A.—3

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COSTA RlCA.—Novembee 27, 1849. Commerce and .Navigation. —In order that the two High Contracting Parties may have the opportunity of hereafter treating and agreeing upon such other arrangements as may tend stiil further to the improvement of their mutual intercourse, and to the advancement of the interests of their respective subjects and citizens, it is agreed that, at any time after the expiration of seven years from the date of the exchange of the ratifications (February 20, 1850) of the present treaty, either of the High Contracting Parties shall have the right of giving to the other party notice of its intention to terminate Articles V., VI., and VII. of the present treaty ; and that, at the expiration of twelve months after such notice shall have been received by either party from the other, the said articles and all the stipulations contained therein shall cease to be binding on the two High Contracting Parties. (Article XV.) Most-favoured-Nation Treatment. Subjects :■ Commerce, Ships and Cargoes, Houses and Warehouses, Protection. —There shall be between all the territories, dominions, and settlements of Her Britannic Majesty in Europe, and the territories of the Republic of Costa Rica, a reciprocal freedom of commerce. The subjects and citizens of the two countries respectively shall have liberty freely and securely to come, with their ships and cargoes, to all places, ports, and rivers in the territories, dominions, and settlements aforesaid to which other foreigners are or may be permitted to come, to enter into the same, and to remain and reside in any part thereof respectively ; also to hire and occupy houses and warehouses for the purposes of their commerce ; and, generally, the merchants and traders of each nation respectively shall enjoy the most complete protection and security for their commerce ; subject always to the laws and statutes of the two countries respectively. (Article II.) Ships of War and Post-office Packets. —In like manner the respective ships of war and post-office packets of the two countries shall have liberty freely and securely to come to all harbours, rivers, and places to which other foreign ships of war and packets are or may be permitted to come; to enter into the same, to anchor, and to remain there and refit; subject always to the laws and statutes of the two countries respectively. (Article II.) Coasting Trade reserved. —By the right of entering the places, ports, and rivers mentioned in this article, the privilege of carrying on the coasting trade is not understood, in which trade national vessels only are permitted to engage. (Article II.) Commerce and Navigation. —Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland engages further that the inhabitants of the Republic of Costa Rica shall have the like liberty of commerce and navigation stipulated for in the preceding article in all her territories, dominions, and settlements situated out of Europe, to the full extent to which the same is permitted at present, or shall be permitted hereafter, to any other nation. (Article III.) Subjects : Favours, Privileges, and Immunities. —It being the intention of the two High Contracting Parties to bind themselves by the two preceding articles to treat each other on the footing of the most favoured nation, it is hereby agreed between them that any favour, privilege, or immunity whatever, in matters of commerce and navigation, which either Contracting Party has actually granted, or may hereafter grant, to the subjects or citizens of any other State, shall be extended to the subjects or citizens of the other High Contracting Party gratuitously if the concession in favour of that other nation shall have been gratuitous, or in return for a compensation as nearly as possible of proportionate value and effect, to be adjusted by mutual agreement if the concession shall have been conditional. (Article IV.) Excise Tax or Inland Duty.—lt one of the High Contracting Parties shall impose an excise tax— that is to say, an inland duty- —upon any article of home production or manufacture, an equivalent compensatory duty may be imposed on articles of the same description on their importation from the territories of the other power, provided that the said equivalent duty is levied on the like articles on their importation from all other foreign countries. In the event of the reduction or suppression of excise taxes—that is to say, inland duties—a corresponding reduction or suppression shall at the same time be made in the equivalent compensatory import duty on manufactures of British or French origin, as the case may be. (Article I.) Import Duties : Produce and Manufactures. —No higher or other duties shall be imposed on the importation into the territories, dominions, or settlements of Her Britannic Majesty of any article being of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the Republic of Costa Rica, and no higher or other duties shall be imposed on tho importation into the territories of the Republic of Costa Rica of any articles being the growth, produce, or manufacture of the territories, dominions, and settlements of Her Britannic Majesty, than are or shall be payable on the like articles being the growth, produce, or manufacture of any other foreign country. (Article V.) Export Duties. —Nor shall any other or higher duties or charges be imposed in the territories, dominions, or settlements of either of the High Contracting Parties, on the exportation of any articles to the territories, dominions, or settlements of the other, than such as are or may be payable on the exportation of tin; like articles to any other foreign country. (Article V.) Prohibitions. —Nor shall any prohibition be imposed upon the exportation or importation of any articles tho growth, produce, or manufacture of the territories, dominions, or settlements of Her Britannic Majesty, or of the Republic of Costa Rica, to or from the said territories, dominions, or settlements! of Her Britannic Majesty, or to or from the Republic of Costa Rica, which shall not equally extend to all other nations. (Article V.) Diplomatic Agents and Consuls. —It shall be free for each of the two High Contracting Parties to appoint Consuls, for the protection of trade, to reside in any of the territories, dominions, and settlements of the other Party ; but before any Consul shall act as such, he shall, in the usual form, be approved and admitted by the Government to which he is sent, and either of the High Contracting Parties may except from the residence of Consuls such particular places as they judge fit to be excepted. The Costa Rican Diplomatic Agents and Consuls shall enjoy, in the territories, dominions, and settlements of Her Britannic Majesty, whatever privileges, exceptions, and immunities are or shall be granted to Agents of the same rank belonging to the most favoured nation; and in like manner the