for clearing out ballaft (for hereafter a rate fhall be fettled of the payments to pilots, according to certain fleets of fhips); but if fuch fhip shall be brought to the city or place appointed for repairing fhips, then it fhall pay all and fingular the impofitions usually demanded of fhips, the expences to be paid to officers being within moderation, according to the proportion of the fhip; though the goods, which in that cafe the fhip hath landed for its neceffary repair, and afterwards received back, fhall be free from any duty or imposition, and not like the reft of the loading.

And if there fhall be occafion to fell any part of the goods for the faid reparations, or to buy provifions, the accuftomed duties for this proportion of goods only fhall be paid; and it fhall not be lawful to take out any part of the goods, without leave firft obtained of the magiftrate.

But as often as any fhip which fhall arrive from foreign parts into the ftation of the Dantzic fhips, and bound with her loading to another place, fhall unload any goods to be carried into the city; or if any goods are to be carried on board any fhip arriving from foreign parts, and bound to another place, but not unloading any goods; in this case the whole cuftom must be paid for the fhip, that is to fay, as much as is required in that cafe for the Dantzic ships themselves; but the other impofitions fhall be levied, as well upon view of the ship as by reafon of the merchandizes, according to the proportion of lafts unloaded or imported. But if fuch fhip unloading any merchandize, has a mind to import into the city other goods in lieu of thofe unloaden, in that cafe the duties fhall be proportionably paid, according to the rate of the lafts which fhall remain imported.

V. For as much as the British merchants, defiring to provide for the payment of the customs in a manner less troublesome, but not with lefs fafety, did obtain from the magiftrates of Dantzic, by the conclu

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fion

fion of the States of the city of the 22d July, 1705, that instead of the ufual money to be paid in the chamber (custom-house) perfonal fecurity fhould be admitted to be taken, whereby all and fingular the merchants of the British nation, refiding in Dantzic for the time being, were bound, and the faid States were pleased again to prolong the fame method of fecurity for another year; it is therefore agreed, that the faid use of personal security fhall remain to the end of the faid year, nor is it hereafter to be doubted that any thing fhall be changed therein, except it fhall be found by experience that the British merchants abufe that conceffion, and perform not their part, or that other weighty confiderations require it otherwife.

VI. Whereas commerce and the credit of traders, which are mutually neceffary, cannot flourish or fubfift without a ready administration of juftice, the magiftrate fhall therefore take care that regard be had to the British merchants in all causes, and to their just defires in this particular. And a Dantzic merchant being creditor in fpecie, fhall not arreft the perfon or goods of any British merchant his debtor, who shall be willing to give fufficient fecurity; and by the like fufficient fecurity to be given, a citizen of Dantzic that is debtor, fhall be refponfible to a British merchant that is creditor and fuitor. The citizens of Dantzic fhall reciprocally enjoy the fame right in the kingdoms of Great Britain, &c.

VII. In caufes relating to trade carried on with foreigners, against the rights of the city, the procefs against British merchants fhall be made in the fame manner and form of law as is ufual to proceed against the citizens themselves in the fentence of punishment, according to the prefcription of the ftatute law hitherto conftantly obferved, and in this cafe exact equity fhall be obferved; nor fhall the magiftrate omit to take care as well to prevent the lengthening of fuits, as alfo to correct the other abufes, which by the ma

lice and obftinacy of the parties themselves at law in this behalf may have broke in.

VIII. If differences fhall happen to arise in civil causes merely maritime, between the commanders of British fhips and their feamen, that fhall require a quick difpatch, the plaintiff, upon the request of the adverse party, fhall be referred to the minister of Great Britain (if there be any upon the place), or to two British merchants deputed for that purpose, that the dispute may be well and justly made up. But if that cannot be, the magiftrate fhall plainly, and without any expence of time or charge, take care to determine the matter, that the faid feamen fhall not defert their master and ship to whom they belong, except for the moft weighty reasons.

IX. The British merchants refiding at Dantzic fhall have a minifter for the worship of God, who fhall perform divine service in a private house, and in the British language, and fhall perform the other offices of his function for thofe of the British nation. And the said minister, whether he hath a house and family of his own or not, fhall enjoy the fame freedom as the merchants. He fhall moreover enjoy, by the kind indulgence of the magiftrate, an exemption of excise of beer for the use of his houfe, and confumption of his own family. And the minifters of the reformed religion at Dantzic fhall hereafter be indulged in any fuch refpectful privilege.

X. For preventing all abuses whatsoever in the measure of falt or pit coals, all the tons by which they are measured fhall be exactly adjusted, and a review of them, whether they are altered in any part, fhall be yearly appointed; and the coal infpector fhall be feverely prohibited hereafter from taking to himself any thing that thall accidentally fall upon the ground in unloading the coals out of the fhip or cart, or fhall be defignedly thrown out, but he fhall leave it to the true owner; and the measurers of falt fhall be enjoined

to

to make juft and equal meafure, and to accept reward from no perfon whatfoever, under the penalty of being removed from their office.

XI. And it shall be lawful for the British merchants, in carrying their merchandizes between the city and the station of the ships, and vice verfa, to bring fmall boats (commonly called boardings and ballaft boats) for that purpose, according to an order thereupon made; nor fhall greater freight be exacted of them for their goods than from the citizens themselves: and moreover it fhall be lawful for the British fubjects who trade in Poland, to bring the goods bought there to Dantzic, to be fold to the citizens, and carry away those bought of the citizens, with the fame freedom as the Poles have hitherto, and may do hereafter.

XII. For as much as experience hath taught, that, under the name of tobacco imported from England and Holland, at the port of the city of Dantzic, an herb of the like fpecies is brought hither, though of very different goodness from it, and therefore of a quite different and much cheaper price, that we are perplexed with exquifite and admitted frauds, and by this means the revenue of customs is prejudiced, and private buyers craftily deceived; care fhall therefore be taken, that the remedies introduced for preventing thefe frauds may have their due effect, and other proper means used to obviate them hereafter.

For what remains; if any greater privileges, which any wife refpect the perfons, fhips, or goods of foreigners at Dantzic, fhall be hereafter granted to any foreign nation, the British fubjects fhall in the like manner fully enjoy the fame for themselves, their hips, and commerce.

But after the noble Magiftracy by their Deputies have propofed certain requests, whereof the citizens and merchants of Dantzic moft humbly folicit her moft Serene and Potent Majefty of Great Britain's conceffion, the forementioned Minister and Plenipo

tentiary

tentiary of her faid Majefty ufing his good offices therein, and have earnestly moved that certain inconveniences, which have for fome time affected the navigation and commerce of the people of Dantzic, in the kingdom of Great Britain, may be kindly removed and abolished; and therefore conferences having been likewise fet on foot upon this affair between the faid Plenipotentiary and the Deputies of the Magiftrates, all things being confidered, they thought fit to provide for the requests and grievances of the citizens and merchants of Dantzic by the following articles.

XIII. The citizens and inhabitants of Dantzic shall enjoy in the kingdoms of Great Britain, the fame rights and liberties which they have hitherto obtained, and are now in ufe; and it fhall be therefore free for them to come to, either by land or fea, all the dominions, towns, and places whatsoever of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and to enter into all ports with their fhips, merchandizes, and cargoes, freely and with all manner of fecurity, and to remain therein as long as they please, without any hindrance, and to trade and deal by themselves, or their factors and fervants, and to import at pleasure any merchandize of the product or manufacture of the territories of the faid city of Dantzic or Pruffia, or fuch as fhall be first commonly brought from other parts to the port of Dantzic, to be tranfported thence by fea to other places and territories, and in like manner to export merchandize of all forts; on this condition, nevertheless, that they pay and bear the cuftoms and all other impofitions that are equally to be paid and discharged by all other foreigners refiding or trading there; and that they obferve the laws, ftatutes, and customs of this or that place where they fhall come, and conform themselves thereto. But fo often as the mafters of Dantzic fhips buy falt or pit coals in fpecie (neo caftri) at Newcaftle, or at any places of the kingdom of Scotland, they fhall not be obliged to pay, or be loaden with greater impofitions