STATE PAPERS. 



261 



majesties have by tlieir declaration 

 of the 1 5th August to the northern 

 courts, who are equally concerned 

 in the maintenance of those general 

 regulations anciently recognized, 

 given them to understand how sin- 

 cerely it is the object of their hearts 

 to restore, in its full independence, 

 the general right of all nations to 

 convoy their ships and merchandize 

 freely, and without being subject to 

 the control of the powers at war. 

 His Swedish majesty imparted his 

 wishes and his sentiments to his 

 great ally, and a happy confor- 

 mity of their mutual interests has 

 induced them to adopt the resolu- 

 tion of re-establishing that system of 

 an armed neutrality which was at- 

 tended with such advantages during 

 the American war, and to renew its 

 beneficial principles in a conven- 

 tion adapted to the present circum- 

 stances. To this end his majesty 

 the king of Sweden, and his impe- 

 rial majesty of all the Russias, have 

 nominated as their plenipotentiaries, 

 namely, his Swedish majesty, baron 

 Curt von Stedingk, ambassador ex- 

 traordinary to his imperial majesty 

 of all the Russias, lieutenant-gene- 

 ral, chamberlain of the queen dow- 

 ager, colonel of a regiment of in- 

 fantry, knight, and commander of 

 the order of the sword, and knight 

 of the French order jwur les mcritcs 

 viUitaircs ; and hisimperialmajesty 

 of all the Russias, baron count 

 Theodore Rostopschin, his right 

 trusty privy councillor, member of 

 the council, principal minister of 

 the college of foreign afiairs,director 

 general of the posts of the empire, 

 grand chancellor and grand cross of 

 the sovereign order of St. Jolm of 

 Jerusalem, knight of the first class 

 of the orders of St. Andrew, St. 

 Alexander Ncvsky, and St. Anne, 



knight of the order of St. Lazarus, 

 de I' Annonciade,oi St. Maurice and 

 St. Lazarus, of St. Ferdinand and 

 St. Hubert; who, after exchanging 

 their respective full powers, have 

 agreed upon the following articles : 



Art. L His majesty the king of 

 .Sweden, and his majesty the em- 

 peror of all the Russias, declare, 

 that they will strictly prohibit the 

 exportation of contraband merchan- 

 dize on the part of their subjects 

 with every power whatever, whe- 

 ther at present engaged in war, or 

 which may hereafter be engaged 

 in war. 



Art. n. In order to prevent all 

 doubts and misunderstandings as to 

 what shall be considered contraband, 

 his majesty the king of Sweden,and 

 his imperial majesty of all the 

 Russias, declare, that they will ac- 

 knowledge the following articles as 

 contraband, namely, cannons, mor- 

 tars, fire arms, balls, flints, flint- 

 stones, matches, gunpowder, salt- 

 petre, sulphur, helmets, pikes, 

 swords, hangers, cartridge-boxes, 

 saddles and bridles, with the excep- 

 tion of such a quantity of the above 

 articles as may be necessary for the 

 defence of the ships and their crew; 

 all other articles not herein enume- 

 rated shall not be considered as war 

 or naval stores, they shall not be 

 subject to confiscation, but shall pass 

 free and without restraint. It is 

 also hereby agreed, that the present 

 article shall be without prejudice to 

 the particular stipulations of former 

 treaties with the powers at war, by 

 virtue of which the things above- 

 mentioned are allowed or prohi-- 

 bited. 



Art. III. And whereas it is re- 

 solved, that whatever, by virtue of 

 the foregoing article, can be deemed 

 contraband, shall be excluded from 



