power as fhall have refufed to do juftice; and they fhall endeavour, by every pofiible means, to give effect to fuch reprifals. Art. IX. Should it happen that one or the other of the two powers, or both, on account of, or from diflike to, the prefent convention, or any circumftance connected with it, fhould be difquieted, molefted, or attacked; in fuch cafe it is agreed, that the two powers fhall make it a common caufe mutually to defend each other; and they fhall recipro cally employ every exertion to obtain full and complete fatisfaction, as well for the infult done to their fag, as for the injury fuftained by their fubjects. Art. X. The principles and regulations ftipulated and fettled by this prefent act fhall apply to every maritime war by which Europe may unhappily be difquieted. Thefe ftipulations thall all be confidered as perpetual, and upon all occafions thall be appealed to by the contracting powers for the regulation of their commerce and navigation, and for the maintenance of the rights of neutral nations. Art. XI. As the object and main confideration of this convention is to affure the general freedom of commerce and navigation, his majefty the king of Sweden, and his imperial majefly of all the Ruffias, hereby agree, and bind themselves to each other, to give their confent that other neutral powers may become parties to it, adopt its principles, conform to its obligations, and partake of its advantages. Art. XII. In order that the belligerent powers may not have to plead ignorance of the arrange ments concluded between their faid majefties, information fhall be given to fuch belligerent powers of the regulations they have determined upon, which are fo little of a hoftile nature, that they can be detrimental to no other country whatever, but, on the contrary, are only calculated to fecure the commerce and navigation of their refpective fubjects. Art. XIII. The prefent convention fhall be ratified by the two contracting parties, and the ratification fhall be exchanged, in due and good form, within fix weeks, or fooner, if poffible, from the day of figning it. In teftimony of the fame, we, the undersigned, furnished with full powers, have hereunto figned our names and affixed our feals. Given at St. Petersburgh, the 4th (15th) of December, 1800. (Signed) Curt von Stedingk. Roftopfchin. Regulation alluded to in the above Convention, as published by the King of Sweden. The preamble ftates the neceffity of rendering the rights of commerce clear and explicit. For this effect, in order to fecure the protection of the government, the com. merce of Sweden muft obferve the following requifites: 1ft. In order that a ship be entitled to be confidered as a Swede, the muft be built in Sweden, or the provinces under her dominion; or fhipwrecked on the Swedish coaft, and there fold or bought in a foreign country by a legal and au thentic contract. If fuch purchase is made in a country threatened with war, it fhall be confidered as lawful, as foon as three months have elapfed before its actually breaking OUL nut. Every thip purchased muft be naturalized. As, however, the naturalization of fhips, bought in a foreign country, and afterwards taken by a cruizer belonging to any of the belligerent powers, may frequently produce difagreeable explanations in the fequel, it is hereby declared, that in time of war fhips fhall not be allowed to be naturalized, which have formerly been the property of the belligerents or their fubjects: neverthelefs, with the exception of all fhips that were naturalized before the prefent regulation was adopted, which fhall enjoy all the rights which are connected with the character of neutrals and Swedes. 2d. The captain of the fhip muft be provided with all papers requifite and proper for the fecurity of his voyage. Of this kind are (in cafe the fhip goes through the Sound) a certificate of the place where the veffel was built, an invoice, letters fhewing the cargoes not contraband, Turkish and Latin paffports, a certificate by the ma giftrate of the place, a pals for the crew, a copy of the oath for the owner, a charter-party with the fubfcription of the freighter, the captain, and the perfon freighting the veffel, a manifeft with the like fubfcriptions, containing a lift of the different articles of the lading, and the conditions of the intended voyage, and a bill of health, where the fame is neceffary. If the voyage be merely to the ports of the Baltic, or the Sound, the Turkish and Latin paffes are not neceflary; but the captain must have all the other papers enumerated, without exception. 3d. All thefe documents must be made out and delivered in a Swe difh port, unlefs when a fhip has loft her papers by accident, or where they have been forcibly taken away, in which cafe thefe documents may be renewed in a foreign port, if the captain, immediately on his arrival, takes the precaution to exhibit an authentic and properly certified declaration by which the accident is proved, or the grounds ftated on which he defires the renewal. 4th. The captain is prohibited from having falle afts or certificates, or duplicates thereof. He is likewife prohibited from making ufe of a foreign flag. 5th. It is required that the captain and half of the crew fhall be Swedish fubje&s. 6th. Captains going to the main ocean fhall be bound to follow the courfe pointed out in their inftructions, and agreeable to the contents of their certification. 7th. Ships destined for the ports of a belligerent power muft, with the utmost care, and under the fevereft penalties, avoid carrying any contraband commodities. To prevent all doubts or mifunderftanding refpecting what is contraband, it is agreed that the following goods fhall be confidered contraband. (The remainder of this article is a tran cript of the article of the convention.] 8th. All Swedish fubjects are prohibited to fit out privateers against the belligerents, their subjects and property. 9th. A Swedish fhip cannot be employed by a belligerent power to tranfport troops, arms, or any warlike implements. Should any captain be compelled to do fo by fuperior force, he is bound at leaft to exhibit a formal proteft against fuch violence. 10th. When a merchant-fhip is not under convoy, and happens to be brought to by a fhip of war or privateer belonging to any of the belligerents, the captain fhall not, in that cafe, oppofe the fearching of his veffel, but be bound faithfully to fhew all act and documents which relate to her cargo. The captain and his people are ftrialy prohibited from keeping back or defiroying any of their papers. 11th. If, however, fuch fhip makes part of a convoy, the foregoing article shall not ferve as the rule, but the captain's duty confifts in punctually obeying the fignals of the commodore of the convoy, for which purpose, therefore, he fhall feparate as little as poffible from the convoy. 12th. All captains are exprefsly forbidden to attempt going into a blockaded port, as foon as they are formally apprized by the officer commanding the blockade. In order to ascertain what a blockaded. harbour is, this appellation is confined to those to which, by the exertions of the blockading power with fhips deftined and adequate to the object, it is evidently dangeTous to attempt running in. 13th. In cafe any Swedish merchant-fhip is captured by a ship of 1 merchantman, who ftrictly obferves the above regulations and orders, fhall enjoy a free voyage, protected by the laws of nations and the provifion of treaties; and to this end, all public agents and Swedish confuls are required, in cafe of attack or infult, to give their support to the juft and well-founded complaints on the fubject. But thofe who in any point whatever neglect or violate their orders, muft anfwer for the confequences of-their conduct, without relying upon the protection of his majefty. 15th. By the contents of a recent order, his majefty has prohi bited the privateers of a foreign nation to enter, or bring their prizes into the ports of his kingdom, except in cafe of their being driven in by ftrefs of weather. In this cafe it is exprefsly prohibited to all whatfoever to buy the prizes, or any of the effects which the privateers, have taken. To which end, publication, &c. Guftavus Adolphus, Letter from Mr. Shairp, relative to the British Prijoners in Ruja. reports having been fortunate British fubjects now ja Ruffia, I fend you the following authentic information: war or privateer of any of the bel-circulated refpecting the unigerents, the captain fhall immediately tranfmit a circumftantial account, and duly explained, to the Swedish conful or vice conful of the place to which the ship is taken; and, fhould there be no conful or vice conful there, he fall tranimit a memorial to the Swedish conful of the diftrict to which the place into which his fhip is taken belongs. 12th. Every captain of a Swedish The perfons of the British merchants have hitherto remained unmolefted; and what ready money they had in their poffeflion has not been feized; but their warehouses are fealed, and all their property is under fequefier. All the British hips and their cargoes are feized by by the Ruffian government. The captains and crews are marched into the interior of the country, in companies of one captain and ten or twelve feamen. They are diftributed in above a hundred differ ent towns, at one hundred to one thousand miles diftance from the capital. The Ruffian government allows for their fubfiftence daily five copeeks in money (about three halfpence), a fmall mealure of rye flour, and one of buck wheat. My brother and fome other British merchants at St. Petersburgh, advanced about forty thoufand rubles (a ruble is about half acrown) for their better accommodation, from which he furnished every captain with two hundred rubles for the ufe of himself and ten men, and bought for every man a fheep's-fkin coat, a fur cap, a fafh, a pair of gloves, fome warm fhoes, and two pair of stockings. Kibitkas, or common carts of the country, are bought for moft of the captains and fome old men; the reft walk, and the pealants furnish horfes for the baggage. On the 21ft of November, fifty captains and five hundred failors were thus difpatched from St. Petersburgh, and the remainder were daily fetting off on their melancholy journey. Stephen Shairp, conful-general of Ruffia, No. 73, Gower-street, thousands of victims, and which threatens not to fufpend its ravages until it has cut off all who have hitherto efcaped, being calculated to excite compaflion, it is with furprife that I fee the fquadron, under the command of your excellency, come to augment the confternation of the inhabitants. I have too exalted an opinion of the humanity of the English people, and of yours in particular, to think that you would wish to render our condition more deplorable. However, if, in confequence of the orders your excellency has received, you are inclined to draw down upon yourself the execration of all nations, to cover yourfelf with difgrace in the eyes of the whole universe, by oppreffing the unfortunate, and attacking thofe who are fuppofed to be incapable of defence; I declare to you, that the garrifon under my orders, accustomed to behold death with a ferene countenance, and to brave dangers much greater than all the perils of war, know how to make refiftance, which fhall not terminate but with their entire deftruction. I hope that the answer of your excellency will inform me, whether I am to fpeak the language of confolation to the unfortunate inhabitants, or whether I am to roule them to indignation and vengeance. May God preferve your excel lency. October 5, 1800. Thomas de Morla, The vellels emploved in the blockade have not, till now, pre Note from the Governor of Cadiz to vented the fithers from exerciting T the English Admiral. HE affliction which carries off, in this city and its environs, 12 their harmlefs induftry. It must excite aftonishment, that your excellency thould deprive us of this finall comfort. Anfwer Answer to the abode by the Commanders-in-Chief of the Sea and Land Forces of his Britannic Majefty, forming the Expedition before Cadiz. On board his Britannic Majesty's Ship the Foudroyant, off Cadiz, October 5. We have had the honour of receiving your excellency's letter of this date, in which you defcribe to us the deplorable state of this city. We are deeply afflicted at this calamity, though we have good reason to believe that its effects have been much less disastrous. We are not ignorant that a great number of his catholic majefty's veifels are armed, in order to join the naval forces of the French, and to be employed in prolonging the troubles which afflict all the nations of Europe, diftub public order, and deftroy the happiness of individuals. We have received orders from our fovereign to ule every effort to defeat the projects of the common enemy, by endeavouring to take or destroy the thips of war which are in the harbour and arfenal of Cadiz Reply to the Commanders of his Britannic Majefty's Sea and Land Forces. When I reprefented to your excellencies the melancholy condition of this city, with the view of engaging your humanity, not to ag gravate it by acts of hoftility, I could not have fuppofed that my requeft would have been regarded as the effect of fear or weakness. Unfortunately I find that your excellencies have mifinterpreted my expreffions, fince they have led to a propofal as infulting to the perfon to whom it is addreffed, as it is but little honourable to thofe who have made it. Your excellencies will take this as fufficient information that you muft make more fuitable propofitions, if you intend that they fhall be accepted. I have the honour to be, &c. The number of troops intrufted to our command leave but little doubt as to the fuccefs of the enterprife. We are little difpofed to mutiply unneceffarily the evils in- October 6, 1800. feparable from war. Should your excellency confent to give up to us the veffels armed or arming, in order to act againft our king, and to prolong the misfortunes of neighbouring nations, your crews and officers fhall be at liberty, and our fleet hall withdraw; otherwife we muit act conformably to the orders Proclamation of the Confuls of the Republic to the French. Y Frenchmen, Paris, March 7. OU are defirous of peace; your government are defirons of it |