The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-22 00:00:00

LON DO.N,

TREATY OF COMMERCE AND NAVEGA.TIOT
BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND BELGIUM.

The following is a summary of this document,
which is of considerable interest to the commercial
and shipping interests :
" His Majesty the King of the Belgians, and her
Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom, &c., &c.,
animated with equal desire to facilitate and extend
commerce and navigation between their respective
States, have resolved to conclude a commercial treaty,
and appointed as their plenipotentiaries, on the one
hand, M. Sylvain Van de Weyer, Envoy Extraordi-
nary, &c., &c., on the other, the Right Hon. Viscount
Palmerston, &c., &c., and the Right Hon. Henry
Labouchere, &c., &c.; and who, after the usual pre-
liminaries, agreed to the following articles :
"I. There shall be reciprocal liberty of com-
merce between all the States of the high-contracting
parties, and the subjects of each of them shall,
throughout the whole extent of their respective ter-
, ritories, enjoy the same rights, privileges, &c., as are
enjoyed by naturals.
" 11. As regards the rights of the flag, it is agreed
that merchandise of all kinds, without distinction of
origin, imported directly under the British flag from
any part of the United Kingdom, its colonies and
pwsessions, in to Belgium, shall enjoy the same exemp-
tions, restitutions, premiums, and other favours, and
shall not be subjected to other duties or formalities
than those imposed upon imports under the Belgic
except in the ca.e indicated in art. 5.
"111. As regards the duties of origin, it is agreed
that merchandise of all kinds, Without distinction of

_ .
origin, directly imported into Belgium under the
British flag from any part of the United Kingdom,
its colonies and possessions, shall be adraitted under
the scale of duties imposed upon imports under the
Belgic flag, in the manner the most privileged by the
general Belgian tariff, excepting in the cases specified
in art. 5. It is understood that all merchandise to
which the above articles are applicable must really
have been taken on board in ports of the United King-
dom, its colonies and possessions.
"IV. All merchandise, without distinction of
origin, imported into Iplgiutn under the British flag,
from other places than those within the United King-
dom, its colonies and possessions, shall enjoy the same
exemptions, premiurn, and other favours, and shall
not be subjtcted to other form,,lities, nor pay other
duties than if imported under the Belgian fl ig, save
and excepting the goods specified in the following
article:—

" V. Exceptions shall be made to the above three
articles for the g00d7,, and in the following oases :
" 1. As regards the third and fourth articles, fur
upholstery and dye. woods, rice, sugar, coffee, to-
bacco, and cotton,* only where the importation shall
take place directly from a transatlantic country under
Belgian colours. Fruits, olive oil, and raw sulphur
—only when the importation takes place directly from
the Vitae of production under Belgian colours.
" 2. As regards the disposition of articles 2,3, and
4, for salt. Bat, his Majesty the King of the Bel-
gians engages first, to reduce two-thirds the duty ac-
tually imposed on rock salt imported from the
United Kingdom, under the British flag; secondly,
to assimilate mineral salt imported from the United
Kingdom with rock salt-, as regards customs, excise
duties, exemption from cache in case of being des-
tined for manufacturers or bond. In order to enjoy
this favour, the salt must be accompanied by a cer-
tificate delivered by a Belgian consular agent, con-
firming the same to be of British mineral origin ;
thirdly, to remove the prohibition on the transit
through the Thlgian territory of salt imported under
the British flag.-j-
-" VI. Merchandise imported from transatlantic
aountries under the British flag shall pay the same
duties with which they were charged in transatlantic
entrepots or transatlantic country of production.
"VII. IVlerchandise of ell kinds, the importation

of which is, or Phan be, legally permitted in the ports
of the United Kingdom, its colonies and possessions,
in B:itish bottims, may be equally imported in Belgic
55t13, without being subject to other or higher
duties, of every denomination whatever, than if im-
ported in British vessels.
" VIII. The reimbursement by Belgium of the
duties levied in the navigation of the Scheldt by the
Netherlands Government, in virtue of clause 3, art. 9,
of the treaty of 19th April, 1839, is guaranteed to
British vessels.
"IX. As regards all exportations, without distinc-
tion of origin or destination, and in all that concerns
drawbacks, premiums, or facilities, which the legisla-
tion of the two c3untriss has or may establish, the
two contracting parties reciprocally assume to each
other the treatment of nationals.

"X. All articles of every kind whatsoever coming
from Great Britain, or expedited to that country, and
,reversing Belgium by the State railways, shall be
exempted from all transit dues, and the prohibition
winch still affects the transit of some of these articles
is removed—excepting always gunpowder and iron.
and the transmission into France of Linen threads and
tissues, and coals. It is understood that it will be
necessary to adhere directly to the measure pre-
scribed by the Belgic Administration to prevent
fraud. Belgian commerce shall, as regards transit
through Great Britain, enjoy the treatment of the
most favoured nation. [lt does not appear from the
above that reciprocity is guaranteed to England].
" XI. It is distinctly understood that the above
articles do not apply to coasting trade, which each
country reserves to itself the right of regulating ac-
cording to its own laws. The same is applicable to
all matters concerning national fisheries, save and ex-
cept that the two flags are assimilated as regards the
importation of fish of all kinds.
" XII. No tonnage, harbour, light-house, pilotage,
or any other similar or equivalent duty or dues shall
be levied in the ports of either country on vessels of
the other, come whence they may, that is not imposed
on national vessels in similar casts.
" XIII. All vessels which according to Belgian
laws are rated as Belgian, and all vessels considered
as British by British laws, shall, as regards the effects
of this treaty, be regarded as British and Belgian
vessels.

vessels—the
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" XiV. As regards all matters of wharfage, dock-
eolslooLridips,stnrhogieiearonsu,d unloading vessels in all ports, docks,
vessels 4S to e
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atti
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upon a footing of perfect equality.
" XV. Vessels of either country may unload the
whole or part of their cargoes, and proceed with the
remainder to other ports of the same State, as the
captain, proprietor, or consignee may think fit.
" XVI. Should any ship of war or merchant vessel
of one State suffer shipwreck on the coasts of the
other, all parts or portions of the same that may be
saved, or the produce of the sale, shall be restored to
those entitled to reclaim the same. In case these per-
sons should be absent, the said objects, merchandise,
doe., as well as all papers found on board, shall be
consigned to the Belgian or British Consul of the
district where the shipwreck toek place, and no other
expenses chall be charged to the consul, proprietors,
or others entitled, except the payment of such ex-
penses for preserving' the property, and for salvage,
as would be paid by nationals. Goods saved shall
not be charged with duties unless sold for con-

sumption. -
" XVII. Each of the contracting parties shall
have the right of naming consuls in the state and ter-
ritories of the other. These consular agents shall
respectively enjoy all the privileges, immunities, &c.,
enjoyed by similar functionaries belonging to the
most favoured nation.
" XVIII. The subjeets of each State residing in
those of the other shall be respectively free to regulate
their affairs themselves, or to entrust them to the care
of others, such as agents, wharfingers, consignees,
&c., on the same footing as nationals, and they shall
not pay any salary or charges to persons not selected
by themselves, they being perfectly free to settle all
matters of sale and purchase in conformity with the
Customs' regulation of the respective countries.
" XIX. The present treaty shall remain in vigour
during seven years, from the Ist of January, 1852,
and to the end of one year after the term at which
either party may announce the intention of with-
drawing from the same.

" Xjt. The present treaty to be ratified before the
Ist of January, 1852.
" Dated at London, Oct. 27, 1851.
" PALMERSTON.
LADOUCHERE.
S. VAN DE WEYER."
* According to this, the exception fills upon all the
great articles of colonial produce.
f This, if we understand rightly, admits of Brittsh
vtssAi carrying salt to Belgic ports without disinction
of origin, providing the sane be for transit.

Aljor General Godwin, C. 8., appointed to the
Bengal command, arrived at Calcutta on the 17th of
November, and has been posted to the Sirhind division.
DRAFTS FOE THE CAPE.—The authorities at the
Horse Gusrds have issued orders for detachments of all
the regiments, now serving at the Cape of Good Hope,
to be in readiness for immediate embarkation to join
their respective service companies.