The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-26 00:00:00

tercourse of commerce and navigation between their respec-
tive states, and wishing to arrive at such, and to remove
the obstacles as quickly as possible which :obstruct the com-
mercial relations between the two countries, have resolved
to conclude a treaty to that effect, and named for their
plenipotentiaries—by his Majesty the King of the Belgians,
his Minister Plenipotentiary and Ambassador Extraordinary
aR the Court of Great Britain, Sylvain Van de Weyer,
Knight of the Iron Cross, &e. ; by her Majesty the Queen
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Hon. Henry Lord
Viscount Palmerston, principal Secretary of State for Fo-
reign Affairs, and the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere,
President of the Board of Traie —who, having exchanged
their full powers, have concluded the following articles :
Art. 1. There shall be reciprocal liberty of commerce be-
tween the states of the two high contracting parties, and
their subjects in the whole of the territories of the other
shall enjoy all the same rights, privileges, liberties , favours,
immunities, and exemptions, as sic enjoyed by their own
subjects in matters of commerce.
Art. 2. With reference to the privilege of the deg, it is
agreed that all merchandise, without any distinction of
origin, imported direct into Belgium from Great Britain
and 'rebind, and its possessions and colonies, under the
British dag, shall enjoy the same exemptions, restitutions,
premiums, and other favour., nor peg any other dues, nor
be subject to any other formalities, es it imported under the
Belgian deg, with, however, the exceptions mentioned
hereafter in Art. 5.
Art. 3. With reference to the differential duties of origin,
it is tweed that all merchandise, without distinction of
origin, imported direct into Belgium from Great Britain
and Ireland, its possessions and colonies, under the British
tag, shall bo admitted at the same and most favoured con-
ditions of the Belgian tariff fur the Belgian flag, with,
however, the exceptions of the goods mentioned in Art. 5.
Art 4. All merchandise, without distinction of origin,
imported into Belgium from other parts than Great Britain
and Ireland, their colonies and possessions. under the Bel-
gian flog, elan enjoy the saint exemptions, premiums,
and other favours, and not subject to other formalities,
nor pay other duties, than if imourted in Belgian ships,
with, however, the exception of the articles mentioned here-
after in Art. 5.

Art..l. There are, however, excluded from the stipula-
tions of the three preceding articles the merchandises here-
inafter named, and in the following manner:-
1. From the stipulations of Articles 3 and 4—cabinet
woods and dye-woods; rice, sugar•, coffee, tobaoeo, cotton,
when the importation takes place from transatlantic
countries under the Belgian flag, and fruit, olive oil, and
sulphur, when the importation is direct from the countries
of production, under the Belgian flag.
2. And as to salt, with reference to tie stipulations of
Articles 2,3, and 4, his Majesty the King of the Belgians

a, To remit immediately two-thirds of the actual duties
on raw salt imported from Great Britain and Ireland under
the British flag.
6, to assimilate salt made from salt springs, imported from
Great Britain and Ireland into Belgium, to raw salt in all
which concerns excise and customs duties; exemptions for
chemical purposes and hooding. To enjoy, however, this
privilege, a certificate of the Belgian consul as to its Eng-
lish origin is to be delivered.
r to remove the present prohibition of transit through
Belgium of salt imported under the British Mag.
Art. 6. Merchandise imported from transatlantic coun-
tries under the British flag to pay the same duties which are
charged in a transatlantic eutrepot, or the country of trans-
atlantic production.
Art. 7. The reimbursement by BA gium of the Scheldt
dues levied by Rolland in virtue of section 3 of treaty of
19th April, 1839, is guaranteed to British ships.
Art. 8. Merchandise of all kinds which is or shall be

legally importable by British ships into Grist Britain and
Ireland, th,ir colonies and possessions, shall also be imported
by Belgian ships, without any augmentation of duties of
any kind whatsoever than by national shiri.
Art. 9. With regard to exportations, without distinction
of origin or destination, and with reference to premiums,
facilities, and drawbacks, estribli.died by the legislation of
the two countries, the high contracting parties assure each
other reciprocally the national treatment.
Art. 10. Objects of all kinds coming from or going to
Great Britain, upon the Belgian government railways, arc
exempt from all transit dues; sad the prohibition which
' still exists open tho transit of several articles is hereby re-
pealed, with, however, the exception of gunpowder and iron
and towards the French frontier of llincn yarn, and good;
and coals, and subject to all proper regulations of govern-
ment to prevent frauds. The Belgian commerce to enjoy in
Great Britain and Ireland as to transit the treatment of the
most favoured nation.

Art. 11. It is expressly understood that the preceding
articles do not refer to the coasting trade, and that each
party will regulate same after his own laws: as also in
reference to the exemptions and premiums for the national
fisheries, which the high contracting parties will regulate
according to their own laws; beyond this, however, the two
flags arc assimilated for the importations.
Art. 12. The same dues of tuanage, harbours, lights,
pilotage, quarantine with bills, whatever name they may
have, whether in the name and for the benefit of govern-
ment, corporations, public functionaries, or whatever
other bodies, to be levied in all ports of the contracting
parties upon the ships of the other as upon the national
ships.
Art. 13. All the ships which, according to Belgian laws,
arc considered Belgian ships, and all ilithe ships which,
according to British laws, are considered British ships, are
for the purposes of this present treaty British and Belgian
ships.
Art. 11. In all that concerns the placing of the ships,
their loading and discharging in the hartxmrs, ducks,
roadsteads, and rivers of the two countries, no privilege
shall be accorded to the exclusion of the other ; it being
the desire of the two contracting parties to have perfect
equality.
Art. 15. The ships of one of the countries can discharge
either the whole or part of their cargoes in one of the ports
of the other; and then go with the remainder to another
port of the same country, as the captain,,owner, or other
persou iu authority, in the interest of ship or cargo, may
deem convenable.
Art. 16. In case of shipwreck of any vessel of war or
other ships of either country on the coast of the other, such
ships or wrecks, and all belonging thereto, shall be faith-
fully rendered to the proprietors, or the proceeds in case
of sale. And where such proprietors arc absent, such
objects, as well as all papers, shall be handed to the neat
British or Belgian consul of the district where the wreck
took place ; and no higher rates of salvage shall be de-
manded than paid by national vessels—any merehandi,
saved only to be subject to duties, if declared for house
consumption.
Art. IT. Each of the high contracting parties to have the
right to name in the territories of the other consuls for
the protection of its commerce, and the causul+ so named
to have all the privileges, exemptions, and immunities ac-
corded to parties of this same rank of the most favoured
nation. Before using the functions of consuls the govern-
ment to approve and admit him in the usual form, and each
party to have the option of objecting to the residence of
calends at any places specially excepted.
Art. 18. The subjects of each of the high contracting
parties residing in the territories of the other to be respec-
tively at liLierty to regulate their Miran by themselves, or
such party or patties they deem necessary, as factors,
brokers, agents, or interpreters. They are not to be con-
strained in their choice, nor obliged to pay any salary or
compensation to those they do not choose to employ for such
purpow, it being quite optional to buyers and sellers to
make their bargains themselves, and to fix the prices of
either import or export goods, with the sole condition of
submitting themselves to the Customs laws of the country.
Art. 19. The present treaty to remain in force for seven
years from 1-t January ISi2, and for 12 months more
from thence, after which date each party to be at liberty
to intimate to the other his or their intention to abrogate
the same.
Art. 20. The present treaty to be ratified and the ratifica-
tion to be exchanged before Jan. 1 13.32.
Witness our hands and seals at London, Oct. 27, 1831.
firnvats VAN DZ WEVER.
PALMERSTON.
HENRY LADOI:CUERE.
The commercial intercourse of Belgium with England
has, since a long time, met with two kinds of obstruction,
namely :
1. Exceptional port charges levied upon ships of countries
not having reciprocity treaties with Great Britain, cherges
which are not tne same in all English ports.
2. A surcharge of 20 per cent. established upon all goods
a 'net in England under the Belgian flag. The order in ,
council, establishing this surcharge, bears date of 30th of '
Jan., 1826.
The surcharges on the Belgian arrivals did not disappear
with the navigation laws in 1810. Thus, Belgian ships, ex-
cluded from British ports by the heavy surcharges, could
only, in transatlantic countries, take freights for the seceo-
dary markets of Europe. The same causes acted in the
same manner in the intercourse between Erwland and Bel
gium; goods being subject to an additional 20 per cent. if
imported by Belgian ships, forced Belgian shippers to give
the prefercuce to British or privileged ships.
The chief difficulties in dealing with this state of filings
arose-
1. From the Belgian system of differential duties.
2. From their import regulations as to the entry of fish.
3. From their legislation upon the salt trade.
Aecordiug t, the clauses of the new treaty, Belgian ships
are discharged from the exceptional port charges in Great