are distinguished by the name of contraband, and under this name of contraband, or prohibited goods, shall be comprehended 1st. Cannons, mortars, howitzers, swivels, blunderbusses, muskets, fuzées, rifles, carbines, pistols, pikes, swords, sabres, lances, spears, halberds, and granades, bombs, powder, matches, balls, and all other things belonging to the use of these arms. 2dly. Bucklers, helmets, breast-plates, coats of mail, infantry belts, and clothes made up in the form and for a military use. 3dly. Cavalry belts, and horses with their furniture. 4thly. And generally all kinds of arms and instruments of iron, steel, brass and copper, or of any other materials manufactured, prepared and formed, expressly to make war by sea or land. 1825. December 5. ART. 17. All other merchandise and things not compre- Goods not conhended in the articles of contraband explicitly enumerated, traband. and classified as above, shall be held and considered as free, and subjects of free and lawful commerce, so that they may be carried and transported in the freest manner by both the contracting parties, even to places belonging to an enemy, excepting only those places which are at that time besieged or blocked up; and to avoid all doubt in this particular, it is de- Definition of clared that those places only are besieged or blockaded which are actually attacked by a belligerent force capable of preventing the entry of the neutral. blockade. ART. 18. The articles of contraband, before enumerated Contraband only liable to conand classified, which may be found in a vessel bound for an fiscation. enemy's port, shall be subject to detention and confiscation, leaving free the rest of the cargo and the ship, that the owners may dispose of them as they see proper. No vessel of either of the two nations shall be detained on the high seas on account of having on board articles of contraband, whenever the master, captain, or supercargo of said vessel will deliver up the articles of contraband to the captor, unless the quantity of such articles be so great, and of so large a bulk, that they cannot be received on board the capturing ship without great inconvenience; but in this and in all other cases of just detention, the vessel detained shall be sent to the nearest convenient and safe port, for trial and judgment according to law. 1825. ART. 19°. Y por cuanto frecuentemente sucede que los December 5. buques navegan para un puerto ó lugár perteneciente á un enemigo, sin saber que aquel esté sitiado, bloqueado ó envestido, se conviene en que todo buque en estas circumstancias se pueda hacer volver de dicho puerto, ó lugar; pero no será detenido, ni confiscado parte alguna de su cargamento, no siendo contrabando; á menos que despues de la intimacion de semejante bloqueo ó ataque, por el comandante de las fuerzas bloqueadoras, intentase otra vez entrar; pero le será permitido ir á qualquiera otro puerto ó lugar que juzgue conveniente. Ni ningun buque de una de las partes, que haya entrado en semejante puerto, ó lugar, antes que estuviese sitiado, bloqueado, ó envestido por la otra, sera impedido de dejar el tal lugar con su cargamento, ni si fuere hallado alli despues de la rendicion y entrega de semejante lugár, estará el tal buque ó su cargamento sujeto á confiscacion, sino que serán restituidos á sus dueños. ART. 20°. Para evitar todo genero de desorden en la visita, y examen de los buques y cargamentos de ambas partes contratantes en alta mar, han convenido mutuamente, que siempre que un buque de guerra, publico ó particular se encontrase con un neutral de la otra parte contratante, el primero permanecerá fuera de tiro de cañon, y podrá mandár su bote, con dos ó tres hombres solamente, para ejecutár el dicho examen de los papeles concernientes á la propiedad y carga del buque, sin ocasionár la menor estorcion, violencia ó mal tratamiento, por lo que los comandantes del dicho buque armado serán responsables, con sus personas y bienes; á cuyo efecto los comandantes de buques armados, por cuenta de particulares, estarán obligados antes de entregarseles sus comisiones ó patentes, á dar fianza suficiente para respondér de los perjuicios que causen. Y se ha convenido espresamente, que en ningun caso se exigira á la parte neutrál, que vaya á bordo del buque examinadór con el fin de exibir sus papeles, ó para cualquiera otro objeto sea el que fuere. ART. 21°. Para evitar todo clase de vejamen y abuso en el examen de los papeles relativos á la propiedad de los buques pertenecientes á los ciudadanos de las dos partes contratantes, han convenido y convienen, que en caso de que una de ellas estuviere en guerra, los buques, y bajeles pertenecientes á los ciudadanos de la otra, serán provistos con letras de már, o pasaportes, espresando et nombre, propiedad y tamaño del buque, como tambien el nombre y lugar de la residencia del maestre, ó comandante, á fin de que se vea que el buque, real 1825. December 5. In cases of fied but not de ART. 19. And whereas it frequently happens that vessels sail for a port or place belonging to an enemy, without knowing that the same is besieged, blockaded, or invested, it is agreed, that every vessel so circumstanced, may be turned blockade, vesaway from such port or place, but shall not be detained, nor sels to be notishall any part of her cargo, if not contraband, be confiscated, tained, &c. unless, after warning of such blockade, or investment from the commanding officer of the blockading forces, she shall again attempt to enter; but she shall be permitted to go to any other port or place she shall think proper. vessel of either, that may have entered into such port before ing before blockade, may the same was actually besieged, blockaded or invested, quit unmolestby the other, be restrained from quitting such place with her cargo, nor if found therein after the reduction and surrender, shall such vessel or her cargo be liable to confiscation, but they shall be restored to the owners thereof. Nor shall any Vessels enter ed, &c. reach of cannon ART. 20. In order to prevent all kind of disorder in the During a visit at sea, armed visiting and examination of the ships and cargoes of both the vessels to recontracting parties on the high seas, they have agreed mutual- main out of ly, that whenever a vessel of war, public or private, shall meet shot. with a neutral of the other contracting party, the first shall remain out of cannon shot, and may send its boat with two or three men only in order to execute the said examination of the papers concerning the ownership and cargo of the vessel, without causing the least extortion, violence, or ill treatment, for which the commanders of the said armed ships shall be responsible with their persons and property; for which purpose the commanders of the said private armed vessels shall, before receiving their commissions, give sufficient security to answer for all the damages they may commit. And it is expressly Neutrals not to agreed that the neutral party shall in no case be required to examining ves go on board the examining vessel, for the purpose of exhibit- sel. ing her papers, or for any other purpose whatever. go on board the ART. 21. To avoid all kind of vexation and abuse in the In case of war, sea letters, cerexamination of the papers relating to the ownership of the ves- tificates of carsels belonging to the citizens of the two contracting parties, go, &c. to be furnished, exthey have agreed, and do agree, that in case one of them pressing to should be engaged in war, the ships and vessels belonging to whom the pro the citizens of the other must be furnished with sea-letters or passports, expressing the name, property and bulk of the ship, as also the name and place of habitation of the master or commander of said vessel, in order that it may thereby appear, perty belongs. 1825. December 5 y verdaderamente pertenece á los ciudadanos de una de las partes; y han convenido igualmente, que estando cargados los espresados buques, ademas de las letras de mar, ó pasaportes, estarán tambien provistos de certificados, que contengan los por menores del cargamento, y el lugar de donde salió el buque, para que asi pueda saberse, si hay á su bordo algunos efectos prohibidos ó de contrabando, cuyos certificados serán hechos por los oficiales del lugar de la procedencia del buque, en la forma acostumbrada, sin cuyos requisitos el dicho buque puede ser detenido, para ser juzgado por el tribunal competente, y puede ser declarado buena presa, á menos que satisfagan, ó suplan el defecto con testimonios enteramente equivalentes. ART. 22°. Se ha convenido ademas, que las estipulaciones anteriores, relativas al examen y visita de buques, se aplicarán solamente á los que navegan sin convoy y que cuando los dichos buques estuvieren bajo de convoy, será bastante la declaracion verbal del comandante del convóy, bajo su palabra de honór, de que los buques que están bajo su proteccion pertenecen á la nacion, cuya bandera llevan, y cuando se dirijen á un puerto enemigo, que los dichos buques no tienen á su bordo articulos de contrabando de guerra. ART. 23°. Se ha convenido ademas, que en todos los casos que ocurran, solo los tribunales establecidos para causas de presas, en el pais á que las presas sean conducidas, tomarán conocimiento de ellas. Y siempre que semejante tribunal de cualquiera de las partes, pronunciase sentencia contra algun buque, ó efectos, ó propiedad reclamado por los ciudanos de la otra parte, la sentencia ó decreto hará mencion de las razones ó motivos en que aquella se haya fundado, y se entregará sin demora alguna al comandante ó agente de dicho buque, si lo solicitase, un testimonio autentico de la sentencia, ó decreto, ó de todo el proceso, pagando por el los derechos legales. ART. 24°. Siempre que una de las partes contratantes estuviere empeñada en guerra, con otro Estado, ningun ciudadano de la otra parte contratante aceptará una comision ó letra de marca para el objeto de ayudár ó co-operar hostilmente con el dicho enemigo, contra la dicha parte que esté asi en guerra, bajo la pena de ser tratado como pirata. ART. 25°. Si por alguna fatalidad, que no puede esperarse, y que Dios no permita, las dos partes contratantes se viesen empeñadas en guerra una con otra, han convenido y convienen. de ahora para entonces, que se concederá el termina de seis meses á los comerciantes residentes en las costas y en los 1825. that the ship really and truly belongs to the citizens of one of the parties; they have likewise agreed that such ships be- December 5. ing laden besides the said sea-letters or passports shall also ⚫ be provided with certificates containing the several particulars of the cargo, and the place whence the ship sailed, so that it may be known whether any forbidden or contraband goods be on board the same; which certificates shall be made out by the officers of the place whence the ship sailed, in the accustomed form; without which requisites, said vessel may be detained, to be adjudged by the competent tribunal, and may be declared legal prize, unless the said defect shall be satisfied or supplied by testimony entirely equivalent. ART. 22. It is further agreed, that the stipulations above Visiting regulations to apply expressed relative to the visiting and examination of vessels, only to vessels shall apply only to those which sail without convoy; and when without convoy said vessels shall be under convoy, the verbal declaration of the commander of the convoy, on his word of honor, that the vessels under his protection belong to the nation whose flag he carries; and when they are bound to an enemy's port, that they have no contraband goods on board, shall be sufficient. courts only to stated. ART. 23. It is further agreed, that in all cases the establish- Established ed courts for prize causes, in the country to which the prizes try prize causes may be conducted, shall alone take cognizance of them. And Motives of conwhenever such tribunal of either party shall pronounce judg- demnation to be ment against any vessel or goods, or property claimed by the citizens of the other party, the sentence or decree shall mention the reasons or motives on which the same shall have been founded, and an authenticated copy of the sentence or decree, and of all the proceedings in the case, shall, if demanded, be delivered to the commander or agent of said vessel, without any delay, he paying the legal fees for the same. ART. 24. Whenever one of the contracting parties shall be The neutral engaged in war with another state, no citizen of the other con- party not to accept a commistracting party shall accept a commission, or letter of marque, sion to cruise for the purpose of assisting or co-operating hostilely, with the against the said enemy, against the said parties so at war, under the pain of being treated as a pirate. ART. 25. If, by any fatality which cannot be expected, and which God forbid, the two contracting parties should be engaged in a war with each other, they have agreed, and do now for then, that there shall be allowed the term of six months to the merchants residing on the coasts and in the ports of each agree, other. In case of war, lowed to those 6 months al on the coast, and 12 for those in the interior to remove ef fects, &c.; |