

TREATIES AND CONVENTIONS. 69 



party with a copy thereof; and either party may call upon the other, 

 through the Commissioners, to produce the originals or certified 

 copies of any papers adduced as evidence, givin'g in each instance 

 such reasonable notice as the Commissioners may require. 



The case on either side shall be closed within a period of six months 

 from the date of the organization of the Commission, and the Com- 

 missioners shall be requested to give their award as soon as possible 

 thereafter. The aforesaid period of six months may be extended for 

 three months in case of a vacancy occurring among the Commis- 

 sioners under the circumstances contemplated in Article XXIII of 

 this treatv. 



ARTICLE XXV. 



The Commissioners shall keep an accurate record and correct 

 minutes or notes of all their proceedings, with the dates thereof, and 

 may appoint and employ a Secretary and any other necessary officer 

 or officers to assist them in the transaction of the business which may 

 come before them. 



Each of the high contracting parties shall pay its own Commis- 

 sioner and Agent or Counsel ; all other expenses shall be defrayed by 

 the two Governments in equal moieties. 



ARTICLE XXVI. 



The navigation of the river St. Lawrence, ascending and descend- 

 ing, from the forty-fifth parallel of north latitude, where it ceases to 

 form the boundary between the two countries, from, to, and into the 

 sea, shall forever remain free and open for the purposes of commerce 

 to the citizens of the United States, subject to any laws and regula- 

 tions of Great Britain, or of the Dominion of Canada, not inconsistent 

 with such privilege of free navigation. 



The navigation of the rivers Yukon, Porcupine, and Stikine, 

 ascending and descending, from, to, and into the sea, shall forever 

 remain free and open for the purposes of commerce to the subjects 

 of Her Britannic Majesty and to the citizens of the United States, 

 subject to any laws and regulations of either country within its own 

 territory, not inconsistent with such privilege of free navigation. 



ARTICLE XXVII. 



The Government of Her Britannic Majesty engages to urge upon 

 the Government of the Dominion of Canada to secure to the citizens 

 of the United States the use of the Welland, St. Lawrence, and other 

 canals in the Dominion on terms of equality with the inhabitants of 

 the Dominion and the Government of the United States engages that 

 the subjects of Her Britannic Majesty shall enjoy the use of the St. 

 Clair Flats canal on terms of equality with the inhabitants of the 

 United States, and further engages to urge upon the State Govern- 

 ments to secure to the subjects of Her Britannic Majesty the use of 

 the several State canals connected with the navigation of the lakes or 

 rivers traversed by or contiguous to the boundary-line between the 

 possessions of the high contracting parties, on terms of equality with 

 the inhabitants of the United States. 



