Bo.
0
Th
455
Appendix.
Treaty between
the King of Siam and the East India Company.
[ 28 ]
If Chow Phya, of Ligore, desires to send down to Perak, with friendly intentions, 40 or 50 men, whether Siamese, Chinese, or other Asiatic subjects of Siam, or if the Raja of Perak desires to send any of his ministers or officers to seek Chow Phya, of Ligore, the English shall not forbid them.
The Siamese or English shall not send any force to go and molest, attack, or disturb Perak. The English will not permit the state of Salangore to attack or disturb Perak; and the Siamese will not go and attack or disturb Salangore.
AGREEMENT with regard to English Vessels desiring to trade at Bankok,
Art. 1. Vessels belonging to the subjects of the English Government, whether Europeans or Asiatics, desiring to come and trade at Bankok, must conform to the established laws of Siam in every particular.
Merchants coming to Bankok are prohibited from purchasing paddy or rice for the purpose of exporting the same as merchandise, and if they import fire-arms, shot, or gunpowder, they are prohibited from selling them to any party but to the Government.
Should the Government not require such fire-arms, shot, or gunpowder, the merchants must re-export the whole of them. With exception of such warlike stores, and paddy, and rice, merchants, subjects of the English, and merchants at Bankok, may buy and sell without the intervention of any person, and with freedom and facility. Merchants coming to trade shall pay, at once, the whole of the duties and charges consolidated according to the breadth of the vessel.
If the vessel bring an import cargo, she shall be charged 1,700 ticols for each Siamese fathom in breadth.
If the vessel bring no import cargo, she shall be charged 1,500 ticols for each Siamese fathom in breadth.
No import, export, or other duty shall be charged upon the buyers or sellers, from or to English subjects.
Art. 2. Merchant vessels, the property of English subjects, arriving off the bar, must first anchor and stop there; and the commander of the vessel must dispatch a person with an account of the cargo, and a return of the people, guns, shot, and powder on board the vessel, for the information of the government at the mouth of the river, who will send a pilot and interpreter to convey the established regulations to the commander of the vessel.
Upon the pilot bringing the vessel over the bar, she must anchor and stop below the chokey, which the interpreter will point out.
Art. 3. The proper officer will go on board the vessel and examine her thoroughly; and after the guns, shot, and powder have been removed and deposited at Paknam, the governor of Paknam will permit the vessel to pass up to Bankok.
Art. 4. Upon the vessel's arrival at Bankok, the officers of the customs will go on board and examine her, open the hold, and take an account of whatever cargo may be on board; and after the breadth of the vessel has been measured and ascertained, the merchants will be allowed to buy and sell according to the first article of this agreement.
Should a vessel upon receiving an export cargo find that she cannot cross the bar with the whole, and that she must hire cargo-boats to take down a portion of the cargo, the officers of the customs and chokeys shall not charge any further duty upon such cargo-boats.
Art. 5. Whenever a vessel or cargo-boat completes her lading, the commander of the vessel must go and ask Chow Phya Phra Khlang for a port clearance; and if there be no cause for detention, Chow Phya Phra Khlang shall deliver the port clearance without delay. When the vessel upon her departure arrives at Paknam, she must anchor and stop at the usual chokey; and after the proper officers have gone on board and examined her, the vessel may receive her guns, shot, and powder, and take her departure.
Art. 6. Merchants being subjects of the English Government, whether Europeans or Asiatics, the commanders, officers, lascars, and the whole of the crews of the vessels, must conform to the established laws of Siam and to the stipulations of the treaty in every particular. If merchants of every class do not observe the articles of this treaty, and oppress the inhabitants of this country, become thieves or bad men, kill men, speak offensively of, or treat disrespectfully any great or subordinate officers of the country, and the case become important in any way whatever, the proper officer shall take jurisdiction of it and punish the offender. If the offence be homicide, and the officers, upon investigation, see that it proceeded from evil intention, they shall punish with death. If it be any other offence, and the party be commander or officer of a vessel, or a merchant, he shall be fined; if he be of a lower rank, he shall be whipped or imprisoned, according to the established laws of Siam.
The governor of Bengal will prohibit English subjects, desiring to come and trade at Bankok, speaking disrespectfully, or offensively, to or of the great officers of Siam.
If any person at Bankok oppress any English subjects, he shall be punished according to the offence in the same manner.
[ 29 ]
(5 a.)
COPY of a TREATY of Amity and Commerce between His Majesty the Magnificent King of Siam and the United States of America, concluded the 20th March 1833.
Art. 1.-THERE shall be a perpetual peace between the United States of America and the Magnificent King of Siam.
Art. 2. The citizens of the United States have free liberty to enter all the ports of the King of Siam with their cargoes, of whatever kind the said cargoes may consist; and they shall have liberty to sell the same to any of the subjects of the King, or others who may wish to purchase the same, or barter the same for any produce or manufacture of the kingdom, or other articles that may be found there.
No price shall be fixed by the officers of the King on the articles to be sold by the merchants of the United States, or the merchandise they may wish to buy; but the trade shall be free on both sides, to sell, buy, or exchange, on the terms and for the prices the owners may think fit.
Whenever the said citizens of the United States shall be ready to depart, they shall be at liberty so to do, and the proper officer shall furnish them with passports, provided always there be no legal impediment to the contrary.
Nothing contained in this article shall be understood as granting permission to import and sell munitions of war to any person excepting the King, who, if he does not require, will not be bound to purchase them; neither is permission granted to import opium, which is contraband; or to export rice, which cannot be embarked as an article of commerce. These only are prohibited.
Art. 3.-Vessels of the United States entering any port within his Majesty's dominions, and selling or purchasing cargoes of merchandise, shall pay, in lieu of import and export duties, tonnage licence, or trade, or any other charge whatever, a measurement duty, as follows:--The measurement shall be made from side to side, in the middle of the vessel's length, and if a single-decked vessel, on such single deck; if otherwise, on the lower deck. On every vessel selling merchandise the sum of 1,700 ticols or bats shall be paid for every Siamese fathom in breadth so measured, the said fathom being computed to contain 78 English or American inches, corresponding to 96 Siamese inches; but if the said vessel should come without merchandise, and purchase a cargo with specie only, she shall then pay the sum of 1,500 ticols or bats for each and every fathom before described.
Furthermore, neither the aforesaid measurement duty, nor any other charge whatever, shall be paid by any vessel of the United States that enters a Siamese port for the purpose of refitting, or for refreshments, or to inquire the state of the markets.
Art. 4.If any vessels of the United States shall suffer shipwreck in any part of the King of Siam's dominions, the persons escaping from the wreck shall be taken care of, and hospitably entertained, at the expense of the King, until they shall find an opportunity to return to their country, and the property saved from the wreck shall be carefully preserved and restored to its owners; and the United States will repay all expenses incurred by his Majesty on account of such wreck.
Art. 6.-If any citizen of the United States, coming to Siam for the purpose of trade, shall contract debts to any individual of Siam, or if any individual of Siam shall contract debts to any citizen of the United States, the debtor shall be obliged to bring forward and sell all his goods to pay his debts therewith.
When the products of such bonâ fide sale shall not suffice, he shall be no longer liable for the remainder, nor shall the creditor be able to retain him as a slave in prison, flog, or otherwise punish him, to compel the payment of any balance, but shall leave him at perfect liberty.
Art. 7.-Merchants of the United States coming to trade in the kingdom of Siam, and wishing to rent houses therein, shall rent the King's factories, and pay the customary rent of the country. If the said merchants bring their goods on shore the King's officers shall take account thereof, but shall not levy any duty thereupon.
Art. 8. If citizen of the United States, or their vessels or other property shall be any taken by pirates, and brought within the dominions of the Magnificent King, their persons shall be set at liberty and their property restored to its owners.
Art. 9.-Merchants of the United States trading to the kingdom of Siam shall respect and follow the laws and customs of the country in all ports.
If hereafter any foreign nation, other than the Portuguese, shall request and obtain his Majesty's consent to the appointment of consuls to reside in Siam, the United States shall be at liberty to appoint consuls to reside in Siam equally with such other foreign nations.
Appendix.
Treaty between
the King of Siam
and the United States of America.
H