AMENDED TRANSLATIONS. 163 



No. 18. 



Letter from, the Department of Commerce and Manufactures to the board 

 of administration of the Russian American Company. Written from 

 St. Petersburg June 19, 1865. 



The Imperial Council, having considered the representation made by 

 me with regard to the revision of the charter of the Russian American 

 Company and the organization of the Russian American colonies, by 

 its resolution approved by the Emperor June 14 of this year, has recom- 

 mended — 



That the following principal basis be adopted in the preparation of 

 the new charter of the Russian American Company and of the colonial 

 management. 



I. The term of the privileges, rights, and obligations of the company 



extends to January 1, 1882. 



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VIII. The importation of all kinds of articles of industry and com- 

 merce by Russian and foreign vessels is made free at the ports of New 

 Archangel, on the island of Sitka; at St. Paul, on the island of Kadiak ; 

 and hereafter at others where it will be found desirable (with the ex- 

 ception of spirituous liquors, powder, and arms). 



IX. With regard to the importation of spirituous liquors and their 

 sale in the colonies, and also the supplying the colonics with arms and 

 powder, it is recommended that special regulations be adopted, Which, 

 without oppressing the inhabitants, will prevent the abuse of them, 



with all their injurious consequences. 



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XV. The prosecution of every kind of industry (except the fur in- 

 dustry) is permitted to all the inhabitants of the colonies and to all 

 Russian subjects, without distinction or restriction. 



In relation, however, to the fur industry — 



First. To secure to the Russian American Company until January 

 1, 1882, the exclusive right to carry on the fur industry and the fur 

 trade within the following limits only: On the peninsula of Aliaska, 

 reckoning as its northern limit a line drawn from Cape Douglass, in 

 Kenia Bay, to the head of Lake Iiniamua; on all the islands lying along 

 the coast of that peninsula; on the Aleutian, Commander, and Kurile 

 islands and those lying in Bering's Sea, and also along the whole 

 western coast of Bering's Sea ; but to revoke in the district to the north- 

 east of the peninsula of Aliaska along the whole coast to the boundary 

 of the British possessions, also on the islands lying along this coast, 

 including in that number Sitka and the whole Koloshian Archipelago,. 

 and also, on land, to the northern extremity of the American continent, 

 the privilege granted to the company of the exclusive prosecution of 

 the said industry and traffic. 



Second. The colonial inhabitants and the settlers who are Russian 

 subjects residing permanently in the colonies, are permitted to carry 

 on the fur industry, in conformity with the special regulation which 

 must be adopted for that purpose, in those parts of the Russian pos- 

 sessions where the exclusive right to the said industry is not reserved 

 to the Russian American Company; all other Russian subjects are per- 

 mitted only to trade with the natives in fur goods, and are not admitted 



to a share in the fur industry itself. 



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A true copy: 



A. TlMKOVSKI, 



. Chief Cleric. 



