sel or her cargo be liable to confiscation, but they shall 1839 be restored to the owners thereof.

Art. XXI. In order to prevent all kinds of disorder, in the visiting and examination of the ships and cargoes of both the contracting parties, on the high seas, they have agreed, mutually, that, whenever a vessel of war, public or priváte, shall meet with a neutral of the other contracting party, the first shall remain out of cannon shot, and may send its boats, with two or three men only, in order to execute the said examination of the papers, concerning the ownership and cargo of the vessel, without causing the least extortion, violence or ill treatment, for which, the commanders of the said armed ships, shall be responsible with their persons and property: for which purpose, the commanders of the said private armed vessels shall, before receiving their commissions, give sufficient security to answer for all the damages, they may commit; and it is expressly agreed, that the neutral party shall, in no case, be required to go on board the examining vessel, for the purpose of exhibiting his papers, or for any other purpose whatever.

Art. XXII. To avoid all kind of vexation and abuse, in the examination of the papers relating to the ownership of the vessels belonging to the citizens of the two contracting parties, they have agreed and do agree, that in case one of them should be engaged in war, the ships and vessels belonging to the citizens of the other, must be furnished with seatetters or passports, expressing the name, property, and bulk of the ships; as also, the name and place of habitation of the muster and commander of said vessel, in order that it may thereby appear that said ship truly belongs to the citizens of one of the parties; they have likewise, agreed that such ships being laden, besides the said sealetters or passports, shall also be provided with certificates containing the several particulars of the cargo, and the place whence the ship sailed, so that it may be known whether any forbidden or contra band goods be on board the same; which certificates shall be made out by the officiers of the place whence the ship sailed, in the accustomed form: without such requisites, said vessels may be detained, to be adjudged by the competent tribunal, and may be declared legal prize, unless the

1839 rado buena presa à menos que prueben que la falta emana de accidente y satisfagan ó suplan el defecto con testimonios enteramente equivalentes.

Art. XXIII. Se ha convenido ademas, que las estipulationes anteriores relativas al ecsámen y visita de buques, se aplicarán solamente à los que navegan sin convoy, y cuando los dichos buques estuviesen bajo de convoy será bastante la declaracion verbal del comandante del convoy, bajo sus palabra de honor, de que los buques que estan bajo su proteccion pertenecen à la nación cuya bandera llevan; y cuando se dirijin á un puerto enemigo, que dichos buques no tienen á su bordo articulos de contrabando de guerra.

XXIV. Se ha convenido ademas, que en todos los casos que ocurran, solo los tribunales establecidos para causas de presas en el pais á que las presas sean conducidas tomarán conocimiento de ellas. Y siempre que semejante tribunal de cualquiera de las partes, pronunciase sentencia contra algun buque, ó efectos ó propie dad reclamada por los ciudadanos de la otra parte, la sentencia ó decretó hará mencion de las razones ó motivos en que aquella se haya fundado, y se entregará sin demora alguna al comandante ó agente de dicho buque, si lo solicitase un testimonio autentico de la sentencia ó decreto, ó de todo el proceso, pagando por el los derechos legales.

Art. XXV. Siempre que una de las partes contratantes estuviere empenneda en guerra con otro estado, ningun ciudadano de la otra parte contratante aceptera una comision ó letra de marea para el objeto de ayudar cooperar hostilmente con el dicho enemigo contra la dicha parte que esté asi en guerra, bajo la penna de ser tratado como pirata.

Art. XXVI. Si por alguna fatalidad que no puede esperarse, y que Dios no permita, las dos partes contratantes se viesen empenadas en guerra una con otra, han convenido y convienen de ahora para entonces, que se concederá el termino de seis meses à los comerciantes residentes en las costas y en los puertos de entrambas, y el termino de anno á los que habitan en el interior, para arreglar sus negocios y transportar sus effectos à donde quieran, dandoles el salvo conducto necesario para ello, que les sirva de suficiente proteccion hasta que lleguen al puerto que designen. Los ciuda

said defect shall be proved to be owing to accident, 1839 and satisfied or supplied by testimony entrirely equivalent.

Art. XXIII. It is further agreed that the stipulations obove expressed relative to the visiting and examination of vessels, shall apply only to those which sail without convoy, and when said vessels shall be under convoy the verbal declaration of the commander of the convoy, on his word of honner, that the vessels under his protection belong to the nation whose flag he carries; and when they are bound to an enemy's port, that they have no contraband goods on board, shall be sufficient.

Art. XXIV. It is further agreed, that in all cases, the established courts for prize causes, in the country to which the prizes may be conducted, shall alone, take cognizance of them; and whenever such tribunals, of either party, shall pronounce judgment against any vessel, or goods, or property claimed by the citizens, of the other party, the sentence or decree shall mention the reasons or motives, on which the same shall have been founded, and an authenticated copy of the sentence or decree, and of all the proceedings in the case, shall, if demanded, be delivered to the commander or agent of said vessel, without any delay, he paying the legal fees for the same.

Art. XXV. Whenever one of the contracting parties shall be engaged in war with another state, no citizen of the other contracting party shall accept a commission or letter of marque, for the purpose of assisting or co-operating hostilely with the said enemy, against the said party so at war, under the pain of being considered as a pirate.

Art. XXVI. If, by any fatality, which can not be expected, and which God forbid, the two contracting parties should be engaged in a war with each other they have agreed, and do agree, now for then, that there shall be allowed the term of six months to the merchants residing on the coasts and in the ports of each other, and the term of one year to those who dwell in the interior, to arrange their business and transport their effects, wherever they please, giving to them, the safe-conduct necessury for it, which may serve as a sufficient protection, until they arrive at the

1839 danos de otras ocupaciones que se hallen establecidos en los territorios y dominios de la República del Ecuador, 6 de los Estados Unidos serán respetados y mantenidos en el pleno gozo de su libertad personal y propiedad, á menos que su conducta particular les haga perder esta proteccion, que en consideracion á la humanidad, las partes contratantes se comprometan á prestarles.

Art. XVVII. Ni las deudas contraidas por los individuos de uno nacion con los individuos de la otra, ni las acciones á dineros que puedan tener en los fondos publicos ó en los bancos publicos ó privados, serán jamas secuestrados ó confiscados en ningun casa de guerra ó de deferencia nacional.

Art. XXVIII. Deseando ambas partes contratantes evitar toda diferencia relativa á etiqueta en sus comunaciones y correspondencias diplomaticas, han convenido asi mismo, y convienen en conceder á sus enviados y ministros y otros agentes diplomaticos; los mismos favores, inmunidades y esenciones de que gozan ó gazaren en lo venidero los de la naciones mas favorecidas; bien entendido, que cualquier favor, inmunidad ú privilegio que la República del Ecuador ó los Estados Unidos de America tengan por conveniente dispensar á los enviados, ministros y agentes diplomaticos de otras potencias, se haga por el mismo hecho extensivo á los de una y otra de las partes contratantes.

Art. XXIX. Para hacer mas efectiva la proteccion que la República del Ecuador y los Estados Unidos darán en adelanté à la navegacion y comercio de los ciudadanos de una y otra, se convienen en recibir y admitir consules y vice-consules en todos los derechos perogativas é inmunidades de los consules y vice-consules de la nacion mas favorecida; quedando no ostante en libertad cada parte contratante, para esceptuar aquellos puertos y lugares en que la admision y residencia de semejantes consules y vice-consules no parezca conveniente.

Art. XXX. Para que los consules y vice-consules de las dos partes contratantes puedan gozan de los derechos, prerogativas é inmunidades que les correspondan por su caracter publico, antes de entrar en el ejercicio de sus funciones, presentaran su comision

designated port. The citizens of all other occupations, 1839 who may be established in the territories or deminions of the United States and the Republic of Ecuador, shall be respected, and maintained in the full enjoyment of their personal liberty and property, unless their particular conduct shall cause them to forfeit this protection, which, in consideration of humanity, the contracting parties engage to give them.

Art. XXVII. Neither the debts due from individuals of the one nation to the individuals of the other, nor shares, nor moneys which they may have in public funds, nor in public nor private banks, shall ever, in any event of war, or of national difference, be sequestered or confiscated.

Art. XXVIII. Both the contracting parties being desirous of avoiding all inequality in relation tho their public communications and official intercourse, have agreed and do agree, to grant to the envoyes, ministers and other public agents, the same favors, immunities and exemptions, which those of the most favored nation do or shall enjoy: it being understood, that whatever favors, immunities or privileges, the United States of America or the Republic of Ecuador may find it proper to give to the ministers and other public agents of any other power shall, by the same act, be extended to those of each of the contracting parties.

Art. XXIX. To make more effectual the protection which the United States and the Kepublic of Ecuador shall afford in future, to the navigation and commerce of the citizens of each other, they agree to receive and admit consuls and vice-consuls, in all the ports open to foreign commerce, who shall enjoy in them, all the rights, prerogatives and immunities of the consuls and vice-consuls of the most favored nation'; each contracting party, however, remaining at liberty to except those ports and places, in which the admission and residence of such consuls and vice-consuls, may not seem convenient.

Art. XXX. In order that the consuls and vice-consuls of the two contracting parties, may enjoy the rights prerogatives and immunities which belong to them by their public character, they shall, before entering on the exercise of their functions, exhibit their commission