to conform themfelves to the laws of this empire. And Ruffian merchants fhall be equally obliged to do the fame in Great Britain.

XVII. In all law-fuits and other proceedings, the British merchants fhall be amenable only to the college of commerce, or to that which fhall hereafter be eftablished for the adminiftration of juftice between merchants. But, if it fhould happen that the British merchants fhould have law-fuits in any place at a diftance from the above-mentioned college of commerce, both they and the adverfe party fhall prefer their complaints to the magiftrate of the faid towns; with this provifo, however, that the British merchants hall have the right to appeal from the fentence of the magiftrate, and to demand that of the college of commerce, if they find themfelves aggrieved. The Ruffian merchants in the dominions of Great Britain fhall, in their turn, have the fame protection and juftice, which, according to the laws of that kingdom, are granted to other foreign merchants, and shall be treated as the fubjects of the most favoured nation.

XVIII. The British merchants in Ruffia, and the Ruffian merchants in Great Britain, fhall not be obliged to fhew their books or papers to any perfon whatever, unless it be to make proof in the courfe of juftice, ftill lefs fhall the faid books or papers be taken or detained from them. If, however, the cafe fhould happen, that any British merchant becomes bankrupt, he fhall be amenable at St. Petersburgh to the college of commerce, or to that which fhall hereafter be established for the adminiftration of juftice in mercantile affairs; and in other remote towns, to the magiftrate of the place; and he fhall be proceeded against according to the laws that are or fhall be made for this purpofe. Nevertheless, if the British merchants, without becoming bankrupt, refufe to pay their debts, whether to the treafury of her Imperial Majefty, or to individuals, it fhall be lawful to lay an

arreft

1766.]

WITH RUSSIA.

arreft upon part of their effects equivalent to their
debts; and, in cafe thefe effects fhould not be fuffi-
cient for difcharging fuch debts, they may themselves
be arrested and detained in cuftody, until fuch time
as the greater part of their creditors, as well with
refpect to number, as to the value of their respective
demands, have confented to their enlargement. With
regard to their effects laid under arreft, they fhall re-
main as a depofit in the hands of thofe who fhall be
named and duly authorifed for that purpose, by the
greater part of their creditors, as is above specified;
which delegates fhall be obliged to appraise the effects
as foon as poffible, and to make a juft and fair distri-
bution of them to all the creditors, in proportion to
their refpective demands. The fame procedure fhall,
in like cafes, be obferved towards the Ruffian mer-
chants in the dominions of Great Britain, and they
fhall be there protected agreeably to the regulations.
made in the preceding article.

XIX. In case of complaints and law-fuits, three perfons of fair and unblemished character among the foreign merchants fhall, with a proper regard to circumftances, be named by the college of commerce, and where there is no fuch college, by the magiftrate, to examine the books and papers of the parties; and the report they fhall make to the college of commerce, or to the magiftrate, of what they fhall find in the faid books or papers, fhall be held a good proof.

XX. The commiffioners of the cuftoms fhall have the charge of examining the fervants or clerks of the Ruffian merchants, when they cause their goods to be entered, whether they have, for that effect, the orders or full powers of the mafters; and if they have not fuch, they fhall not be credited. The fame conduct fhall be obferved towards the fervants of the British merchants; and, when the faid fervants, having the orders or full powers of their mafters, fhall caufe their goods to be entered on account of their mafters, thefe

laft

laft fhall be as refponfible as if they themfelves had caused them to be entered. All the Ruffian fervants employed in the fhops fhall likewife be registered, and their mafters fhall anfwer for them in the affairs of trade, and in the bargains which they make in their

name.

XXI. In cafe the Ruffian merchants who are indebted to the British merchants withdraw from the places of their abode to other parts or diftricts, the college of commerce, after complaints fhall have been made to them on the fubject, and proofs of the debts have been adduced, fhall cite them three times, allowing them a fufficient fpace to appear in perfon; and if they do not appear within the term prescribed, the faid college, fhall condemn them, and thall fend, at the expence of the plaintiff, an exprefs to the Governors and Waywodes, with orders to put the fentence in execution, and thus fhall oblige the debtors to pay the fums fpecified.

XXII. The brokerage fhall be fettled with juftice, and the brokers fhall be refponfible for the quality of the goods and fraudulent package, and shall be obliged, after fufficient proofs produced against them, to make up the loffes to which they have given occafion.

XXIII. A regulation fhall be made to prevent the abuses that may be commited in the package of leather, hemp, and flax; and, if any difpute happen between the buyer and the feller concerning the weight or the tare, the commiffioners of the cuftoms fhall determine it according to equity.

XXIV. In order the more effectually to encourage and promote the trade of Great Britain, it is agreed, that for the future the English woollen cloths, hereafter specified, fhall not pay any greater duties on entry than are fettled in this article, viz. English cloth for the ufe of the foldiery, fhall pay (in rixdollars) only two copecs (or pennies) for every arfheen (or 714 yards)

yards) as a duty on entry; coarfe cloth of the county of York, known in the Ruffian Tariff by the name of Coftrogy, fhall only pay two copecs for every arfheen: broad flannel fhall only pay one copec per arfheen; narrow flannel fhall only pay three-fourths of a copec per arfheen, all as duty on entry. And in every thing that regards the impofts and duties payable on the importation or exportation of commodities in general, the fubjects of Great Britain fhall be always confidered and treated as the most favoured nation.

XXV. The peace, friendship, and good underftanding fhall continue for ever between the high contracting parties; and, as it is cuftomary to fix a certain term to the duration of treaties of commerce, the above-mentioned high contracting parties have agreed, that this treaty fhall continue for twenty years, counting from the day of figning; and, after the expiration of that term, they may agree upon the means to renew and prolong it.

XXVI. The prefent treaty of navigation and commerce fhall be approved and ratified by his Britannic Majefty and by her Imperial Majefty; and the ratifications, in due and lawful form, fhall be exchanged at St. Petersburgh, in the fpace of three months, or fooner if poffible, counting from the day of figning. In witnefs whereof, we the under-figned, in virtue of the full powers granted to us by his Majefty the King of Great Britain, and by her Imperial Majefty of all the Ruffias, have figned the prefent treaty, and thereto fet our feals. Done at St. Petersburgh, this 20th day of June 1766.

(L. S.) George Macartney.

(L. S.) Nikita Panin. (L. S.) Erneft, Count

Munich.

(L. S.) Pr. A. Galitzin. (L. S.) Gr. Teploff.

The

The Edit of the Empress of Ruffia; giving leave to all foreigners, of what nation or country foever, to carry on a free and unlimited trade, both by fea and land, with the feveral countries bordering upon the Euxine, which have lately been annexed to the Ruffian dominion; and allotting specially to fuch foreign nations the ports of Cherfon in the government of Catherineflaw, Sebaftopolis (formerly called Acht-air) and Theodofia (formerly called Caffa) both in the province of Taurica, where they may refide and carry on their traffic with the fame immunities and privileges, religious and civil, as are allowed at Petersburgh and Archangel.

WE Catherine the fecond, by the grace of God, Emprefs and Autocratice of all the Ruffias, of Mufcovy, Kiovia Wolodomiria, Novogorod, Czarina of Cazan, Czarina of Aftrachan, Czarina of Siberia, Czarina of the Cherfonefus Taurica, Lady of Pickof, and Great Duchefs of Smolensko, Duchefs of Eftonia, Livonia, Carelia, Twer, Ingorie, Permio, Vitatkia, Bulgaria, and other places; Lady and Great Duchefs of the country of Lower Novogorod, Chernigof, Razan, Polofzk, Roftof, Jaroflof, Beloferfk, Uderik, Obdorik, Coudinfk, Wityrpfk, Mftiflawfk, and Sovereign of all the northern coafts, Lady of the Twerfky country, of the Carthalinian and Grauzinian Czars, of the country of Carbadinia; of the Princes of Circaffia, and those of the mountains, and of the other countries, Heiress Lady, and Sovereign Ruler.

Our endeavours to increafe the trade of our own fubjects, and of the other nations throughout the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean, have met with the wifhedfor fuccefs; the treaty of commerce which we concluded with the Ottoman Porte on the 10th of June 1783, having finally removed thofe impediments and difficulties which, from the particular conftitution of the Turkish government, had obftructed the faid trade