The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876

by J. F. Loubat

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

Treaty of Amity and Commerce between their High Mightinesses the States-General of the United Netherlands and the United States of America, to wit: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Concluded October 8, 1782; ratified January 22, 1783.

Their High Mightinesses the States-General of the United Netherlands and the United States of America, to wit: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, desiring to ascertain, in a permanent and equitable manner, the rules to be observed relative to the commerce and correspondence which they intend to establish between their respective States, countries and inhabitants, have judged that the said end cannot be better obtained than by establishing the most perfect equality and reciprocity for the basis of their agreement, and by avoiding all those burdensome preferences which are usually the sources of debate, embarrassment, and discontent; by leaving also each party at liberty to make, respecting commerce and navigation, such ulterior regulations as it shall find most convenient to itself; and by founding the advantages of commerce solely upon reciprocal utility and the just rules of free intercourse; reserving withal to each party the liberty of admitting at its pleasure other nations to a participation of the same advantages.

On these principles their said High Mightinesses the States-General of the United Netherlands have named for their Plenipotentiaries, from the midst of their assembly, Messieurs their Deputies for the Foreign Affairs; and the said United States of America, on their part, have furnished with full powers Mr. John Adams, late Commissioner of the United States of America at the Court of Versailles, heretofore Delegate in Congress from the State of Massachusetts Bay, and Chief Justice of the said State, who have agreed and concluded as follows, to wit:

Article I.

There shall be a firm, inviolable, and universal peace and sincere friendship between their High Mightinesses, the Lords, the States-General of the United Netherlands, and the United States of America, and between the subjects and inhabitants of the said parties, and between the countries, islands, cities, and places situated under the jurisdiction of the said United Netherlands and the said United States of America, their subjects and inhabitants, of every degree, without exception of persons or places.

Article II.

The subjects of the said States-General of the United Netherlands shall pay in the ports, havens, roads, countries, islands, cities, or places of the United States of America, or any of them, no other nor greater duties or imposts, of whatever nature or denomination they may be, than those which the nations the most favoured are or shall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges immunities, and exemptions in trade, navigation, and commerce which the said nations do or shall enjoy, whether in passing from one port to another in the said States, or in going from any of those ports to any foreign port of the world, or from any foreign port of the world to any of those ports.

Article III.

The subjects and inhabitants of the said United States of America shall pay in the ports, havens, roads, countries, islands, cities or places of the said United Netherlands, or any of them, no other nor greater duties or imposts, of whatever nature or denomination they may be, than those which the nations the most favoured are or shall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities and exemptions in trade, navigation and commerce, which the said nations do or shall enjoy, whether in passing from one port to another in the said States, or from any one toward any one of those ports from or to any foreign port of the world. And the United States of America, with their subjects and inhabitants, shall leave to those of their High Mightinesses the peaceable enjoyment of their rights in the countries, islands and seas in the East and West Indies, without any hindrance or molestation.