the King of Denmark, and at St. Petersburg on July 21/August 1 last between Her said Imperial Majesty and the King of Sweden. His Majesty has recognized with pleasure that this convention contains the most appropriate measure to ensure the freedom of the seas and the immunity of the flag of neutral Powers. The declarations of His Majesty in this respect, both to Her Majesty the Empress of all the Russias and to Their Danish and Swedish Majesties; the order that he has given to the officers of his fleet and to all his privateers; and the care that he is taking to ensure their execution must convince Her Imperial Majesty that the object of the said convention will be entirely fulfilled by all captains flying the French flag. His Majesty has had many opportunities during the past three years to make known to his subjects and to Europe that the happiness and prosperity of neutral nations, and of the Russian nation in particular, have entered in no small measure in the calculations of his policy and in his military projects. He hopes that his efforts and his example will help to strengthen the system which has brought into being and is extending from day to day the association of neutral Powers. His hopes will be fulfilled if there results from this system a diminution of the evils of war and the assurance that princes and peoples who observe a strict neutrality shall never suffer injury from war. VERSAILLES, December 12, 1780. DE VERGENNES Act of January 4, 1781, by which the States-General of the Netherlands Accede to the Conventions for an Armed Neutrality concluded July 9 and August 1, 1780, between Russia and Denmark, and Russia and Sweden1 The solicitude of Her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias for the maintenance of the interests and the rights of her subjects having led her to give solid and permanent stability to a just and reasonable system of neutrality at sea, and to contract to this end a formal agreement with His Majesty the King of Denmark and of Norway, which was 1Translation. French text at Martens, Recueil de Traités, vol. 3, p. 215. followed immediately by a similar one with His Majesty the King of Sweden, has animated Their High Mightinesses the Lords StatesGeneral of the United Provinces to accept the invitation of Her Imperial Majesty and to adopt principles in conformity with those set forth in her declaration and in those of the aforesaid Powers. To this end they have determined, not only to manifest in a formal declaration, which was recently transmitted to the Powers now at war, their point of view, similar to that of the Empress and the two Kings, her Allies, but also to take part directly and effectively, as principal contracting Parties, in the stipulations contracted among them for the protection of the innocent navigation of their respective subjects. As a result of this determination of Their High Mightinesses, and by virtue of Article 10 of the double maritime convention of Copenhagen and of St. Petersburg, in which it is stated: The chief aim and principal object of the present convention being to secure the freedom of trade and navigation, the high contracting Powers have antecedently agreed, and do engage to give to all other neutral Powers free leave to accede to the present treaty, and, after a thorough knowledge of the principles on which it rests, share equally in the obligations and advantages thereof. Her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias, in concert with Their Majesties the Kings, her Allies, had even less hesitation in entering. into negotiations with Their High Mightinesses, both in her own behalf and in behalf of her two Allies, whose desires and views had been entrusted to her, since Their High Mightinesses saw fit to send to her, for this purpose, an embassy extraordinary, instructed to make known in their name how agreeable to them was the invitation of the Empress, and to form the proposed union between the Crowns of the North and the United Provinces. To accomplish this desired and salutary object, Her Imperial Majesty has appointed as her plenipotentiaries, Nikita Count Panin, her Privy Councilor, Senator, Chamberlain, and Chevalier of the Orders of St. Andrew, St. Alexander Newsky, and St. Anne, John Count d'Ostermann, her Vice Chancellor, Privy Councilor, and Chevalier of the Orders of St. Alexander Newsky and St. Anne, John Count d'Ostermann, her Vice Chancellor, Privy Councilor, and Chevalier of the Orders of St. Alexander Newsky and St. Anne, Alexander de Bezborodko, Major General of her Armies, and Colonel commanding the Kiovia Regiment of Militia of Little Russia, and Pierre de Bacounin, her Councilor of State, member of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and Chevalier of the Order of St. Anne; Their High Mightinesses having charged with their full powers William Louis Baron de Wessenaer, Lord of Starrenburg, of the Body of Nobles of the Province of Holland and of Westfriese, Steward of Rhynland, ordinary Deputy of the said Province in the Assembly of the States-General, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Their High Mightinesses to the Imperial Court of Russia; Theodore John Baron de Heeckeren, Lord of Brantzenburg, ordinary Deputy in the Assembly of the States-General, representing the First Order of the Province of Utrecht, and their Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Imperial Court of Russia; and John Isaac de Swaart, Resident of Their High Mightinesses at the same Court; who, after having exchanged their full powers, found to be in good and due form, have decided and concluded that the entire twelve articles of the two conventions of the same content concluded at Copenhagen on June 28/July 9, 1780, between Her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias and His Majesty the King of Denmark and Norway, and at St. Petersburg on July 21/August 1, 1780, between Her Imperial Majesty *** 1 their clauses and obligations, with the exception of the changes therein, resulting from the nature of the different treaties and engagements existing between the high contracting Parties and either of the Powers now at war, as set forth in Articles 2 and 3 of the double maritime convention of Copenhagen and of St. Petersburg, above indicated, must be regarded as if they had been made, concluded and established, word for word between Her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias and Their High Mightinesses, as principal contracting Parties, with the express reservations that the said Articles 2 and 3 of the aforesaid conventions be particularly adapted to the former engagements of Their High Mightinesses with regard to merchandise and contraband. With respect to such merchandise they declare it to be their desire to hold strictly to the stipulations of the treaties. concluded between themselves and the belligerent Powers, and specifically in the sixth article of the marine treaty with the Crown of Spain, of December 17, 1650, the third article of their Treaty with the Crown of Great Britain, of December 1, 1674, and the sixteenth 1Apparent omission. article of their Treaty of commerce, navigation and marine with the Crown of France, concluded on December 21, 1739, for the period of twenty-five years, whose provisions and specifications on the subject of contraband Their High Mightinesses extend indefinitely, as being founded on the law of nature and of nations. In order to prevent any inaccuracy, the plenipotentiaries of Her Imperial Majesty shall hand to those of Their High Mightinesses certified copies of the two conventions of Copenhagen and of St. Petersburg, which shall be regarded as having been inserted word for word in the present act. Ratifications of this act of accession, concluded between Her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias, and Their High Mightinesses of the States-General, shall be furnished and exchanged here in St. Petersburg within the period of two months, or sooner if possible.1 It has likewise been agreed that on the occasion of this exchange of ratifications, Their High Mightinesses shall have transmitted two uniform declarations, for Their Majesties the two Kings allied with the Empress, in the form hereto annexed, which, through the intermediary of the Minister of Russia are to be exchanged for those of Their aforesaid Majesties, in virtue of which these two Sovereigns and the Lords States-General accept forthwith among themselves the mutual stipulations hereinbefore set forth. In faith whereof we the undersigned, by virtue of our full powers, have signed and affixed hereto the seals of our arms. Done at St. Petersburg, December 24, 1780.3 [L. S.] COUNT DE PANIN [L. S.] COUNT J. D'OSTERMANN [L. S.] B. DE WASSENAER [L. S.] B. DE HEEKEREN [L. S.] J. J. DE SWAART Ratifications of this act were exchanged at St. Petersburg on February 12, 1781, by the same plenipotentiaries who signed it. 2Not printed. January 4. 1781, new style. Separate Act of January 4, 1781, of Accession of the Netherlands to the Conventions for an Armed Neutrality concluded July 9 and August 1, 1780, between Russia and Denmark, and Russia and Sweden1 The six separate articles forming a part of the double convention of Copenhagen and of St. Petersburg, with the exception of the first article, which contains a special arrangement between the Empire of Russia and the two Crowns of Denmark and of Sweden with regard to the tranquillity of the Baltic Sea, must be considered and regarded as though they had been inserted word for word in the act of accession of Their High Mightinesses to the double convention of Copenhagen and of St. Petersburg, signed here in St. Petersburg this same day. To elucidate and to explain the fourth of these separate articles relating to a provisional arrangement between the two high contracting Powers in the event of the joining of their squadrons, it has been agreed with regard, to the authority of the commanding officer, to follow the etiquette generally accepted between Crowned Heads and the Republic. In faith whereof, we the undersigned, by virtue of our full powers, have signed and affixed hereto the seal of our arms. Done at St. Petersburg, December 24, 1780.2 [L. S.] COUNT PANIN [L. S.] COUNT JOHN D'OSTERMANN [L. S.] B. Wassenaer [L. S.] B. VAN HEECKEREN [L. S.] J. J. SWAART 1Translation. French text at Martens, Recueil de Traités, vol. 3, p. 219. |