goods only will be confiscated; but, if it should afterwards appear that the master or commander of such vessel has concealed, and not immediately reported, such goods as may not have belonged to the original cargo, the master will be further liable to a penalty of one thousand guilders, and his vessel made answerable and actionable for the same.-Art. V. That, in case a neutral vessel coming from Great Britain, and bound to any neutral port or ports, should put into any port of this republic, by necessity, contrary wind, or other defect or want, the same shall be stopped at the first office of the customs, and a guard put on board the same.-And, if the necessity of putting into said port appears doubtful, it shall be proved by sufficient documents to the satisfaction of the judge, under X x 4 a penalty

a penalty of one thousand guilders, to be levied under the regulation stipulated by Art. IV. That none of the men on board such vessel shall be permitted to go on shore, but under the care of the military commanders appointed for that purpose. That in case the situation in which such vessel may be found renders the immediate departure practicable, and wind and weather permitting, the master shall be ordered and obliged to comply therewith. That the vessel being in want of repairs, and it being necessary to land the whole or part of the cargo, the same shall be housed and kept in the custody of the officers of the customs of this republic, and shall be afterwards re-shipped, without that any part of the same may be kept back and remain in the country. That the vessel not being able to proceed on her intended voyage, after sufficient proofs have been given to this effect, and a licence has been obtained from the commissary for the affairs of the customs, the goods will be permitted to be exported in another vessel, and be reshipped on board the same under the same precautions as would have been observed in case of re-shipment on board the original vessel, under this proviso, however, that the vessel, on board of which such goods may be shipped, shall not be allowed to load any other goods, without a special licence previously obtained for that purpose. That, with regard to goods which might be found damaged to such a degree that the same could not be re-exported, without incurring the risk of a total loss, a permission will be granted to sell the same, according to the exigencies of the case, and under such precautions as will be prescribed by

That all

the board of customs. goods found on board such vessel, of which no documents are to be found, establishing the neutrality of the same, will be considered as the property of inhabitants of Great Britain, and be confiscated as such, without any claims of reclamation being admitted; and this until such time as when the rule, free ship, free merchandize, will be admitted by the government of Great Britaiu.—Art. VI. That the masters of vessels situated as in the foregoing articles, as well as of those arriving in ballast, who may have received any letter or letters or packets on board, in any port or ports of Great Britain, or at sea, from any English ship or vessel, or any other coming from the said ports, shall be obliged to deliver the same, on their arrival, to the military officer, authorised for that purpose, in the different roadsteads and harbours of this republic, under a penalty of one thou sand guilders, if they have acted contrary thereto, and should be convicted thereof, either immediate. ly or at any time thereafter, during the vessel's stay in this republic.Art. VII. That, with alteration of the 106th and 112th articles of the general placart, on levying the customs of the 31st of July, 1725, during the present war with the empire of Great Britain, all vessels, from whatever port or place the same may come, besides the general declaration or other acts required in the said articles, shall be bound to deliver at the first office of cus toms all public acts or documents, and ship's-papers, together with the bills of lading or charter-parties of their cargoes on board, or at least attested copies of the same, without any of the same being withheld,

which shall be sealed up in presence of the masters, and by them also, if they should think proper, and immediately sent up to the commissary for the affairs of the customs in the departments to which the place of the destination is subject. That the master and mate shall be obliged to take the following oath or affirmation, before the officers at the outer or first office of customs, upon the delivery of the papers: "We the "underwritten master and mate de "clare to have come with the vessel "under our commmand from " and to be bound to

"and that we have no other vou"chers or acts on board concerning "the cargo, but those which are "delivered by us, on this day, to "the officers at the outer or first "office of customs, nor any letters "received by us in any port or 66 ports of Great Britain, or at sea "from any ship or vessel; but "that, forasmuch as any such have "been received on board by us, "the same are delivered up faith"fully and without exception. So "truly help me God Almighty!" (Or the usual form for those, who, on account of their persuasion or religious opinions, make difficulty of taking the oath.) Which declaration, signed by the master and mate, is to be sent up, together with the papers; and they shall be also duly obliged to specify such places where they may have put into after their departure from their port of loading, and also such goods as they may have shipped in such place or places, which shall be inserted in the said declaration. That no goods shall be delivered out of the ships or vessels, nor the unloading of the same be permitted or suffered by the officers of this republic,

till after the consent shall be obtained of the commissary for the affairs of the customs, to whom the ship's documents shall be transmitted, but the vessels be obliged to wait for the said consent, taking a birth under the control of the first office of the customs, unless the masters, from a desire of prosecuting their voyage, should choose to receive a person as guard on board, and proceed with the same to their place of destination, in which case they will be obliged to find him in victuals and drink with the ship's company, and pay, over and above, ten stivers for each and every day he may remain on board. Those, however, wishing to profit of this privilege, must declare themselves on making their first report, and notify at the same time, to the clearing officer, the custom-house to which they mean to apply for the said permission. It remaining, however, always optional with the officers of the customs, in case of suspicion, to put one or more guards on board, without being asked for.-Art. VIII. That no British manufactured goods shall be imported into the Batavian' republic, either by water or by land, under the penalty of all such British manufactures, when overtaken and seized, being confiscated. That, besides all such persons who have been accessary, either directly or indirectly, to the said importation, or to whose consignments such goods have been laden and transported with their knowledge, over and above the confiscation of the goods, shall forfeit a penalty of one thousand guilders; from which only such persons will be exempted, who, within 24 hours from the time they have been informed of the expedi tion being made, shall declare such

at

at the custom-house of their place of residence, or the nearest to it, and immediately also at the first custom-house where the importation shall take place: this, however, only if the goods shall not have been already seized, previous to the above declaration being made. That, with alteration, in as far as concerns the said goods, of the 67th article of the general placart of the year 1725, all those who shall be found to import, or to have imported, such manufactured goods, by or through clandestine ways, unlawful channels, ferries, or roads, or at unlawful times, or shall be guilty of violence, over and above the confiscation of the goods, and the penalty of a thousand guilders, before enacted, shall be punished with imprisonment, and, in as far as concerns the violence, with corporal, and, if need be, capital punishment, both according to the exigency of the case :--And that the ships, schoots, carts, waggons, horses, beasts of burden, and every thing used in such clandestine transportation, shall be declared forfeited. That those who shall be found to import or to have imported such manufactured goods under false denominations and packages, or provided with false declarations or certificates, and to have known any thing of the same, over and above the forfeiture of the goods, and the penalty of a thousand guilders, before enacted, shall be punished with imprisonment, or banishment out of this republic, according to the exigency of the case. -Art. IX. That, in order to remove all doubt, what will or will not be comprehended under the denomination of British manufactures, and be considered as such, now and henceforth, without prejudice to

the prohibition of all other produce of British manufacture and work. manship, though not specially expressed, but, however, ranking among the undermentioned assortments, shall be held as such :——-1. All sorts of goods known by the name of Manchesters. 2. All cloths and stuffs manufactured of wool or cotton, or woollen cotton or linen yarn. 3. All mixed stuffs manufactured from the articles before enumerated. 4. All wholly or partly printed or painted cottons, mus. lins, piquées, dimities, and nankinetts. 5. All knitted woollen, cotton or worsted waistcoats, breeches and pantaloons, and also the said stuffs in pieces. 6. All English, Scotch, and Irish stockings. 7. All sorts of cap-maker's wares, whether of cotton, wool, and leather, plain, mixed, or coloured. 8. All sorts of buttons. 9. All plated wares. 10. All fine iron and steel wares, tin-plates, copper, and tin-work, whether bright, japanned, or painted. 11. All sorts of fine cutlery. 12. All fine joinery. 13. Watches, gold and silver buckles, watchchains, rings, fans, and all what is known by the name of English jewellery. 14. All sorts of leather, tanned, tawed, or prepared in any manner, boot-legs, men's and wo men's shoe-leathers, together with 'all other sorts of leather manufac tured in whole or in part. 15. All sorts of carriages, partly or wholly finished, saddles, both new and used, and all sorts of saddle-maker's work. 16. All sorts of silk spencers and under-waiscoats, and also ribbands, and tapes, either wholly or partly made of silk, cotton, or linen yarn. 17. All men's and women's hats, made of felt, straw, or any other stuff; gauze and silk threads,

threads, and also shawls, known by the name of English shawls. 18. All sorts of spun wool and hair, and also perriwig-maker's and hair-dresser's work; all sorts of carpeting, whether already made up, or in pieces or rolls to be afterwards joined together. 19. All sorts of prepared leather or buff-skins, fit for making gloves, breeches, waistcoats, or what is called gilets, either painted, printed, or plain, and all those articles manufactured or cut for the said purposes. 20. All sorts of English glass or crystal-work, except such as is used for making of optical instruments and timekeepers. 21. All English taffeties, hanging paper and furniture. 22. All sorts of refined sugars, either in loaves or powder, or loose sugar. 23. All sorts of china, earthen or potter's ware. 24. All sorts of paper, either white, brown, or dyed, painted or coloured. 25. Whale oil, not imported directly from Denmark, Sweden, or North America; and, 26. Pit coals.——— Art. X. That, it shall continue to be lawful to import all manufactured goods of the nature and kinds described in the foregoing article, and not otherwise prohibited in the common laws of this country, under this proviso, that the same shall be accompanied at importation by a certificate, delivered, as far as it is practicable, at the place of origin, or otherwise at the place from which they are sent, precisely and accurately specifying the contents of each bale, pack, cask, chest, or other package, the numbers and marks, the place of origin of such manufactured goods, and, moreover, all and whatever shall be required for further elucidation and security by the secretary of state

for the finances, as charged with the administration and direction of the customs, whether with regard to the importation from other countries, in general, or any one country in particular; agreeably to the regula tions which will be made known, either immediately after the promulgation of this law, or at any future period, on this subject.-Art. XI. That, in order that the searching and examination be made with better security, a regulation will be made, which will be notified by the secre tary of state for the finances, through which custom-houses or offices of customs the goods mentioned in Art. IX. of neutral origin, and coming from neutral countries, will be permitted to be imported; so that all such goods, either British or neutral, of whatever origin the same be, either provided with or without certificates, attempted to be imported by or through other roads, ports or offices, or already imported and having passed such unqualified offices, being overtaken, shall be considered as British, and consequently fall in the terms of the third paragraph of the eighth article.Art. XII. That all navigation and trade, direct from or out of this commonwealth to any port or ports of Great Britain, shall be and remain prohibited.-Art. XIII. That for the due execution of the forego-ing article, no exportation of ammunition or naval stores shall be permitted, such as cannon, mortars, ordnance-carriages, bombs, grenades, balls, firelocks, muskets, carabines, pistols, sabres, swords, caissons, horse-harnesses, saddles, tents, and other instruments of war, of whatever denomination, gunpowder, saltpetre, anchors, sails, and cordage, without having previously

obtained