Done at Versailles, the 20th day of January, 1783. (L. S.) ALLEYNE FITZ HERBERT. (L.S.) GRAVIER de VERGENNES. Tranflation of the Preliminary Articles of Peace between his Britannic Majefty, and the Moft Catholic King. Signed at Verfailles the 20th of January, 1783. IN THE NAME THE HOLY TRINITY, HE King of Great Britain and the King of Spain, equally animated with a defire of putting an end to the calamities of a deftructive war, and of te-eftablishing union and good understanding between them, as neceflary for the good of mankind in general as for that of their refpective kingdoms, states, and fubjects, have named for this purpose, viz. on the part of his Majefty the King of Great Britain, Mr. Alleyne Fitz-Herbert, minifter plenipotentiary of his faid Majefty; and on the part of his Majesty the King of Spain, Don Peter Paul Abarea de Bolea Ximines d'Urnea, &c. Count of Aranda and Caftel Florido Marquis of Torres, of Villanan and Rupit, Viscount of Rueda and Yoch, Baron of the Baronies of Gavin, Sietano, Clamofa, Enipol, Trazmoz, La Mata de Caftil, Viego, Antillon, La Almoida, Cortes, Jorva, St. Genis, Robovillet; Oreau, and St. Colome de Farnes, Lord of the Tenance, and Honour of Alcala ten, the Valley of Rodellar, the castles and towns of Mdella, Mefones, Tiurana, de Villaplana, Taradell, and Viladran, &c. Rico Hombre in Arragon, by birth, grandee of Spain of the firft clafs, knight of the order of the Golden Fleece, and of that of the Holy Ghoft, gentleman of the King's bed-chamber in employment, captain-general of his armies, and his ambaflador to his Moft Chriftian Majefty, who, after having duly communicated to each other their full powers in good form, have agreed on the following preliminary articles : Article I. As foon as the preliminaries fhall be figned and ratified, fincere friendship shall be established between his Britannic Majefty and his Catholic Majesty, their kingdoms, ftates, and fubjects, by fea and by land, in all parts of the world. Orders fhall be fent to the armies and fquadrons, as well as to the fubjects of the two powers, to stop all hoftilities, and to live in the most perfect union, forgetting what has paffed, of which their fovereigns give them the order and example; and for the execution of this article, fea-paffes fhall be given on each fide for the fhips which fhall be difpatched to carry the news of it to the poffeffions of the faid powers. Art. II. His Catholic Majefty fhall keep the ifland of Minorca. Art. III. His Britannic Majefty fall cede to his Catholic Majefty Eatt Florida; and his Catholic Majefty fhall keep Weft Florida, provided that the term of eighteen months, to be computed from from the time of the ratification of the definitive treaty, fhall be granted to fubjects of his Britannic Majefty who are fettled as well in the ifland of Minorca as in the two Floridas, to fell their eftates, recover their debts, and to tranfport their effects, as well as their perfons, without being reftrained on account of their religion, or under any other pretence whatfoever, except that of debts and criminal profecutions; and his Britannic Majefty fhall have power to caufe all the effects that may belong to him in Eaft Florida, whether artillery or others, to be carried away. Art. IV. His Catholic Majefty fhall not for the future fuffer the fubjects of his Britannic Majefty, or their workmen, to be difturbed or molefted, under any pretence whatfoever, in their occupation of cutting, loading, and carrying away logwood, in a diftrict of which the boundaries fhall be fixed; and for this purpofe they may build without hindrance, and occupy without interruption, the houfes and magazines neceffary for them, for their families, and for their effects, in a place to be agreed upon, either in the definitive treaty, or within fix months after the exchange of the ratifications; and his faid Catholic Majefty aflures to them, by this article, the entire enjoyment of what is above ftipulated, provided that thefe ftipulations fhall not be confidered as derogatory in any respect from the rights of his fovereignty. Art. V. His Catholic Majefty fhall reftore to Great Britain the islands of Providence and the Bahamas, without exception, in the fame condition in which they were when they were conquered by the arms of the King of Spain. Art. VI. All the countries and territories which may have been, or may be conquered in any part of the world whatfoever, by the arms of his Britannic Majefty, or by thofe of his Catholic Majefty, and which are not included in our prefent articles, fhall be restored without difficulty, and without requiring compenfations. Art. VII. By the definitive treaty, all those which have existed till now between the two high contracting parties, and which fhall not be derogated from either by the faid treaty, or by the prefent preliminary treaty, fhall be renewed and confirmed; and the two courts fhall name commiffioners to enquire into the state of the commerce between the two nas tions, in order to agree upon new arrangements of trade, on the footing of reciprocity and mutual convenience; and the two faid courts fhall together, amicably fix a competent term for the duration of that bufineis. Art. VIII. As it is neceffary to affign a fixed epoch for the reftitutions and evacuations to be made by each of the high contracting parties, it is agreed, That the King of Great Britain fhall caufe Eaft Florida to be evacuated, three months after the ratification of the definitive treaty, or fooner, if it can be done. The King of Great Britain shall likewife enter again into poffeffion of the Bahama Islands, without exception, in the space of three months after the ratification of the definitive treaty. Ia In confequence whereof, the neceffary orders fhall be fent by each of the high contracting parties, with reciprocal paffports for the fhips, which fhall carry them immediately after the ratification of the definitive treaty. Art. IX. The prifoners made refpectively by the arms of his Britannic Majefty and his Catholic Majcfty, by fea and by land, fhall immediately after the ratification of the definitive treaty, be reciprocally and bona fide reftored without ranfom, and on paying the debts they may have contracted during their captivity; and each crown fhall refpectively reimburse the fums which fall have been advanced for the fubfiftence and maintenance of their prifoners by the fovereign of the country where they shall have been detained, according to the receipts and attefted accounts, and other authentic titles which shall be produced on each fide. Art. X. In order to prevent all caufes of complaint and difpute which may arife on account of prizes which may be made at lea after the figning of these preliminary articles, it is reciprocally agreed that the fhips and effects which may be taken in the Channel or in the North Seas, after the fpace of twelve days, to be computed from the ratification of the prefent preliminary articles, fhall be restored on each fide. That the term fhall be one month from the Channel and the North Seas, as far as the Canary Iflands inclufively, whether in the ocean or in the Mediterranean; two months from the faid Canary Ilands, as far as the equinoctial line or equator; and lastly, five VOL. XXV. months in all parts of the world without exception, or other more defcription of time and place. Art. XI. The ratifications of the prefent preliminary articles fhall be expedited in good and due form, and exchanged in the pace of one month, or fooner if it can be done, to be computed from the day of the fignature of the prefent articles. In witnefs whereof, we the under-written minifters plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majefty and of his Catholic Majefty, by virtue of our refpective powers, have agreed upon and figned these preliminary articles, and have caused the feal of our arms to be put thereto. Done at Versailles the 20th day of January, 1783. ALLEYNE FITZHERBERT, (L. S.) LE COMTE D'ARANDA. (L. S.) Articles agreed upon by and between Richard Ofwald, Efq. the Commiffioner of his Britannic Majefty for treating of Peace with the Commiffioners of the United States of America, on Behalf of his faid Majefty, on the one part-and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens, four of the Commiffioners of the faid States, for treating of Peace with the Commiffioner of his faid Majefty on their Behalf, on the other part; to be inferted in and to conflitute the Treaty of Peace propofed to be concluded between the Crown of Great Britain and the faid United States; but which Treaty is not to be concluded until Terms of a Peace hall be agreed upon between Great Britain and France; and his Bri[X] tannic tannic Majefty fhall be ready to con- rence from thofe which fall into clude fuch treaty accordingly. W HEREAS reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience are found by experience to form the only permanent foundation of peace and friendship between ftates, it is agreed to form the articles of the propofed treaty on fuch principles of liberal equity and reciprocity, as that partial advantages, thofe feeds of difcord being excluded, fuch a beneficial and fatisfactory intercourfe between the two countries may be establish ed as to promife and fecure to both perpetual peace and harmony. Art. I. His Britannic Majefty acknowledges the faid United States, viz. New Hampshire, Maffachufets Bay, Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, to be Free, Sovereign, and Independent States; that he treats with them as fuch; and for himself, his heirs, and fucceffors, relinquifhes all claim to the government, propriety, and territorial rights of the fame, and every part thereof; and that all difputes which might arife in future on the fubject of the boundaries of the faid United States, may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared that the following are and fhall be their boundaries, viz. Art. II. From the north-weft angle of Nova Scotia, viz. that angle which is formed by a line drawn due north from the fource of St. Croix River to the Highlands: along the faid iflands, which divide thofe rivers that empty themielves into the River St. Law. the Atlantic Ocean, to the northweftermoft head of Connecticut River, thence down along the middle of that river to the fortyfifth degree of north latitude; from thence by a line due weft on faid latitude, until it strikes the River Iroquois or Cataraquy; thence along the middle of faid river into Lake Ontario, thro' the middle of faid lake, until it ftrikes the communication by water between that lake and Lake Erie; thence along the middle of faid communication into Lake Erie, through the middle of faid lake until it arrives at the water communication between that lake and Lake Huron; thence along the middle of faid water communication into the Lake Huron; thence through the middle of faid lake to the water communication between that lake and Lake Superior; thence through Lake Superior, northward of the Ifles Royal and Phelipeaux, to the Long Lake; thence through the middle of faid Long Lake, and the water communication between it and the Lake of the Woods, to the faid Lake of the Woods; thence through the faid lake to the moft north-western point thereof, and from thence on a due weft courfe to the River Miffiffippi; thence by a line to be drawn along the middle of the faid kiver Mif fiffippi, until it fhall interfect the northermoft part of the thirtyfirst degree of north latitude. South, by a line to be drawn due eaft from the determination of the line laft menioned, in the latitude of thirty-one degrees north of the equator, to the middle of the River Apalachicola, or Catahouche; thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint River; thence ftraight to the head of St. Mary's River; and thence down along the middle of St. Mary's River to the Atlantic Ocean. Eaft, by a line to be drawn along the middle of the River St. Croix, from its mouth in the Bay of Fundy to its fource, and from its fource directly north to the aforefaid highlands, which divide the rivers that fall into the Atlantic Ocean from thofe which fall into the River St. Lawrence; comprehending all iflands within twenty leagues of any part of the fhores of the United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due eaft from the points where the aforefaid boundaries, between Nova Scotia on the one part, and Eaft Florida on the other, fhall refpectively touch the Bay of Fun dy and the Atlantic Ocean; excepting fuch iflands as now are, and heretofore have been, within the limits of the faid province of Nova Scotia. Art. III. It is agreed that the - people of the United States fhall continue to enjoy unmolefted the right to take fish of every kind on the Grand Bank, and on all the other Banks of Newfoundland; alfo in the Gulph of St. Lawrence, and at all other places in the fea, where the inhabitants of both countries used at any time heretofore to fish; and alfo that the inhabitants of the United States fhall have liberty to take fish of every kind on fuch part of the coaft of Newfoundland as British fishermen fhall ufe (but not to dry or cure the fame on that island) and alfo on the coafts, bays, and creeks, of all other of his Britannic Majefty's dominions in America; and the American fifhermen fhall have liberty to dry and cure fish in any of the unfettled bays, harbours, and creeks, of Nova Scotia, Magdalen Islands, and Labrador, fo long as the fame fhall remain unfettled; but fo foon as the fame or either of them fhall be fettled, it fhall not be lawful for the faid fishermen to dry or cure fifh at fuch fettlement, without a previous agreement for that purpofe with the inhabitants, proprietors, or poffeffors of the ground. Art. IV. It is agreed that creditors on either fide fhall meet with no lawful impediment to the recovery of the full value in fterling money, of all bona fide debts. heretofore contracted. Art. V. It is agreed that the Congrefs fhall earnestly recommend it to the legiflatures of the refpective States, to provide for the reftitution of all eftates, rights, and properties, which have been confifcated, belonging to real Britifh fubjects, and alfo of the eftates, rights, and properties of perfons refident in diftricts in the poffeffion of his Majefty's arms, and who have not borne arms against the faid United States. And that perfons of any other defcription. fhall have free liberty to go into any part or parts of any of the Thirteen United States, and therein to remain twelve months unmolefted in their endeavours to obtain the reftitution of such of their eftates, rights, and properties, as may have been confifcated; and that Congrefs fhall alfo carneftly recommend to the feveral states a reconfideration and revifion of all acts or laws regarding the premifes, fo as to render the faid laws or acts perfectly confiftent not only with justice and equity, but with that ipirit of conciliation which, on the return of the bleffings of peace, |