148
COMMERCIAL TREATY BETWEEN CHINA AND PORTUGAL
extraterritorial rights when satisfied that the state of the Chinese laws, the arrangements for their administration, and other considerations warrant it in so doing.
Art. XVI.-The missionary question in China demands, in the opinion of the Chinese Government, careful consideration, so as to avert in the future troubles which have occurred in the past. Portugal, as a nation specially interested in the protection of its Catholic missions in Chinese territory, agrees to join in a commission to investigate this question and, if possible, to devise means for securing permanent peace between converts and non-converts, should such a commission be formed by China and the Treaty Powers interested. No person, whether Portuguese subject or Chinese convert who, according to the tenets of Christianity, peaceably teaches or practises the principles of that religion, which aims at teaching men to do good, shall be persecuted or harassed on account of his faith. But converts and non-converts, being alike subjects of China, shall conform to her laws, and shall pay due respect to those in authority, living together in peace and amity; and the fact of his being a convert shall protect no one from the consequence of any offence he may have committed before or may commit after his admission into the Church, or exempt him from paying legal taxes and contributions levied for the support of religious customs and practices contrary to his faith. Missionaries shall not interfere with the exercise by the native authorities of their jurisdiction over Chinese subjects, nor shall the native authorities make any distinction between converts and non-couverts, but shall administer the law without partiality, so that both classes may live together in peace. Portuguese missions shall be permitted to rent and lease in perpetuity, as the property of the mission, buildings or lands in all parts of the Empire for mission purposes and, after the title deeds have been found in order and duly stampel by the focal authorities, to erect such suitable buildings as may be required for carrying out their good work.
Art. XVII. The present Treaty shall remain in force for a period of ten years beginning with the date of the exchange of ratifications and until a revision is effected as hereinafter provided.
It is further agreed that either of the two High Contracting Parties may demand revision of the Tariff and the Articles of the Treaty six months before the end of ten years from the date of the exchange of ratifications thereof. If no re- vision is demanded before the end of the first term of the ten years, then these articles in their present form shall remain in full force for a further term of ten years reckoned from the end of the first term and so on for successive periods of ten years.
Art. XVIII.-In order to prevent in the future any discussion, this Treaty is written in Portuguese, Chinese and English, and signed in six copies, two in each lan- guage. All these versions have the same sense and meaning, but if there should happen to be any divergence in the interpretation of the Portuguese and Chinese versions, the English text will be made use of to resolve the doubts that may have arisen.
Art. XIX. The present Treaty shall be ratified by His Most Faithful Majesty the King of Portugal and Algarves and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China. The exchange of the ratifications shall be made within the shortest possible time, and the Treaty will be printed and published, in order that the functionaries and subjects of the respective countries may have full knowledge of its stipulations and may fulfil them.
Iu faith whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Treaty
and have affixed their seals thereto.
Page 220Page 221
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.