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their just rights; and they shall be at liberty to employ, in all cases, the advocates, attorneys, or agents of whatever description, whom they may think proper, and they shall enjoy in this respect the same rights and privileges therein as native citizens.

ARTICLE VIII.

In whatever relates to the police of the ports, the lading and unlading of ships, the safety of the merchandise, goods, and effects, the succession to personal estates by will or otherwise, and the disposal of personal property of every sort and denomination, by sale, donation, exchange, testament, or in any other manner whatsoever, as also the administration of justice, the citizens of the two high contracting parties shall reciprocally enjoy the same privileges, liberties, and rights as native citizens, and they shall not be charged in any of these respects with any higher imposts or duties than those which are paid or may be paid by native citizens; submitting, of course, to the local laws and regulations of each country respectively.

If any citizen of either of the two high contracting parties shall die without will or testament in any of the territories of the other, the Consul-General or Consul of the nation to which the deceased belonged, or the representative of such Consul-General or Consul in his absence, shall have the right to nominate curators to take charge of the property of the deceased, so far as the laws of the country will permit, for the benefit of the lawful heirs and creditors of the deceased, giving proper notice of such nomination to the authorities. of the country.

ARTICLE IX.

The citizens of the United States residing in the Republic of Honduras, and the citizens of the Republic of Honduras residing in the United States, shall be exempted from all compulsory military service whatsoever, either by sea or by land, and from all forced loans. or military exactions or requisitions, and they shall not be compelled, under any pretext whatsoever, to pay other ordinary charges, requisitions, or taxes greater than those that are paid by native citizens of the contracting parties respectively.

ARTICLE X.

It shall be free for each of the two high contracting parties to appoint Consuls for the protection of trade, to reside in any of the territories of the other party; but before any Consul shall act as such, he shall, in the usual form, be approved and admitted by the Government to which he is sent; and either of the high contracting parties may except from the residence of Consuls such particular places as they judge fit to be excepted. The Diplomatic Agents and Consuls of Honduras shall enjoy in the territories of the United States whatever privileges, exemptions, and immunities are or shall be granted to agents of the same rank belonging to the most favored nation; and in like manner the Diplomatic Agents and Consuls of the United States in the territories of Honduras shall enjoy, according to the strictest reciprocity, whatever privileges, exemptions, and immunities are or may be granted, in the Republic of Honduras to the Diplomatic Agents and Consuls of the most favored nation.

ARTICLE XI.

For the better security of commerce between the citizens of the United States and the citizens of the Republic of Honduras, it is agreed that if at any time any interruption of friendly intercourse, or any rupture, should unfortunately take place between the two high contracting parties, the citizens of either of the two high contracting parties who may be within any of the territories of the other shall, if residing upon the coast, be allowed six months, and, if in the interior, a whole year, to wind up their accounts and dispose of their property; and a safe conduct shall be given them to embark at the port which they themselves shall select. And even in the event of a rupture, all such citizens of either of the two high contracting parties who are established in any of the territories of the other, in the exercise of any trade or special employment, shall have the privilege of remaining, and of continuing such trade and employment therein without any manner of interruption, in the full enjoyment of their liberty and property as long as they behave peaceably, and commit no offense against the laws; and their goods and effects, of whatever description they may be, whether in their own custody or intrusted to individuals or to the State, shall not be liable to seizure or sequestration, nor to any other charges or demands than those which may be made upon the like effects or property belonging to the native citizens of the country in which such citizens may reside. In the same case debts between individuals, property in public funds, and shares of companies, shall never be confiscated, sequestered, nor detained.

ARTICLE XII.

The citizens of the United States and the citizens of the Republic of Honduras, respectively, residing in any of the territories of the other party, shall enjoy in their houses, persons, and properties the protection of the Government, and shall continue in possession of the guarantees which they now enjoy. They shall not be disturbed, molested, or annoyed in any manner on account of their religious belief, nor in the proper exercise of their religion, either within their own private houses or in the places of worship destined for that purpose, agreeably to the system of tolerance established in the territories of the two high contracting parties; provided they respect the religion of the nation in which they reside, as well as the constitution, laws, and customs of the country. Liberty shall also be granted to bury the citizens of either of the two high contracting parties who may die in the territories aforesaid, in burial places of their own, which in the same manner may be freely established and maintained; nor shall the funerals or sepulchres of the dead be disturbed in any way, or upon any account.

ARTICLE XIII.

In order that the two high contracting parties may have the opportunity of hereafter treating and agreeing upon such other arrangements as may tend still further to the improvement of their mutual intercourse, and to the advancement of the interests of their respective citizens, it is agreed that, at any time after the expiration of seven years from the date of exchange of the ratifications of the present

treaty, either of the high contracting parties shall have the right of giving to the other party notice of its intention to terminate Articles ÏV, V, and VI of the present treaty; and that at the expiration of twelve months after such notice shall have been received by either party from the other, the said articles, and all the stipulations contained therein, shall cease to be binding on the two high contracting parties.

ARTICLE XIV.

Inasmuch as a contract was entered into by the Government of Honduras and a company entitled the "Honduras Inter-oceanic Railway Company," for the construction of a railway from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, through the territories of Honduras, which contract was ratified by the constitutional powers of the State, and proclaimed as a law on the 28th April, 1854; and inasmuch, by the terms of article 5, section VI, of said contract, "the Government of Honduras, with the view to secure the route herein contemplated from all interruption and disturbance from any cause, or under any circumstances, engages to open negotiations with the various Governments with which it may have relations for their separate recognition of the perpetual neutrality, and for the protection of the aforesaid route; "therefore, to carry out the obligations thus incurred:

1. The Government of Honduras agrees that the right of way on or transit over such route or road, or any other that may be constructed within its territories, from sea to sea, shall be at all times open and free to the Government and citizens of the United States for all lawful purposes whatever. No tolls, duties, or charges of any kind shall be imposed by the Government of Honduras on the transit of property belonging to the Government of the United States, or on the public mails sent under authority of the same, nor on the citizens of the United States. And all lawful produce, manufactures, merchandise, or other property belonging to the citizens of the United States, passing from one ocean to the other, in either direction, shall be subject to no import or export duties whatever, nor to any discriminating tolls or charges for conveyance or transit, on any such route or road as aforesaid, and shall be secure and protected from all interruption or detention on the part of the State. The Republic of Honduras further agrees that any other privilege or advantage, commercial or other, which is or may be granted to the subjects or citizens of any other country, in regard to such route or road as aforesaid, shall also, and at the same time, be extended to citizens of the United States; and finally, as an evidence of its disposition to accord to the travel and commerce of the world all the advantages resulting from its position in respect to the two great oceans, Honduras, of her own good will, engages to establish the ports at the extremities of the contemplated road, as free ports, for all the purposes of commerce and trade.

2. In consideration of these concessions, in order to secure the construction and permanence of the route or road herein contemplated, and also to secure, for the benefit of mankind, the uninterrupted advantages of such communication from sea to sea, the United States recognizes the rights of sovereignty and property of Honduras in and over the line of said road, and for the same reason guarantees, positively and efficaciously, the entire neutrality of the same, so long as the United States shall enjoy the privileges conceded to it in the

preceding section of this article. And when the proposed road shall have been completed, the United States equally engages, in conjunction with Honduras, to protect the same from interruption, seizure, or unjust confiscation, from whatsoever quarter the attempt may proceed. 3. Nevertheless, the United States, in according its protection to the said route or road, and guaranteeing its neutrality, when completed, always understand that this protection and guarantee are granted conditionally, and may be withdrawn if the United States should deem that the persons or company undertaking or managing the same adopt or establish such regulations concerning the traffic thereupon as are contrary to the spirit and intention of this article, either by making unfair discriminations in favor of the commerce of any nation or nations over the commerce of any other nation or nations, or by imposing oppressive exactions or unreasonable tolls upon passengers, vessels, goods, wares, merchandise, or other articles. The aforesaid protection and guarantee shall not, however, be withdrawn by the United States without first giving six months notice to the Republic of Honduras.

ARTICLE XV.

The present treaty shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Comayagua within the space of one year, or sooner if possible.

In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto their respective seals.

Done at Comayagua this fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.

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Concluded June 23, 1908; ratification advised by the Senate December 10, 1908; ratified by the President December 26, 1908; ratifications exchanged April 16, 1909; proclaimed June 8, 1909.

I. Naturalization recognized.

II. Readmission to former status. III. Definition of "citizen."

ARTICLES.

IV. Liability for offenses committed before emigration.

V. Declaration of intention.
VI. Effect; duration; ratification.

The President of the United States of America and the President of the Republic of Honduras, desiring to regulate the citizenship of those persons who emigrate from the United States of America to Honduras, and from Honduras to the United States of America, have resolved to conclude a Convention on this subject; and for that

purpose have appointed their Plenipotentiaries, to conclude a Convention, that is to say:

The President of the United States of America, H. Percival Dodge, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America near the Government of Honduras; and

The President of Honduras, Señor Licenciado Marcos Lopez Ponce, Sub-Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Honduras;

Who, having examined one another's full powers and having found them in due form, have agreed to and signed the following

Articles:

ARTICLE I

Citizens of the United States who may or shall have been naturalized in Honduras, upon their own application or by their own consent, will be considered by the United States as citizens of the Republic of Honduras. Reciprocally, Honduraneans who may or shall have been naturalized in the United States upon their own application or with their own consent, will be considered by the Republic of Honduras as citizens of the United States.

ARTICLE II

If a Honduranean, naturalized in the United States of America, renews his residence in Honduras, without intent to return to the United States, he may be held to have renounced his naturalization in the United States. Reciprocally, if a citizen of the United States, naturalized in Honduras, renews his residence in the United States, without intent to return to Honduras, he may be presumed to have renounced his naturalization in Honduras.

The intent not to return may be held to exist when the person naturalized in the one country, resides more than two years in the other country, but this presumption may be destroyed by evidence to the contrary.

ARTICLE III

It is mutually agreed that the definition of the word "citizen," as used in this Convention, shall be held to mean a person to whom the nationality of the United States or of Honduras attaches.

ARTICLE IV

A recognized citizen of the one party, returning to the territory of the other, remains liable to trial and legal punishment for an action punishable by the laws of his original country and committed before his emigration, but not for the emigration itself, saving always the limitation established by the laws of his original country, and any other remission of liability to punishment.

ARTICLE V

The declaration of intention to become a citizen of the one or the other country has not for either party the effect of naturalization.

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