647 



affect the claims of any other Power or State to any part of the said 

 country ; the only object of the high contracting parties, in that respect, 

 being to prevent disputes and differences amongst themselves. 



Article IV 



All the provisions of the convention "to regulate the commerce be- 

 tween the territories of the United States and of His Britannic 

 Majesty" concluded at London on the third day of July in the year 

 of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, with the excep- 

 tion of the clause which limited its duration to four years, and ex- 

 cepting also so far as the same was affected by the declaration of His 

 Majesty respecting the island of St. Helena, are hereby extended and 

 continued in force for the term of ten years from the date of the sig- 

 nature of the present convention, in the same manner, as if all the 

 provisions of the said convention were herein specially recited. 



Article A^[^] 



Whereas, it was agreed by the first Article of the treaty of Ghent, 

 that "all territoiy, places, and possessions whatsoever taken by either 

 party from the other during the war, or which may be taken after the 

 signing of this treaty, excepting only the islands hereinafter men- 

 tioned, shall be restored w^ithout delay; and without causing any 

 destruction, or carrying away any of the artillery or other public 

 property originally captured in the said forts or places which shall 

 remain therein upon the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty, or 

 any slaves or other private property ;" and whereas under the aforesaid 

 article the United States claim for their citizens, and as their private 

 property, the restitution of, or full compensation for all slaves who, 

 at the date of the exchange of the ratifications of the said treaty, were 

 in any territory, places, or possessions whatsoever directed by the said 

 treaty to be restored to the United States, but then still occupied by 

 the British forces, whether such slaves were, at the date aforesaid, on 

 shore, or on board any British vessel lying in waters within the ter- 

 ritory or jurisdiction of the United States; and whereas differences 

 have arisen whether, by the true intent and meaning of the aforesaid 

 article of the treaty of Ghent, the United States are entitled to the 

 restitution of, or full compensation for all or any slaves as above 

 described, the high contracting parties hereby agree to refer the said 

 differences to some friendly sovereign or State to be named for that 

 purpose ; and the high contracting parties further engage to consider 

 the decision of such friendly sovereign or State, to be final and con- 

 clusive on all the matters referred. 



Article VI 



This convention, when the same shall have been duly ratified by the 

 President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent 

 of their Senate, and by His Britannic Majesty, and the respective 

 ratifications mutually exchanged, shall be binding and obligatory on 



1 Referred to Emperor of Russia, convention of 1822. 



