The ratifications of this convention have been exchanged at Copenhagen, on the 16th of September, 1780, by the same Ministers Plenipotentiaries who have signed the same.

And as a like convention has been concluded at Petersburg, between the Ministers chosen and appointed to that effect, namely, on the part of Her Majesty the Empress of Russia, Count Nikita Panin, Privy Counselor, Minister and Secretary of State, Knight of the Orders of St. Andrew, St. Alexander-Newsky, and St. Ann; and Count J Osterman, Vice Chancellor of Russia, Privy Counselor of State and Knight of the Orders of St. Alexander-Newsky, and St. Ann; and on the part of His Majesty the King of Sweden, Baron Frederick

Van Nolken, Envoy Extraordinary from His Swedish Majesty to the Court of Petersburg, Chamberlain, Commander of the Order of the Polar Star, and Knight of the Orders of the Sword, and St. John, etc., which said convention has been signed at Petersburg by the abovenamed plenipotentiaries, after the customary exchange of their full powers in due form, on the 21st of July, 1780; and the said convention being word for word of the same tenor and form as that concluded and signed at Copenhagen, excepting only the second article, in which the stipulations concerning the articles that are to be deemed contraband, are determined and ascertained according to the treaties subsisting between the Court of Sweden and other Powers, it has been thought proper to avoid a repetition of what has already been mentioned, to insert here the second article only, word for word the same as it stands in the treaty concluded and signed at Petersburg, July 21, 1780, between Their Majesties the Empress of Russia and the King of Sweden.

ARTICLE 2

To avoid all errors and misunderstandings with regard to commodities which shall be deemed contraband, Her Majesty the Empress of Russia, and His Majesty the King of Sweden, do hereby declare, that they shall only acknowledge such articles to be contraband commodities as are included and mentioned in the treaties now subsisting between their respective Courts, and the one or the other of the belligerent Powers.

Her Majesty the Empress of Russia conforms herself entirely in this respect to the Articles 10 and 11 of her treaty of commerce with the Court of Great Britain, and extends likewise the engagements of this treaty, which are founded upon the natural rights of nations, to the Courts of France and Spain; which said Courts, until the date of the present convention, have no treaty of commerce with her empire.

His Majesty the King of Sweden, for his part, refers chiefly to the 11th article of this treaty of commerce with the Court of Great Britain, and to the tenor of the preliminary treaty of commerce concluded between Sweden and France in the year 1741; and although the articles that are to be deemed contraband are not expressly ascertained and determined in the last-mentioned treaty, the two Powers having understood to consider each other as Gens amicissima, the Court of Sweden has, however, reserved to itself the same advan

tages which the Hanse Towns enjoy in France since times immemorial until the present period. The advantages which are included in the treaty of Utrecht being fully confirmed, the King has nothing to add thereto. With regard to the Court of Spain, His Swedish Majesty finds himself in the same situation as the Empress of Russia, and following Her Majesty's example, the King likewise extends to the Court of Spain all the engagements of the above-mentioned treaties, as being founded upon the natural rights of nations.

In consequence of this difference in the above article, the two Kings who have joined Her Majesty the Empress of Russia, in this affair, have acceded, as principal contracting Parties, to the treaties and conventions, concluded between them and Her said Imperial Majesty, and to this effect they have signed with their own hand a separate act, which said acts have been exchanged in due form at Petersburg by the Ministers of Her Imperial Majesty.

Their High Mightinesses the States-General of the United Provinces, also acceded to the said convention on the 20th of November, 1780, and under the same conditions, for what concerns the articles of contraband, according to the treaties subsisting between their High Mightinesses and other Powers, which said convention has been signed at Petersburg by their plenipotentiaries on the 5th of January, 1781, with the addition of the following:

ARTICLE 13

For what concerns the command in chief of the naval forces, in case the squadrons or ships of war of the two high contracting Parties should happen to meet, or find it expedient to form a junction, it is hereby stipulated and agreed, that the same shall be obeyed as is customary between crowned sovereigns and the Republic of Holland.

Additional Separate Articles to the Convention for an Armed Neutrality between Russia and Denmark of July 8, 17801

ARTICLE 1

As Her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias and His Majesty the King of Denmark and Norway have always been equally interested

1Translation. French text at Martens, Recueil de Traités, vol. 3, p. 195.

in protecting the security and tranquillity of the Baltic Sea, and in keeping it free from the disturbances of the war and privateering—a system the more just and natural since all the Powers whose States border thereon enjoy the most profound peace,--they have mutually agreed to continue to maintain that it is a closed sea, incontestably such by its situation, on which all nations should and may navigate in peace and enjoy all the advantages of perfect tranquillity, and to adopt to this end among themselves measures capable of guaranteeing this sea and its coasts from all hostilities, piracy, and acts of violence. They will also maintain the tranquillity of the North Sea off their coasts, in so far as the circumstances and the interests of their States may render it necessary.

ARTICLE 2

Their said Majesties, desiring nothing more ardently than the restoration of peace based upon equitable principles, sentiments with which the love of humanity and the desire to prevent the further shedding of blood has inspired them since the beginning of the dissensions which now divide Europe, mutually promise to devote themselves to this same object, to consider the means which may accomplish this purpose, and when the opportunity presents itself, to seize it and to cooperate with sentiments of friendship and of confidence in so salutary an endeavor.

ARTICLE 3

Since the situation of the places makes very short the period during which the fleets of Her Imperial Majesty can operate outside of the Baltic for the protection of neutral commerce on the other seas, His Majesty the King of Denmark and Norway engages to receive in his ports and to treat on absolutely the same footing as his own, all Russian ships or vessels that may enter therein to pass the winter, to furnish them from her warehouses with equipment and provisions of all kinds of which the crew may have need at the same prices at which such equipment and provisions are furnished to the vessels of Her Majesty; in a word, to make all necessary arrangements for the proper care of these vessels and their crews.

ARTICLE 4

If it should be found necessary to join the two squadrons, this wil be done in accordance with the principles of perfect equality, and

when one or more vessels happen to be together, that one of the commanding officers who has the higher rank, or in case they are both of the same rank, the one who is senior in that rank, shall take command of the war-ships and frigates of both nations. In general, an effort will be made to arrange the cruising, so far as possible without a formal junction, in such a way as to form a kind of chain and to give each other aid in case of need. As to salutes, they shall always be in conformity with the stipulations of the conventions between the two nations.

ARTICLE 5

At the more or less distant time when peace shall have been restored among the belligerent Powers, Her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias and His Majesty the King of Denmark and Norway shall use their best efforts with the maritime Powers in general to bring about the universal acceptance and recognition in all naval wars which may arise hereafter of the system of neutrality and the principles established in the present convention, forming the basis of a universal maritime code.

ARTICLE 6

As soon as this convention shall be ratified and the exchange of ratifications shall have been made, the high contracting Parties shall take care to communicate it, with the exception of the separate articles, in good faith and conjointly and with one accord, through their Ministers accredited to foreign Courts, and specifically to those which are at present at war. In order that they may proceed uniformly to this end, there is attached hereto the form of the instrument which the respective Ministers shall transmit on this occasion.

These separate articles shall be considered and regarded as forming a part of the convention itself and shall have the same force and effect as though they were inserted word for word in the said convention concluded on the same day between the high contracting Parties. They shall be ratified in the same manner and ratifications shall be exchanged at the same time.

In faith whereof we, the undersigned, by virtue of our full powers, have signed them and affixed thereto the seals of our arms.