Treaty of Commerce with France. TREATY OF COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE. (Signed at Versailles, July 23rd, 1873; Ratifications Exchanged at Paris August 4th, 1873.) HE ER MAJESTY the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the President of the French Republic, being equally animated with the desire to draw closer the ties of frendship which unite the two countries, and of placing on a satisfactory footing the commercial and maritime relations between the two States, have, with this object, determined to conclude a Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, and they have accordingly appointed their respective Plenipotentiaries, that is to say : Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honorable Richard Bickerton Pemell, Lord Lyons, a Peer of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, one of Her Britannic Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Council, and Her said Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the French Republic, &c., &c., &c. ; And the President of the French Republic, M. le Duc de Broglie, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vice-President of the Council, Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, &c., &c., &c. ; Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles : ARTICLE I. The Treaty of Commerce concluded on the 23rd of January, 1860, between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and France, as also the Supplementary Conventions of the 12th of October and 16th of November of the same year, are again put in force in all their stipulations and in their full tenor, and shall continue to have effect as before the Act of Denunciation of the 15th of March, 1872. The High Contracting Parties guarantee to each other reciprocally, as well in the United Kingdom as in France and Algeria, the treatment, in all respects, of the most favoured nation. It is, therefore understood, that in conformity with the stipulations of Article XIX of the Treaty of Commerce, concluded on the 23rd of January, 1860, and of Article V of the Supplementary Convention of the 16th of November of the same year, each of the High Contracting Parties engages to Treaty of Commerce with France. to give the other,immediately and unconditionally, the benefit of every favour or immunity, every privilege or reduction of Tariff in regard to the importation of merchandise, whether mentioned or not in the Treaty and Conventions of 1860, which have been or may be conceded by one of the High Contracting Parties to any foreign nation whatsoever, whether within or beyond Europe. It is likewise understood that, in all that relates to transit, warehousing, exportation, re-exportation, local dues, brokerage, Customs formalities, samples, designs for manufactures, and likewise in all matters relating to the exercise of commerce and industry, British subjects in France or in Algeria, and French in the United Kingdom, shall enjoy the treatment of the most favoured nation. ARTICLE II. British ships and their cargoes shall, in France and Algeria, and French ships and their cargoes shall, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from whatever place arriving, and whatever may be the place of origin or destination of their cargoes, be treated in every respect as national ships, and their cargoes. The coasting trade, however, is excepted from the preceding stipulation, and remains subject to the respective laws of the two countries. ARTICLE III. The High Contracting Parties agree to settle by means of a Supplementary Convention, the ratifications of which shall be exchanged before the 31st of January, 1874, such arrangements as may appear to them to be necessary in regard to Consular attributions, to transit and Customs regulations affecting entry of goods, expertise, samples, and any other matters of the like nature; and they agree, moreover, to substitute this Supplementary Convention for the stipulations about similar matters comprised in the Treaties and Conventions of 1860. ARTICLE IV. Mineral oils of British origin shall be admitted into France and Algeria from the 1st of January, 1874, or sooner, if possible, at a Customs duty of 5 per cent., that is to say: at the rate of duty levied previously to the passing of the law of the 8th of July, 1871. It is, nevertheless, agreed that the said oils shall, in conformity with the stipulations of Article IX of the Treaty of the 23rd of January, 1860, Treaty of Commerce with France. again put into force by Article I of the present Treaty, be likewise subject to the duty of 5 fr. or 8 fr. per 100 kilog. established on crude or refined oils by the law of the 16th of September, 1871, or that which may be hereafter levied on the like oils manufactured in France. A Commission, consisting of one member on the part of each Government, shall meet at Paris immediately after the ratification of the present Treaty, in order to settle, as hereinafter directed, questions concerning duties levied in France on British mineral oils, as well as to consider and report on any other questions which the High Contracting Parties agree, or shall agree, to refer to it. The benefit of the above provisions shall be extended to British mineral oils, to be supplied to persons in France under contracts entered into before the promulgation of the law of the 8th of July, 1871. The Commission shall examine how far it would be possible to effect reimbursement of duties levied in excess of the duty of 5 per cent., and the tax of 5 fr. or 8 fr. per 100 kilog. above referred to, in the case of British mineral oils, introduced into France since the promulgation of the law of the 8th of July, 1871, otherwise than in pursuance of contracts previously entered into. In regard to the contracts above referred to, the settlement shall include indemnification for actions for breaches of contracts entered into before the enforcement of the Law of the 8th of July, 1871. The High Contracting Parties, before the exchange of the ratifications of the present Treaty, shall name some third person to act as Arbitrator in regard to any points in connection with the questions above referred to which relate to mineral oils and on which the Commissioners may themselves differ in opinion. The Commission shall refer any such points to the Arbitrator, whose decision shall be binding on the Commissioners, and shall be reported by them accordingly. The High Contracting Parties shall forthwith carry out the decision come to by the Commission or by the Arbi trator. ARTICLE V. The present Treaty shall remain in force until the 30th of June, 1877. In case neither of the two High Contracting Parties should have notified, twelve months before the said date, the intention of putting an end to it, it shall remain binding until the expiration of one year from the day on which either of the two High Contracting Parties shall have denounced it. ARTICLE Treaty of Commerce with France, &c. ARTICLE VI. The President of the French Republic engages to apply to the National Assembly for the necessary authorization to ratify and give effect to the present Treaty immediately after its signature. The ratifications shall be exchanged at Paris as soon as possible, and the Treaty shall immediately come into force. In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Treaty, and have thereto affixed the seals of their arms. Done in duplicate at Versailles, the 23rd day of July, in the year of Our Lord 1873. [L.S.] LYONS. CONVENTION BETWEEN HER MAJESTY AND THE FRENCH REPUBLIC. Supplementary to the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation of July 23rd, 1878. (Signed at Versailles, January 24th, 1874; Ratifications exchanged at Paris, January 30th, 1874.) HER ER MAJESTY the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the President of the French Republic, having agreed, by the Third Article of the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation signed at Versailles on the 23rd of July, 1873, to settle, by means of a Supplementary Convention, the ratifications of which were to be exchanged before the 31st of January, 1874, such arrangements as may appear to them to be necessary in regard to Consular attributions, to transit and Customs regulations affecting entry of goods, expertise, samples, and any other matters of like nature; and, moreover, to substitute this Supplementary Convention for the stipulations about similar matters comprised in the Treaty and Conventions of 1860; they have accordingly appointed as their respective Plenipotentiaries, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honorable Richard Bickerton Pemell, Lord Lyons, a Peer of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, one of Her Britannic Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Council, and Her said Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Government of the French Republic, &c., &c., &c. ; And Supplementary Treaty of Commerce with French Republic. And the President of the French Republic, M. le Duc Decazes, Member of the National Assembly, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, &c., &c.. &c.; Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles : ARTICLE I. If one of the High Contracting Parties shall impose an excise tax, that is to say, an inland duty, upon any article of home production or manufacture, an equivalent compensatory duty may be imposed on articles of the same description on their importation from the territories of the other Power, provided that the said equivalent duty is levied on the like articles on their importation from all other foreign countries. In the event of the reduction or suppression of excise taxes, that is to say, inland duties, a corresponding reduction or suppression shail, at the same time, be made in the equivalent compensatory import duty on manufactures of British or French origin, as the case may be. ARTICLE II. The transit of goods to and from the United Kingdom shall be free from all transit duties in France and Algeria, and the transit of goods to and from France and Algeria shall be free from all transit duties in the United Kingdom. ARTICLE III. The stipulations of Article IX of the Convention of the 12th of October, 1860, in regard to duties of marking and guarantee established for goldsmith's work and jewellery, shall be applicable to fire-arms, anchors, chain cables, and all other articles over which similar control is or may be exercised. ARTICLE IV. In case of dispute between the importer and the French Customs as to the denomination, origin, or class under which any goods may be chargeable with duty, this dispute shall be referred to the Board of Legal Expertise established at the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce by Article 19 of the law of July 27th, 1822. The declarant, on the one hand, and |