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TREATY BETWEEN PRUSSIA AND CHINA.
Majesty the King of Prussia, may, with his family and establishment, permanently reside at the capital, or may visit it occasionally, at the option of the Prussian government. Art. III.-The diplomatic agents of Prussia and China shall, at their respective residences, enjoy the privileges and immunities accorded to them by international law. Their persons, their families, their residences, and their correspondence shall be held inviolable. They shall be at liberty to select and appoint their own officers, couriers, interpreters, servants, and attendants, without any kind of molestation.
All expenses occasioned by the diplomatic missions shall be borne by the respective governments.
The Chinese government agrees to assist His Prussian Majesty's diplomatic agent, upon his arrival at the capital, in selecting and renting a suitable house and other buildings. Art. IV. The contracting German States may appoint a Consul-General, and for each port or city opened to foreign commerce, a Consul, Vice-Consul or Consular Agents, as their interests may require.
These officers shall be treated with due respect by the Chinese authorities, and enjoy the same privileges and immunities as the Consular officers of the most favoured nations. In the event of the absence of a German Consular Officer, the subjects of the contracting German States shall be at liberty to apply to the Consul of a friendly power, or, in case of need, to the Superintendent of Customs, who shall use all efforts to secure to them the privileges of this treaty.
Art. V.-All official communications addressed by the diplomatic agent of His Majesty the King of Prussia, or by the Consular Officers of the contracting German States, to the Chinese authorities, shall be written in German. At present and until otherwise agreed, they shall be accompanied by a Chinese translation; but it is hereby mutually agreed, that in the event of a difference of meaning appearing between the German and Chinese text, the German governments shall be guided by the sense expressed in the German text.
In like manner shall all official communications addressed by the Chinese authorities to the Ambassadors of Prussia, or to the Consuls of the contracting German States, be written in Chinese, and the Chinese authorities shall be guided by this text. It is further agreed, that the translations may not be adduced as a proof in deciding differences.
In order to avoid future differences, and in consideration that all diplomatists of Europe are acquainted with the French language, the present treaty has been executed in the German, the Chinese, and the French languages. All these versions have the same sense and signification; but the French text shall be considered the original text of the treaty, and shall decide wherever the German and Chinese versions differ.
Art. VI.-The subjects of the contracting German States may, with their families, reside, frequent, carry on trade or industry, in the ports, cities and towns of Canton, Swatow, or Chau-chau, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, Shanghai, Tungchau, Tientsin, Newchwang, Chinkiang, Kiukiang, Hankow, Kingchau (Hainan), and at Taiwan and Tamsui on the Island of Formosa. They are permitted to proceed to and from these places with their vessels and merchandise, and within these localities purchase, rent, or let houses or land, build or open churches, church-yards, and hospitals.
Art. VII.-Merchant vessels belonging to any of the contracting German States may not enter other ports than those declared open in this treaty. They must not, contrary to law, enter other ports, or carry on illicit trade along the coast. All vessels detected in violating this stipulation, shall, together with their cargo, be subject to confiscation by the Chinese Government.
Art. VIII. Subjects of the contracting German States may make excursions in the neighbourhood of the open ports to a distance of one hundred li, and for a time not exceeding five days.
Those desirous of proceeding into the interior of the country, must be provided with a passport, issued by their respective Diplomatic or Consular authorities, and countersigned by the local Chinese authorities. These passports must upon demand be exhibited.
The Chinese authorities shall be at liberty to detain merchants or travellers, subjects of any of the contracting German States, who may have lost their passport, until they
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