tors, notaries, agents and factors, as they may judge proper, in all their trials at law; and such citizens or agents shall have free opportunity to be present at the decisions and sentences of the tribunals, in all cases which may concern them; and likewise at the taking of all examinations and evidence which may be exhibited on the said trials.

ARTICLE 14.

The citizens of the United States residing in the territories of the Republic of Venezuela, shall enjoy the most perfect and entire security of conscience, without being annoyed, prevented or disturbed on account of their religious belief. Neither shall they be annoyed, molested or disturbed in the proper exercise of their religion in private houses, or in the chapels or places of worship appointed for that purpose, with the decorum due to divine worship, and with due respect to the laws, usages, and customs of the country. Liberty shall also be granted to bury the citizens of the United States who may die in the territories of the Republic of Venezuela, in convenient and adequate places, to be appointed and established by themselves, for that purpose, with the knowledge of the local authorities, or in such other places of sepulture as may be chosen by the friends of the deceased; nor shall the funerals or sepulchres of the dead be disturbed, in any wise, nor upon any ac. count. In like manner, the citizens of Venezuela shall enjoy within the Government and territories of the United States, a perfect and unrestrained liberty of conscience and of exercising their religion publicly or pri

science, and rites

Los ciudadanos de la Repub- Liberty of conlica de Venezuela residentes en of worship, and los territorios de los Estados of burial secured. Unidos, gozarán una perfecta é ilimitada libertad de conciencia, sin ser molestados, inquietados ni perturbados por su creencia religiosa. Ni serán molestados, inquietados ó perturbados en el ejercicio de su religion en casas privadas, en las capillas ó lugares de adoracion designados al efecto, con el decoro debido á la divinidad, y respeto á las leyes, usos y costumbres del pais. Tambien tendrán libertad para enterrar los ciudadanos de Venezuela que mueran en los territorios de los Estados Unidos, en los lugares convenientes y adecuados, designados y establecidos por ellos con acuerdo de las autoridades locales, ó en los lugares de sepultura que elijan los amigos de los muertos; y los funerales y sepulcros no serán trastornados de modo alguno ni por ningun motivo.

De la misma manera los ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos gozarán en los territorios de la Republica de Venezuela perfecta é ilimitada libertad de conciencia, y ejercerán su religion publica ó privadamente en sus mismas habitaciones, ó en las capillas y lugares de adoracion: designados al efecto, de conformidad con las leyes, usos y cos

1836.

Both parties at liberty to trade

vately, within their own dwelling-houses, or in the chapels and places of worship appointed for that purpose, agreeably to the laws, usages, and customs of the United States. ARTICLE 15.

It shall be lawful for the with those at en- citizens of the United States of mity with either, America and of the Republic of Venezuela, to sail with their ships, with all manner of liberty and security, no distinction being made who are the proprietors of the merchandises laden thereon, from any port, to the places of those who now are, or hereafter shall be at enmity with either of the contracting parties. It shall, likewise, be lawful for the citizens aforesaid to sail with their ships and merchandises before mentioned, and to trade with the same liberty and security from the places, ports, and havens of those who are enemies of both, or either party, without any opposition or disturbance whatsoever, not only directly from the places of the enemy before mentioned to neutral places, but also from one place, belonging to an enemy, to another place, belonging to an enemy, whether they be under the jurisdiction of one power, or under several. And it is hereby stipulated, that free ships to shall also give freedom to goods, and that every thing shall be deemed free and exempt, which shall be found on board the ships belonging to the citizens of either of the contracting parties, although the whole lading, or any part thereof, should appertain to the enemies of either; contraband goods being always excepted. It is also agreed, in like manner, that the same liberty shall

Free ships

make free goods.

tumbres de la Republica de Venezuela.

ARTICULO 15.

Será licito á los ciudadanos de la Republica de Venezuela y de los Estados Unidos de America, navegar con sus buques, con toda seguridad y libertad, de cualquier puerto à las plazas ó lugares de los que son ó fueren en adelante enemigos de cualquiera de las dos partes contratantes, sin hacerse distincion de quienes son los dueños de las mercancias cargadas en ellos. Será igualmente licito á los referidos ciudadanos, navegar con sus buques y mercaderias mencionadas, y traficar con la misma libertad y seguridad, de los lugares, puertos y ensenadas de los enemigos de ambas partes, ó de alguna de elias, sin ninguna oposicion ó disturbio cualquiera, no solo directamente de los lugares del enemigo arriba mencionados á lugares neutros, sino tambien de un lugar perteneciente a un enemigo, á otro enemigo, ya sea que esten bajo la jurisdiccion de una potencia, ó bajo la de diversas. Y queda aqui estipulado, que los buques libres dan tambien libertad á las mercaderias, y que se ha de considerar libre y esento, todo lo que se hallare á bordo de los buques pertenecientes á los ciudadanos de cualquiera de las partes contratantes, aunque toda la carga ó parte de ella pertenezca á enemigos de una ú otra, esceptuando siempre articulos de contrabando de guerra. Se conviene tambien del mismo modo, en que la misma libertad

be extended to persons who are on board a free ship, with this effect, that, although they may be enemies to both, or either party, they are not to be taken out of that free ship, unless they are officers or soldiers, and in the actual service of the enemies. Provided, however, and it is hereby agreed, that the stipulations in this article contained, declaring that the flag shall cover the property, shall be understood as apply ing to those powers only who recognise this principle; but it either of the two contracting parties shall be at war with a third, and the other neutral, the flag of the neutral shall cover the property of enemies whose governments acknowledge this principle, and not of others.

ARTICLE 16.

It is likewise agreed, that in the case where the neutral flag of one of the contracting parties shall protect the property of the enemies of the other, by virtue of the above stipulations, it shall always be understood that the neutral property found on board such enemy's vessels, shall be held and considered as enemy's property, and, as such, shall be liable to detention and confiscation; except such property as was put on board such vessel before the declaration of war, or even afterwards, if it were done without the knowledge of it but the contracting parties agree, that two months having elapsed after the declaration, their citizens shall not plead ignorance thereof. On the contrary, if the flag of the neutral does not protect the enemy's property, in that case, the goods and merchan

except

enemy, to be free.

se estienda á las personas que 1836. se encuentren á bordo de buques All persons on board, libres, con el fin de que aunque those in the acdichas personas sean enemigos tual service of an de ambas partes ó de alguna de ellas, no deban ser estraidos de los buques libres á menos que sean oficiales ó soldados en actual servicio de los enemigos: á condicion no obstante, y se conviene aqui en esto, que las estipulaciones contenidas en el presente articulo, de- Flag covering the clarando que el pabellon cubre property to those applied la propiedad, se entenderán powers only, who aplicables solamente á aquellas principle. potencias que reconocen este principio; pero si alguna de las dos partes contratantes estuviere en guerra con una tercera, y la otra permaneciese neutral, la bandera de la neutral cubrirá la propiedad de los enemigos cuyos Gobiernos reconocen este principio, y no de otros.

ARTICULO 16.

acknowledge the

by a neutral flag,

two months be

Se conviene igualmente que Enemy's properen caso de que la bandera neu- ty, to be protected tral de una de las partes con- must be shipped tratantes, proteja las propie- fore a declaration dades de los enemigos de la of war, &c. otra, en virtud de lo estipulado arriba, deberá siempre entenderse, que las propiedades neutrales encontradas á bordo de tales buques enemigos, han de tenerse y considerrse á como propiedades enemigas, y como tales estarán sujetas a detencion y confiscacion; esceptuando solamente aquellas propiedades que hubiesen sido puestas á bordo de tales buques antes de la declaracion de la guerra, y aun despues, si hubiesen sido embarcadas en dichos buques sin tener noticia de la guerra: y se conviene que pasados dos meses despues de la declaracion, los ciudadanos de una y otra parte no podrán alegar que la ignoraban. Por el con

which are, at that time, besieged or blockaded; and to avoid all doubt in this particular, it is declared, that those places only are besieged or blockaded, which are actually attacked by a belligerant force capable of preventing the entry of the neutral.

ARTICLE 19.

The articles of contraband before enumerated and classified, which may be found in a vessel bound for an enemy's port, shall be subject to detention and confiscation, leaving free the rest of the cargo and the ship, that the owners may dispose of them as they see proper. No vessel of either of the. two nations shall be detained on the high seas on account of having on board articles of contraband, whenever the master, captain or supercargo of said vessel will deliver up the articles of contraband to the captor, unless the quantity of such articles be so great or of so large a bulk, that they cannot be received on board the capturing ship without great inconvenience; but in this, and in all other cases of just detention, the vessel detained shall be sent to the nearest convenient and safe port for trial and judgment according to law.

Itable to confisca

Los articulos de contrabando Contraband only, antes enumerados y clasificados, tion. que se hallen en un buque destinado á puerto enemigo, estarán sujetos á detencion y confiscacion, dejando libre el resto del cargamento y el buque para que los dueños puedan disponer de ellos como lo crean conveniente. Ningun buque de cualquiera de las dos naciones, será detenido por tener á bordo articulos de contrabando, siempre que el maestre, capitan ó sobrecargo de dicho buque, quiera entregar los articulos de contrabando al apresador, á menos que la cantidad de estos articulos sea tan grande y de tanto volúmen que no puedan ser recibidos á bordo del buque apresador sin grandes inconvenientes; pero en este, como en todos los otros casos de justa detencion, el buque detenido será enviado al puerto mas inmediato, comodo y seguro, para ser juzgado y sentenciado conforme a las leyes.