II. That in the event of any misunderstanding between any agent or supercargo and the Kings or traders of the river, such agent or supercargo shall be at liberty to go ashore free of molestation, and with the Kings, Chiefs, and traders settle peaceably any dispute.

III. Any vessel arriving in the river for the purpose of trading, shall pay the usual comey to the King or headman, at the beach where his cask-house is situated; and no other King, Chief, headman, or trader, is entitled to demand under any pretence any other Comey, custom, or tax whatever.

IV. That after the usual payment of the King or headman for the use of the cask-house, if any agent or supercargo can prove that his cask-house has been illegally entered or broken into, and property stolen therefrom by any of the natives, the said King or headman be held responsible for the loss.

V. That any King or Chief attempting or threatening to stop the trade of any agent or supercargo, after the usual comey has been paid or tendered for the privilege of trading, such King, Chief, or trader, be held responsible for such stoppage.

VI. That any person acting as pilot shall receive as compensation the value of a crew for every 3 feet of the vessel's draught.

VII. That any aggressions or depredations committed upon the property or persons of British subjects shall be satisfactorily adjusted by the King and Chiefs.

VIII. That the regulations long existing made by the natives respecting intentionally watering or fermenting oil should still be in force.

IX. That as the practice of stopping canoes has been exceedingly detrimental to trade, for the future all disputes of the kind between the natives themselves shall be adjusted by the Kings and Chiefs assembled, their decision to be final; and under no pretence whatever shall any boat or canoe arriving from any place adjacent, be molested or stopped, or her crew detained.

X. That any servants, male or female, running from the town they belong to to any other, the King or headman of such town is bound to apprehend and send back such fugitive within 48 hours from the time of his being made acquainted with the circumstance.

XI. And be it further enacted, that for any breach of any one Article of this Treaty, the person or persons so offending to be liable to the penalty of 5 puncheons, equal to 80 crews, of saleable palin-oil.

XII. In the event of any offender attempting to evade the penalty, or committing himself as a trader, so that it should be considered necessary to prevent his trading, notice is to be given to each ship coming in the river, and the master or supercargo trading

with such person after having received the above notice, to be liable to the penalty of 100 crews.

Signed in our presence, this 19th day of December, 1850, at Nicholls Island.

DECREE of the King of Prussia, relative to the Incorporation of the Principalities of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen with the Prussian Dominions.—Charlottenburg, March 12, 1850.

(Translation.)

WE, Frederick William, by the grace of God, King of Prussia, &c., with the consent of both Chambers, decree as follows:

§ 1. The union of the Principalities of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen with the Prussian State Territory is sanctioned in virtue of the Treaty of the 7th December, 1849.*

§ 2. The Ministry of State is charged with the execution of this

Law.

Witness our Royal autograph, signature, and seal hereto affixed. Given at Charlottenburg, the 12th March, 1850.

(L.S.) FREDERICK WILLIAM.

COUNT VON BRANDENBURG.

VON LADENBERG.

VON MANTEUFFEL.

VON DER HEYDT.

VON RABE.

SIMONS.

VON SCHLEINITZ.

VON STOCKHAUSEN.

* See Page 1055.

TREATY between Prussia and the Reigning Princes of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, for the Cession of their respective Principalities to Prussia.-Berlin, December 7, 1849.

[Ratifications exchanged at Berlin, February 20, 1850.]

(Translation.)

His Serene Highness the Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and His Serene Higness the Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen having, in consequence of the political events that have taken place in the southwest of Germany since the spring of 1848, and in consideration of the family relationship and of the compacts in respect to inheritance existing between the Royal Prussian House and the Princely House of Hohenzollern, according to which, in case of the extinction of all the lines of the Princes and Counts of Hohenzollern in the male line, the succession in the Hohenzollern principalities, counties, and lordships, is secured to the said Royal House, both, and respectively each for himself, unanimously resolved to abdicate the Government of the said principalities, with all their rights of sovereignty, of government, and of eventual succession to the same, in favour of the Crown of Prussia; and having accordingly repeatedly addressed propositions to that effect to His Majesty the King of Prussia, and His Majesty having, as well in consideration of the above-mentioned family relationship and compacts of inheritance, as with a view to secure the mutual rights and interests connected therewith, declared his willingness to enter into these propositions, Plenipotentiaries have been named in order to conclude a Treaty thereon, namely, by His Majesty the King of Prussia:

His Actual Superior Privy Counseller of Regency, Von Raumer; His Privy Counsellor of Legation, Von Bülow; and

His Privy Counsellor of Finance, Stünzner.

By His Serene Highness the Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and by His Serene Highness the Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, the Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen:

Privy Councillor of Court and Finance, Baron von Billing;

Who, in virtue of their full powers, mutually found to be valid, have agreed upon and settled the following Articles, with a reservation of ratification:

ART. I. His Serene Highness the Reigning Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen cedes all rights of sovereignty and government over the whole of his principality of Hohenzollern-Hechingen to its present extent, therefore inclusively of the rights and sovereignty and government over the territory acquired in virtue of the Recess of

the German Empire of 1803, and subsequently, for himself, his heirs and successors, to His Majesty the King of Prussia.

II. In like manner are ceded by His Serene Highness the Reigning Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, all rights of sovereignty and government over the whole of his principality of Sigmaringen to its present extent, therefore inclusively of the territories acquired in virtue of the Recess of the German Empire of 1803, and subsequently for himself, his heirs and successors, to His Majesty the King of Prussia.

III. His Majesty the King of Prussia accepts the cessions made in Articles I and II, and acquires in virtue of them the possession of the principalities of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and HohenzollernSigmaringen, with all the rights of sovereignty and government connected with them.

IV. That is to say, together with the said principalities, all special rights and revenues, derived from the rights of sovereignty and government over them, such as duties, direct and indirect taxes, registration fees and stamp dues, which had been levied or were to be levied by the district, court, or national exchequers, to the day of the surrender of the principalities to the Royal Prussian Government, state archives and papers, and state buildings, as well as the use, gratis, of all the buildings and localities of all kinds destined for the administration of the country, are transferred to the Crown of Prussia.

V. The Crown of Prussia takes upon itself from the day of the surrender to it of both the said principalities, all the State burthens and national debts constitutionally connected therewith, and particularly the engagement to fulfil, according to the annexed estimates marked 1, 2, and 3, all the obligations entered into by their Serene Highnesses the Reigning Princes of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Sigmaringen, towards their court, and civil and military servants appointed by law; likewise to continue to pay, in virtue of the pension lists also hereto annexed, marked A and B, the pensions and annual gratifications granted by their Serene Highnesses or their high predecessors in the Government. On the other hand, all the salaries, pensions, gratifications, and allowances of officers, servants, pensioners, &c., of the principalities of Hohenzollern, not stated in these lists, remain to the charge of the respective Serene Princes.

VI. His Majesty the King of Prussia will grant to His Serene Highness the reigning Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, in compensation for the cession made by the above Articles I and IV, from the day of surrender of the Principality of Hohenzollern-Hechingen until the death of His Serene Highness, a fixed annuity of 10,000 dollars in Prussian currency, which will be charged upon the general Prussian State Treasury.

Should His Serene Highness the reigning Prince of Hohenzollern

Hechingen, after contracting a marriage conformable to his rank, be blessed with descendants, issue thereof, capable of succeeding, the half of the above-named annual compensation annuity, 5,000 thalers, in Prussian currency, shall, after the death of His Serene Highness, fall to these princely heirs, and shall likewise be charged upon the general Prussian State Treasury.

VII. In like manner His Majesty the King of Prussia will grant to His Serene Highness the Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, in compensation for the cession made by the above Articles II and IV, a fixed annuity of 25,000 thalers in Prussian currency, from the day of the surrender of the Principality of HohenzollernSigmaringen to the Crown of Prussia, which shall be charged upon the general Prussian State Treasury.

This annuity shall pass by inheritance, at the decease of the illustrious possessor, according to the order of succession established in the family, to the chief, for the time being, of the princely house of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

VIII. All the princely Hohenzollern estates and immoveable property situated in the principalities of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, together with the forests, mines, manufactories, and available buildings, with the exception of those reserved in Article IV for the administration of the country,tithes, rents, and dues, as the same are at present possessed by the princely houses of Hohenzollern, and are administered by their Exchequers, are acknowledged on the part of Prussia to be real princely Hohenzollern family and entailed property, and shall remain, together with the revenues arising from them, the goods and other appurtenances thereof, in the possession of their Serene Highnesses the reigning princes, subject to the liabilities thereof, such as appanages.

In like manner, their Serene Highnesses retain possession of the allodial estates, and other private property, belonging to them in the principalities.

IX. Until the day of the surrender of the principalities to the Crown of Prussia, their Serene Highnesses the reigning Princes shall retain the sovereignty revenues belonging to them therein, whilst, on the other hand, they will have to bear all the State liabilities and expenses charged upon them. Respecting arrears of the like revenues and expenditure which may exist at the surrender of the principalities, a special arrangement will be made.

X. When the existing military force of the 2 principalities, forming their contingents to the German federal army, shall, with its equipments and arms, have passed over to His Majesty the King of Prussia, on the surrender of the principalities to him, His Majesty 2-[1849-50.]

3 Y