all that regards its navigation. For this purpose they will name Commissioners, who shall assemble, at latest, within six months after the termination of the Congress, and who shall adopt, as the basis of their proceedings, the principles established by the following Articles. CIX. The navigation of the rivers, along their whole course, referred to in the preceding article, from the point where each of them becomes navigable, to its mouth, shall be entirely free, and shall not, in respect to commerce, be prohibited to any one; it being understood that the regulations established with regard to the police of this navigation, shall be respected; as they will be framed alike for all, and as favourable as possible to the commerce of all nations. CX. The system that shall be established, both for the collection of the duties and for the maintenance of the police, shall be, as nearly as possible, the same along the whole course of the river; and shall also extend, unless particular circumstances prevent it, to those of its branches and junctions, which, in their navigable course, separate or traverse different states. CXI. The duties on navigation shall be regulated in an uniform and settled manner, and with as little reference as possible to the different quality of the merchandize, in order that a minute examination of the cargo may be rendered unnecessary, except with a view to prevent fraud and evasion. The amount of the duties, which shall in no case exceed those now paid, shall be determined by local circumstances, which scarcely allow of a general rule in this respect. The tarif shall, however, be prepared in such a manner as to encourage commerce by facilitating navigation; for which purpose the duties established upon the Rhine, and now in force on that river, may serve as an approximating rule for its construction. The tarif once settled, no increase shall take place therein, except by the common consent of the states bordering on the rivers; nor shall the navigation be burthened with any other duties than those fixed in the regulation. CXII. The offices for the collection of duties, the number of which shall be reduced as much as possible, shall be determined upon in the above regulation, and no change shall afterwards be moins qu'un des Etats Riverains ne voulût diminuer le nombre de ceux qui lui appartiennent exclusivement. CXIII. Chaque Etat Riverain se chargera de l'entretien des chemins de hallage qui passent par son territoire, et des travaux nécessaires pour la même étendue dans le lit de la rivière, pour ne faire éprouver aucun obstacle à la navigation. Le réglement futur fixera la manière dont les Etats Riverains devront concourir à ces derniers travaux, dans le cas où les deux rives appartiennent à différens gouvernemens. CXIV. On n'établira nulle part des droits d'étape, d'échelle, ou de relâche forcée. Quant à ceux qui existent déjà, ils ne seront conservés qu'en tant que les Etats Riverains, sans avoir égard à l'intérêt local de l'endroit, ou du pays où ils sont établis, les trouveroient nécessaires ou utiles à la navigation et au commerce en général. CXV. Les douanes des Etats Riverains n'auront rien de commun avec les droits de navigation. On empêchera, par des dispositions réglementaires, que l'exercice des fonctions des douaniers ne mette pas d'entraves à la navigation; mais on surveillera, par une police exacte sur la rive, toute tentative des habitans de faire la contrebande à l'aide des bateliers. CXVI. Tout ce qui est indiqué dans les Articles précédens, sera déterminé par un réglement commun, qui renfermera également tout ce qui auroit besoin d'être fixé ultérieurement. Le réglement, une fois arrêté, ne pourra être changé, que du consentement de tous les Etats Riverains, et ils auront soin de pourvoir à son exécution d'une manière convenable, et adaptée aux circonstances et aux localités. CXVII. Les Réglemens particuliers rélatifs à la navigation du Rhin, du Neckar, du Mein, de la Moselle, de la Meuse, et de l'Escaut, tels qu'ils se trouvent joints au présent Acte, auront la même force et valeur que s'ils y avaient été textuellement insérés. CXVIII. Les Traités, Conventions, Déclarations, Réglemens, made, but by common consent, unless any of the States bordering on the Rivers should wish to diminish the number of those which exclusively belong to the same. CXIII. Each State bordering on the Rivers is to be at the expense of keeping in good repair the towing paths which pass through its territory, and of maintaining the necessary works through the same extent in the channels of the river, in order that no obstacle may be experienced to the navigation. The intended regulation shall determine the manner in which the States bordering on the Rivers are to participate in these latter works, where the opposite banks belong to different govern ments. CXIV. There shall no where be established store-house, port, or forced harbour duties. Those already existing shall be preserved for such time only as the States bordering on Rivers (without regard to the local interest of the place or the country where they are established) shall find them necessary or useful to navigation and commerce in general. CXV. The custom-houses belonging to the States bordering on Rivers shall not interfere in the duties of navigation. Regulations shall be established to prevent officers of the customs, in the exercise of their functions, throwing obstacles in the way of the navigation; but care shall be taken, by means of a strict police on the bank, to preclude every attempt of the inhabitants to smuggle goods, through the medium of boatmen. CXVI. Every thing expressed in the preceding Articles shall be settled by a general arrangement, in which there shall also be comprized whatever may need an ulterior determination. The arrangement once settled, shall not be changed, but by and with the consent of all the States bordering on Rivers, and they shall take care to provide for its execution with due regard to circumstances and locality. CXVII. The particular regulations relative to the navigation of the Rhine, the Neckar, the Maine, the Moselle, the Meuse, and the Scheldt, such as they are annexed to the present Act, shall have the same force and validity as if they were textually inserted herein. CXVIII. The Treaties, Conventions, Declarations, Regula et autres Actes particuliers, qui se trouvent annexés au présent Acte, et nommément : XV. La Déclaration des Puissances sur l'Abolition de la Traite des Nègres, du 8 Février, 1815; XVI. Les Réglemens pour la libre navigation des rivières; sont considérés comme parties intégrantes des arrangemens du Congrès, et auront partout la même force et valeur que s'ils étoient insérés mot à mot dans le Traité Général. Fait à Vienne, le Neuf Juin, de l'An de Grâce, Mil-Huit-Cent Quinze. (Suivent les Signatures dans l'ordre alphabétique des Cours.) (L.S.) Le Prince de METTERnich. Autriche, Portugal, Prusse, Russie, Suède, (L.S.) CATHCART. (L.S.) STEWART, L. G. (L.S.) Le Comte de PALMELLA. (L.S.) ANTONIO de SALDANHA da GAMA. ACTE XV. Déclaration des Puissances sur l'Abolition de la Traite des Négres, du 8 Février, 1815. Les Plénipotentiaires des Puissances qui ont signé le Traité de Paris, du 30 Mai, 1814, réunis en conférence : tions, and other particular Acts which are annexed to the present Act, viz. XV. The Declaration of the Powers on the Abolition of the Slave Trade, of the 8th of February, 1815; XVI. The Regulations respecting the free navigation of rivers; shall be considered as integral parts of the arrangements of the Congress, and shall have, throughout, the same force and validity as if they were inserted, word for word, in the General Treaty. Done at Vienna, the 9th of June, in the year of our Lord 1815. (The Signatures follow in the alphabetical order of the Courts.) (L.S.) The Prince de METTERNICH. Austria, (L.S.) The Baron de WESSENberg. (L.S.) The Duke de D'ALBerg. (L.S.) The Count ALEXIS de NOAILLES. (L.S.) CATHcart. France, Great Britain, (L.S.) CLANCARTY. Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Spain (L.S.) STEWART, L. G. (L.S.) The Comte de PALMELLA. (L.S.) ANTONIO de SALDANHA da GAMA. (L.S.) The Count CHARLES-AXEL de LOWENHIELM. ACT No. XV. (Translation as laid before Parliament.) Declaration of the Powers, on the Abolition of the Slave Trade, of the 8th February, 1815. The Plenipotentiaries of the Powers who signed the Treaty of Paris of the 30th May, 1814, assembled in conference: |