United States of America hereby engage to pay, and His Britannic Majesty consents to accept for the Use of the Persons described in the said Sixth Article, the Sum of Six Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling, payable at the Times and Place, and in the Manner following, that is to say, the said Sum of Six Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling shall be paid at the City of Washington, in three annual Instalments of Two Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling each, and to such Person or Persons as shall be authorized by His Britannic Majesty to receive the same; the first of the said Instalments to be paid at the Expiration of One Year; the second Instalment at the Expiration of two Years; and the third and last Instalment at the Expiration of three Years next following the Exchange of the Ratifications of this Convention. And to prevent any Disagreement concerning the Rate of Exchanges the said Payments shall be made in the Money of the said United States, reckoning Four Dollars and Forty-Four Cents to be equal to one Pound Sterling. ARTICLE, IIa Whereas it is agreed by the Fourth Article of the Definitive Treaty of Peace, concluded at Paris, on the Third Day of September, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Three,3 between His Britannic Majesty and the United States, that Creditors on either Side should meet with no lawful Impediment to the Recovery of the full Value in Sterling Money, of all bonâ Fide Debts theretofore contracted, it is hereby declared that the said fourth Article, so far as respects its future Operation, is hereby recognized, confirmed and declared to be binding and obligatory on His Britannic Majesty and the said United States, and the same shall be accordingly observed with punctuality and good Faith, and so as that the said Creditors shall hereafter meet with no lawful Impediment to the Recovery of the full Value in Sterling Money of their bonâ Fide Debts. ARTICLE, IIIa It is furthermore agreed and concluded that the Commissioners appointed in pursuance of the Seventh Article of the said Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation, and whose Proceedings have been suspended as aforesaid, shall immediately after the Signature of this Convention, re-assemble and proceed in the Execution of their Duties according to the Provisions of the said seventh Article, except only that instead of the Sums awarded by the said Commissioners being made payable at the Time or Times by them appointed, all Sums of Money by them awarded to be paid to American or British Claimants, according to the Provisions of the said Seventh Article, shall be made payable in three equal Instalments, the first whereof, to be paid at the Expiration of one Year; the second at the Expiration of two STS 104, ante, p. 8. Years; and the third and last at the Expiration of three Years next after the Exchange of the Ratifications of this Convention. ARTICLE, IVth This Convention, when the same shall have been ratified by His Majesty, and by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and the respective Ratifications duly exchanged, shall be binding and obligatory upon His Majesty and the said United States. In Faith whereof, We the Undersigned Plenipotentiaries, of His Britannic Majesty, and of the United States of America, by virtue of Our respective Full Powers, have signed the present Convention, and have caused the Seals of Our Arms to be affixed thereto. Done at London, the Eighth Day of January, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Two. PEACE AND AMITY (TREATY OF GHENT) Treaty signed at Ghent December 24, 1814 Ratified by Great Britain December 31, 1814 Senate advice and consent to ratification February 16, 1815 Entered into force February 17, 1815 Proclaimed by the President of the United States February 18, 1815 His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America desirous of terminating the War which has unhappily subsisted between the two Countries and of restoring upon principles of perfect reciprocity, Peace, Friendship and good Understanding between them, have for that purpose appointed their respective Plenipotentiaries, that is to say, His Britannic Majesty on his part, has appointed the Right Honourable James Lord Gambier, late Admiral of the White, now Admiral of the Red Squadron of His Majesty's Fleet; Henry Goulburn Esquire, a Member of the Imperial Parliament and Under Secretary of State; and William Adams Esquire, Doctor of Civil Laws: and the President of the United States by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof has appointed John Quincy Adams, James A. Bayard, Henry Clay, Jonathan Russell and Albert Gallatin Citizens of the United States; who after a reciprocal communication of their respective Full Powers have agreed upon the following articles. ARTICLE THE FIRST 2 There shall be a firm and universal Peace between His Britannic Majesty and the United States and between their respective Countries, Territories, Cities, Towns and people, of every degree without exception of places or persons. All hostilities both by Sea and land shall cease as soon as this Treaty shall have been ratified by both parties as hereinafter mentioned. All territory, places and possessions whatsoever taken by either party from the other during the War, or which may be taken after the signing of this Treaty 1 1 For a detailed study of this treaty, see 2 Miller 574. 2 For a convention signed at St. Petersburg July 12, 1822, under mediation of Emperor of Russia, for determining indemnification under decision of Emperor of Russia as to true construction of first article, see TS 114, post, p. 61. 3 excepting only the Islands hereinafter mentioned shall be restored without delay and without causing any destruction or carrying away any of the Artillery or other public property originally captured in the said forts or places and which shall remain therein upon the Exchange of the Ratifications of this Treaty or any Slaves 3 or other private property. And all Archives, Records, Deeds and Papers either of a public nature or belonging to private persons, which in the course of the War may have fallen into the hands of the officers of either party, shall be as far as may be practicable forthwith restored and delivered to the proper authorities and persons to whom they respectively belong. Such of the Islands in the Bay of Passamaquoddy as are claimed by both parties shall remain in the possession of the party in whose occupation they may be at the time of the Exchange of the Ratifications of this Treaty until the decision respecting the title to the said Islands shall have been made in conformity with the fourth Article of this Treaty. No disposition made by this Treaty as to such possession of the Islands and territories claimed by both parties shall in any manner whatever be construed to affect the right of either. ARTICLE THE SECOND Immediately after the ratifications of this Treaty by both parties as hereinafter mentioned, orders shall be sent to the Armies, Squadrons, Officers, Subjects and Citizens of the two Powers to cease from all hostilities: and to prevent all causes of complaint which might arise on account of the prizes which may be taken at Sea after the said ratifications of this Treaty, it is reciprocally agreed that all vessels and effects which may be taken after the space of twelve days from the said Ratifications upon all parts of the Coast of North America from the Latitude of Twenty three degrees North to the Latitude of Fifty degrees North and as far eastward in the Atlantic Ocean as the Thirty sixth degree of West Longitude from the Meridian of Greenwich shall be restored on each side:—that the time shall be thirty days in all other parts of the Atlantic Ocean North of the Equinoctial line or Equator:-and the same time for the British and Irish Channels, for the Gulf of Mexico, and all parts of the West Indies:-forty days for the North Seas, for the Baltic, and for all parts of the Mediterranean:-sixty days for the Atlantic Ocean South of the Equator, as far as the Latitude of the Cape of Good Hope:-ninety days for every other part of the World South of the Equator and one hundred and twenty days for all other parts of the World without exception. ARTICLE THE THIRD All Prisoners of War taken on either side as well by land as by sea shall be restored as soon as practicable after the Ratifications of this Treaty as hereinafter mentioned on their paying the debts which they may have contracted during their captivity. The two Contracting Parties respectively See also convention of Oct. 20, 1818 (TS 112), post, p. 59. engage to discharge in specie the advances which may have been made by the other for the sustenance and maintenance of such prisoners. ARTICLE THE FOURTH Whereas it was stipulated by the second Article in the Treaty of peace of One thousand seven hundred and eighty three between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America that the Boundary of the United States should comprehend all Islands within Twenty Leagues of any part of the Shores of the United States and lying between lines to be drawn due East from the points where the aforesaid boundaries between Nova Scotia on the one part and East Florida on the other shall respectively touch the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean, excepting such Islands as now are, or heretofore have been, within the limits of Nova Scotia, and whereas the several Islands in the Bay of Passamaquoddy, which is part of the Bay of Fundy, and the Island of Grand Menan in the said Bay of Fundy, are claimed by the United States as being comprehended within their aforesaid Boundaries, which said Islands are claimed as belonging to His Britannic Majesty as having been at the time of, and previous to, the aforesaid Treaty of one Thousand seven hundred and eighty three within the limits of the Province of Nova Scotia: In order therefore finally to decide upon these claims it is agreed that they shall be referred to two Commissioners to be appointed in the following manner viz: One Commissioner shall be appointed by His Britannic Majesty, and one by the President of the United States by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof and the said two Commissioners so appointed shall be sworn impartially to examine and decide upon the said claims according to such evidence as shall be laid before. them on the part of His Britannic Majesty and of the United States respectively. The said Commissioners shall meet at St Andrews in the Province of New Brunswick and shall have power to adjourn to such other place or places as they shall think fit. The said Commissioners shall by a declaration or report under their hands and seals decide to which of the two Contracting Parties the several Islands aforesaid do respectively belong in conformity with the true intent of the said Treaty of Peace of one thousand seven hundred and eighty three. And if the said Commissioners shall agree in their decision both parties shall consider such decision as final and conclusive. It is further agreed that in event of the Two Commissioners differing upon all or any of the matters so referred to them, or in the event of both or either of the said Commissioners refusing or declining or wilfully omitting to act as such they shall make jointly or separately a report or reports as well to the Government of His Britannic Majesty as to that of the United States stating in detail the points on which they differ, and the grounds upon which their respective TS 104, ante, p. 8. 5 5 For text of decision signed at New York, Nov. 24, 1817, see 8 Stat. 250; TS 111. |