THE

TRE AT Y.

HE Most Christian King, and the Thir

THE

teen United States of North America, to wit, New-Hampshire, Massachusett's-bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-York, NewJersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, willing to fix in an equitable and permanent manner, the rules which ought to be followed relative to the correfpondence and commerce which the two parties defire to establish between their respective countries, ftates and fubjects; his Most Christian Majesty and the faid United States have judged that the faid end could not be better obtained, than by taking for the basis of their agreement the most perfect equality and reciprocity, and by carefully avoiding all those burthenfome preferences which are ufually fources of debate, embarrassment, and discontent; by leaving alfo each party at liberty to make refpecting navigation and commerce those interior regulations which it fhall find moft convenient to itself, and

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and by founding the advantage of commerce folely upon reciprocal utility, and the just rules of free intercourfe; referving withal to each party the liberty of admitting, at its pleasure, other nations to a participation of the fame advantages. It is in the spirit of this intention, and to fulfil these views, that his said Majesty having named and appointed for his plenipotentiary Conrad Alexander Gerard, Royal Syndic of the city of Strafbourg, Secretary of his Majefty's Council of State; and the United States on their part having fully empowered Benjamin Franklin, Deputy from the State of Pennsylvania to the General Congrefs, and Prefident to the convention of the faid State; Silas Deane, laté Deputy from the State of Connecticut to the faid Congress; and Arthur Lee, Counsellor at Law: the faid refpective Plenipotentiaries, after exchanging their powers, and after mature deliberation, have concluded and agreed upon the following articles:

ARTICLE I.

There fhall be a firm, inviolable and univerfal peace, and a true and fincere friendship, between the Most Christian King, his heirs and fucceffors, and the United States of America,

rica, and the fubjects of the Most Christian King and of the faid States, and between the countries, islands, cities and towns fituate under the jurifdiction of the Most Christian King and of the faid United States, and the people and inhabitants of every degree, without exception of perfons or places, and the terms herein after mentioned shall be perpetual between the Moft Chriftian King, his heirs and fucceffors, and the faid United States.

ARTICLE IL

The Most Christian King and the United States engage mutually not to grant any parti cular favour to other nations, in respect of commerce and navigation, which shall not immediately become common to the other party, who fhall enjoy the fame favour freely, if the conceffion was freely made, or on allowing the fame compensation, if the concession was conditional.

ARTICLE III.

The fubjects of the Most Christian King fhall pay in the ports, havens, roads, countries, islands, cities or towns of the United States, or of them, no other or greater duties or im Dd 3

any

poíts,

posts, of what nature foever they may be, or by what name foever called, than those which the nations most favoured are or fhall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities, and exemptions in trade, navigation and commerce, whether in paffing from one port in the said States to another, or in going to and from the fame, from and to any part of the world, which the faid nations do or shall enjoy.

ARTICLE IV.

The fubjects, people and inhabitants of the faid United States, and each of them, fhall not pay in the ports, havens, roads, iflands, cities and places under the domination of his Moft Christian Majefty in Europe, any other or greater duties or impofts, of what nature foever they may be, or by what name foever called, than those which the most favoured nations are or shall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities, and exemptions in trade, navigation and commerce, whether in paffing from one port in the said dominions in Europe to another, or in going to and from the fame, from

from and to any part of the world, which the faid nations do or fhall enjoy.

ARTICLE V.

In the above exemption is particularly comprized the impofition of one hundred fous per ton, established in France on foreign fhips, unless when the hips of the United States shall load with the merchandize of France, for another port of the said dominions; in which case the ships shall pay the duty above-mentioned, fo long as other nations the most favoured fhall be obliged to pay it; but it is understood, that the faid United States, or any of them, are at liberty, when they shall judge it proper, to establish a duty equivalent in the fame cafe,

ARTICLE VI.

The Moft Chriftian King fhall endeavour, by all the means in his power, to protect and defend all veffels and the effects belonging to the fubjects, people or inhabitants of the faid United States, or any of them, being in his ports, havens or roads, or on the feas near his countries, islands, cities or towns; and to recover and restore to the right owners, their agents

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