XI. And be it further enacted, that this Act may be amended, altered, or repealed, by any Act to be passed in this present Session of Parliament.

ACT of the British Parliament," to enable certain Commissioners fully to carry into effect several Conventions for liquidating Claims of British Subjects, and others, against the Government of France."

[59 Geo. 3. Cap. 31.]

[19th May, 1819.]

WHEREAS, by the IVth Additional Article of the Definitive Treaty of Peace between His Majesty and His Most Christian Majesty, concluded at Paris on the 30th day of May, 1814, it was stipulated that, immediately after the Ratification of the said Treaty, the Sequesters which, since the year 1792, had been laid on the Funds, Revenues, Credits, or any other Effects whatsoever of the High Contracting Parties, or of their Subjects, should be taken off; and that Commissioners, mentioned in the IInd Additional Article of the said Treaty, should undertake the examination of the Claims of His Britannic Majesty's Subjects upon the French Government, for the value of property, moveable or immoveable, illegally confiscated by the French Authorities; as also of the total or partial loss of the debts due to them, or other property illegally detained under Sequester, since the year 1792: And whereas by the IXth Article of the Definitive Treaty of Peace between France and the Allied Powers, concluded at Paris on the 20th day of November, 1815,† it is stipulated, that the High Contracting Parties, having caused representation to be made of the different Claims arising out of the non-execution of the IXth and following Articles of the Treaty of the 30th day of May 1814, as well as of the Additional Articles of that Treaty, signed between Great Britain and France, desiring to render more efficacious the Stipulations made thereby, and having determined, by 2 separate Conventions, the line to be pursued on each side for that purpose, the said 2 Conventions annexed to the said Treaty should, in order to secure the complete execution of the afore-mentioned Articles, have the same force and effect as if the same were inserted word for word therein: And whereas by a Convention, concluded in conformity to the said IXth Article of the principal Treaty between His Majesty and His Most Christian Majesty, relative to the examination and liquidation of the Claims of the Sub

jects of His Majesty against the Government of France, and signed at Paris on the same day,* it was stipulated, "That a Capital producing an interest of 3,500,000 francs, commencing from the 22nd day of March 1816, should be inscribed as a Fund of Guarantee in the Great Book of the Public Debt of France, in the names of 2 or 4 Commissioners, the one half English and the other half French, chosen by their respective Governments ;" and by the XIIth Article of the said Convention, certain periods were appointed for bringing forward their respective Claims by His Majesty's Subjects, after the expiration of which period they were no longer to have the benefit of the liquidation provided by the said Convention; And whereas, by an Additional Article, annexed to the said Convention, † it was stipulated, that the Commission instituted by the said Convention should proceed to the liquidation of the Claims of the Subjects of His Britannic Majesty, founded on a decision of His Most Christian Majesty, relative to the British Merchandize introduced into Bourdeaux, in conformity to the Tariff of Customs published in the above-mentioned City, by His Royal Highness the Duke D'Angoulême, on the 24th day of March 1814: And whereas by another Convention, concluded at Paris on the said 20th day of November 1815, (in conformity to the IXth Article of the said principal Treaty,) relative to the examination and liquidation of the Claims upon the French Government, by Subjects of the Allied Sovereign Powers of Great Britain, Austria, Russia, and Prussia, it was agreed, that His Most Christian Majesty should cause to be liquidated, in the manner thereinafter specified, all sums which France should be found to owe in Countries out of her Territory; and by the Vth Article of the last-mentioned Convention it was agreed, that a Commission of Liquidation should be appointed for the examination of such Claims; and by the XXth Article of the said last-mentioned Convention it was stipulated that, on the 1st day of January then next following, there should be inscribed, as a Guarantee Fund, in the Great Book of the Public Debt of France, a Capital producing 3,500,000 francs yearly Revenue, with possession from the 22d day of March, 1816, in the name of 2, 4, or 6 Commissioners, one half the Subjects of His Most Christian Majesty, and the other half of the Allied Sovereign Powers; which said Commissioners were to be chosen and appointed, namely, 1, 2, or 3 by the French Government, and 1, 2, or 3 by the Allied Powers; and by the XVIth Article of the said Convention, a certain period was appointed for the presentation of the Claims of the Subjects of the Allied Powers, after the expiration of which period they were to

forfeit all right to claim and recovery: and whereas His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, was pleased, by a Commission under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date the 27th day of December, 1815, to appoint Colin Alexander Mackenize, Esquire, George Lewis Newnham, Esquire, George Hammond, Esquire, David Richard Morier, Esquire, and James Drummond, Esquire, to be his Commissioners of Liquidation, Arbitration, and Deposit, for the purpose of carrying into effect, on the part of His Majesty, the Provisions contained in the said first-mentioned Convention of the 20th day of November, 1815, and the Additional Article thereunto annexed: and whereas the said Commissioners have caused to be inscribed in a Register, the names of all the Claimants who presented themselves within the period prescribed by the said Convention, and have liquidated and caused to be paid out of the said Fund of Guarantee, producing 3,500,000 francs yearly Revenue, certain sums producing in the whole 2,945,895 francs of yearly Revenue, to various Persons so inscribed in the said Register, deducting therefrom the sum of 2 per cent. on the amount of all the Claims so liquidated, for the purpose of reimbursing to His Majesty's Government the expenses of the said Commission; so that a sum producing 554,105 francs yearly Revenue, still remains of the said original Fund of Guarantee; and whereas the said Commissioners did also liquidate divers Claims of the British Merchants trading to Bourdeaux: and whereas, by another Commission, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date the 13th day of December, 1816, His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, was pleased to nominate and appoint George Hammond, Esquire, George Lewis Newnham, Esquire, Colin Alexander Mackenzie, Esquire, David Richard Morier, Esquire, and James Drummond, Esquire, to be his Commissioners of Liquidation, Arbitration, and Deposit, for the purpose of carrying into effect, on the part of His Majesty, the Provisions of the said Convention, secondly mentioned, relative to the Claims upon the French Government by the Subjects of the several Allied Sovereign Powers: and whereas the said Commissioners, under the said last-mentioned Commission, have caused to be inscribed in a Register, the names of all the Claimants who presented themselves within the period prescribed by the Convention: and whereas a Convention between His Majesty and His Most Christian Majesty, was signed at Paris, on the 25th day of April, 1818,* for the final arrangement of the Claims of His Majesty's Subjects upon the Government of France; by the Ist Article of which said last-mentioned Convention it was agreed, that in order to effect the payment and entire extinction, as well of the Capital as of the Interest thereon due to * See Commercial Treaties. Vol. 1. Page 329.

the Subjects of His Britannic Majesty, and of which the payment had been claimed in virtue of the Additional Article to the Treaty of the 30th day of May, 1814, and also in virtue of the herein-before firstmentioned Convention of the 20th day of November, 1815, there should be inscribed in the Great Book of the Public Debt of France, a perpetual Annuity of 3,000,000 of francs, representing a Capital of 60,000,000 of francs, and which 3,000,000 should bear interest from the 22nd of March, 1818; and by the IInd Article of the said last-mentioned Convention it was stipulated, that such part of the Annuity as was then disposable out of the Fund created in virtue of the IXth Article of the herein-before first-mentioned Convention of the 20th day of November, 1815, together with all the interest accumulated thereon since the 22nd day of March, 1816, should be equally applicable to the payment of the said Claims, and in consequence, that the inscriptions of the above-mentioned Annuity should be delivered over to the Commissioners of His Britannic Majesty, immediately after the exchange of the Ratification of the said Convention of the 25th day of April, 1818; and by the IIIrd Article of the said Convention of the 25th day of April, 1818, it was stipulated, that the Annuity of 3,000,000 of francs which should be created in conformity to the above-recited Ist Article of the said Convention, should be divided into 12 inscriptions of equal value, all of which should bear interest from the 22nd day of March, 1818, and should be inscribed in the name of the Commissioners of His Britannic Majesty, or of those whom they shall appoint, and should be made over to them at the rate of one of each of such inscriptions in each successive month, to begin from the day of the exchange of Ratification of the said Convention: and whereas a certain other Convention was concluded on the said 25th day of April, 1818,* between His Britannic Majesty and His Most Christian Majesty, to which Convention the Emperors of Austria and of Russia, and King of Prussia, are all assenting Parties; and by the Ist Article of the said last-mentioned Convention, for the purpose of effecting the total discharge of Debts contracted by France in Countries which do not form a part of her present Territory, with any Individuals, Corporations, or Establishments whatever, payment of which Debts is claimed in virtue of the Treaties of the 30th day of May, 1814, and of the 20th day of November, 1815, the French Government engages to cause to be inscribed upon the Great Book of its Public Debt, with interest from the 22nd day of March, 1818, a Rente of 12,040,000 francs, representing a Capital of 240,800,000 francs; and by the VIIth Article of the said last-mentioned Convention of the 25th day of April, 1818, it is agreed, that the Rente which shall be created in virtue of the Ist Article thereof, shall be distributed amongst certain Powers therein-after named as is therein provided; and the amount of such * See Commercial Treaties. Vol. 1. Page 337.

Rente assigned by the said Article to the Ionian Islands, the Isle of France, and other Countries, under the Dominion of His Britannic Majesty, is 150,000 francs: And whereas certain Additional Articles to the herein-before mentioned Convention, between His Majesty and His Most Christian Majesty, of the 25th day of April, 1818, were signed at Paris on the 4th day of July, 1818;* and by the first of the said Additional Articles, the total amount of the payments to be made by France for the discharge and entire extinction of the sums due to His Britannic Majesty, resulting from the decision of His Most Christian Majesty, relative to the British Merchandize introduced into Bourdeaux, in consequence of the Tariff of Customs published the 24th day of March, 1814, was fixed at the sum of 450,000 francs; and by the IInd of the said Additional Articles it was agreed, that the said sum of 450,000 francs should be paid into the hands of the Commissioners appointed for the purpose by His Britannic Majesty, by certain portions, so that the whole should be paid by the 1st day of January, 1819: And whereas the whole of the said sum of 450,000 francs has accordingly been paid into the hands of the Commissioners appointed by the herein-before recited Commission, dated the 27th day of December, 1815: And whereas His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, was pleased by his Commission under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, dated the 15th day of June, 1818, to nominate and appoint Colin Alexander Mackenzie, Esq. George Lewis Newnham, Esq. and George Hammond, Esq. to be his Commissioners of Liquidation, Arbitration, and Award, for the purpose of acting on behalf of His Majesty in England, according to the Provisions of all the said herein-before recited several Conventions, and to take into consideration all the Claims of His Majesty's Subjects, and of the Inhabitants of the Ionian Islands, which may have been at due times, and in proper form, presented to them; and to award the payment of such sums as may appear to be justly due to His Majesty's said Subjects, and to the Inhabitants of the Ionian Islands: and whereas His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, was pleased, by his Commission under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, dated the said 15th day of June, 1818, to nominate and appoint David Richard Morier, Esq. and James Drummond, Esq. to be his Commissioners of Deposit, to receive from the Government of His Most Christian Majesty at Paris, the inscriptions to be delivered over to British Commissioners in and by the said several Conventions hereinbefore mentioned: and whereas it is expedient to provide for the execution of the powers vested in the said several Commissioners; be it therefore enacted, by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and * Sce Commercial Treaties. Vol. 1. Page 335.