neral government of these countries, a copy of the requifition made to them by the minifters of the conference, relating to the leffening of the duties of importation on the coarfe woollen cloths coming from Great Britain, and from the United Provinces; as alfo for reducing the said duties on brandies diftilled from corn: commanding you by exprefs order of the faid council of ftate, to take care to regulate yourselves pursuant thereto, in collecting the faid duties, and to give notice of it to your fubalterns. Molt dear and special friends, God have you in his holy keeping. Bruffels, at the council of the faid finances, the 12th of November, 1715.

To the collectors of the duties of importation and ex

This is a copy agreeing with the minutes kept in the rei

giftry of the finances.

P. W. Francquen

Extract from the Tariff, fettled the 14th of Novem

ber, 1715.

N. B. A difficulty having rifen about the intention of the requifition of the 6th of November, 1715, of which mention is made in the 26th article of the treaty of barrier, it is agreed provifionally to cause the duties of importation on all the different forts comprehended in the above Tariff, under the denomination of woollen cloths, to be collected according to the tenor of the faid requifition of the 6th of November, till his Imperial and Catholick Majefty, and his majefty the king of Great Britain, fhall agree upon it otherwife; and, in the mean while, the king's collectors and officers fhall permit the faid manufactures to be imported, giving notice, and taking fecurity for the payment of the overplus duties of importation, on the foot the fame shall be fettled.

A

A letter from the Imperial Envoy, Count Volkra, to the Lord Vifcount Townfhend, principal fecretary of state. My LORD,

You

a

OU have acquainted me, that complaints are made of contraventions to the 26th article of the treaty of barrier; and I have had the honour to communicate to you, what count Kinigsegg has anfwered thereupon.

I can declare to you befides, that, for the future, there will be an exact performance of the faid 26th article of the treaty of barrier of the 15th of November, 1715, and of the convention at London, of the 26th of July, 1715; as alfo of the declaration in the Tariff of the 14th of November, 1715, that is to fay, that the duties on the Petite Draperie, (or woollen ftuffs) of England, will be collected on the foot of the coarfe woollen cloths, according to the diminution expreffed in the forefaid convention at London, without any alteration, till it be agreed otherwise between the Emperor and the King, our masters; but, in the mean time, the merchants are to give fecurity to pay the furplus, if the matter fhall be fo determined between the two respective courts. I am, &c. London, August, 1716. The Count Volkra

Treaty between Charles VI. Emperor of the Romans, and Catholick King of Spain, on the one Part, and George, King of Great Britain, and the Lords the States General of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, on the other Part; for the entire Reftitution of the Spanish Netherlands, to his Imperial and Catholick Majefty; with the Re: ferve of a strong and folid barrier to the faid Netherlands, in favour of their High Might ineffes; as alfo of the yearly Payment of feveral great Sums, as well for the maintenance of the faid barrier, as for the reimbursement of those which were due to them before. Made at Antwerp the 15th of November, 1715; together with a feparate Article relating to Mortgages of the fame Date, and forms of the Oaths to be taken by the governors of places, full powers and Ratifications, Orafmuch as it pleafed the Almighty to restore peace fome time ago to Europe, and as nothing is more de

firable

firable and neceffary, than as far as poffible to re-establish and fecure the common and publick fafety and tranquility; and whereas the lords the States General of the United Provinces, have engaged to remit the Netherlands to his Imperial and Catholick Majefty Charles VI. as it was ftipulated and agreed by the treaty made at the Hague the 7th of September, 1701, between his Imperial Majesty Leopold, of glorious memory, his Britannick majefty William III. alfo of glorious memory, and the faid States General, that the faid potentates fhould agree upon what related to their reciprocal interests; particularly with respect to the manner of establishing the fecurity of the Netherlands, to ferve as a barrier to Great Britain and the United Provinces, and with respect to the commerce of the inhabitants of Great Britain, and the United Provinces. And whereas at prefent, his Imperial and Catholick Majefty, Charles VI. to whom the faid Netherlands shall be remitted by this treaty, his Britannick majefty king. George, both at this time reigning, and the lawful heirs and fucceffors of the faid Emperor and King, and the States General of the United Provinces, acting therein by the fame principles of friendship, and with the fame intention, to procure and establish the faid mutual fecurity, and the more to confirm a strict union, have for that end named, commiffioned, and appointed for their minifters plenipotentiaries, viz. his Imperial and Catholick Majefty, the Sieur Jofeph Lotharius count de Konigsegg, his chamberlain, counsellor of war, and lieutenant general of his armies: his Britannick majefty, William Cadogan, Efq; his envoy extraordinary to their High Mightineffes the States General of the United Provinces, member of the parliament of Great Britain, mafter of the wardrobe, lieutenant general of his armies, and colonel of the fecond regiment of his guards: and the States General, Meffieurs Bruno Vander Duffen, late burgomafter, fenator and counfellor, penfionary of the city of Gouda, affeffor in the councils of Hemfrades de Schieland, Dyke grave of Crimpenerwaerde; Adolphus Henry, count de Rechteren, lord of Almelo and Vriefeveen, &c. prefident of the lords the ftates of the province of Overyffel, and Droffart of the quarter of Zealand; Scato de Gockinga, fenator of the city of Gro

ningen,

ningen, and Adrian de Borffelle, lord of Geldermalfen &c. fenator of the city of Flushing; the three firft depu ties of the affembly of the lords the States General, on the part of the provinces of Holland and Weft Frieseland, Overyffel, Groningen and Omlands, and the fourth, deputy of the council of state of the United Provinces. Who being affembled in the city of Antwerp, which by common confent had been named for the place of congrefs, and having exchanged their full powers, copies whereof are inferted at the end of this treaty, after many conferences, have agreed for, and in the name of his Imperial and Catholick Majefty, his Britannick Majefty, and the Lords the States General, in the manner as follows:

I. The States General of the United Provinces, immediately after the exchange of the rafications of the prefent treaty, fhall, by virtue of the grand alliance in 1701, and of the engagements they have entered into fince, remit to his Imperial and Catholick Majefty all the provin ces and towns of the Netherlands, with their dependencies, as well thofe which were poffeffed by the late king of Spain, Charles II. of glorious memory, as thofe which were lately given up by his late majefty the moft Chriftian King, alfo of glorious memory; which provinces and towns together, as well thofe that are remitted by this prefent treaty, as those which were remitted before, fhall hereafter be and compofe in whole or in part, but one undividable, unalienable, and unchangeable domain, which fhall be infeparable from the estates of the house of Auftria in Germany, to be enjoyed by his Imperial and Catholick Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, in full and irrevokable fovereignty and propriety; that is to fay, with refpect to the former, as they were enjoyed, or ought to have been enjoyed, by the late king Charles II. of glorious memory, pursuant to the treaty of Ryfwick; and with refpect to the latter, in the fame manner, and upon the fame condi tions as they were furrendered up, and remitted to the lords the States General, by the late moft Chriftian King, of glorious memory, in favour of the moft auguft houfe of Auftria, and without any other charges, mortgages or engagements, which may have been conftituted on the part of the States General, and to their profit.

II. His

II. His Imperial and Catholick Majefty promises and engages, that no province, city, place, fortrefs or territory of the faid Netherlands, fhall be surrendered, transferred, granted, or defcend to the crown of France, nor to any prince or princefs of the house and line of France, nor to any other who fhall not be the fucceffor, heir and poffeffor of the dominions of the houfe of Auftria in Germany, either by donation, fale, exchange, marriage-contract, inheritance, teftamentary fucceffion, or ab inteftato, or upon any other title or pretext whatfoever. So that not any province, city, place, fortress or territory of the faid Netherlands, fhall ever be fubject to any other prince, than the fucceffors of the faid house of Auftria; only excepting what was formerly yielded to the king of Pruffia, and what fhall be given up by the present treaty to the faid lords the States General,

III. Whereas the fafety of the Auftrian Netherlands will chiefly depend upon the number of troops that may be kept in the faid Netherlands, and places that are to form the barrier which has been promised to the lords the States General by the grand alliance, his Imperial and Catholick Majefty, and their High Mightineffes, have agreed conftantly to maintain therein, at their own expence, a body of from 30 to 35000, whereof his Imperial and Catholick Majefty fhall provide three fifths, and the States General two fifths. Provided always, that if his Imperial and Catholick Majefty fhall diminish his quota, it fhall be in the power of the faid States General, to leffen theirs in proportion and when there is any appearance of war or attack, the faid body shall be augmented to 40,000 men, according to the fame proportion; and, in cafe of actual war, a farther force fhall be agreed upon, according as fhall be found neceffary. The repartition of the faid troops in time of peace, for as much as concerns the places committed to the guard of the troops of their High Mightineffes, fhall be made by them only, and the repartition of the reft by the governor of the Netherlands, by imparting reciprocally to each other, the difpofitions they shall have made.

IV. His Imperial and Catholick Majefty grants to the States General, a privative or feparate garrifon of their own.

troops,