The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-12 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES.

The following is the full and official text of the
Convention concluded with the United States of
North America for the cession of the Russian colo-
nies of America (promulgated by an ukase of the
Directing Senate of the 18th October ultimo, and
inserted in the Bulletin of Laws) :
"By the grace of God, we, Alexander 11.,
Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias, of Mos-
cow, Kiew, Vladimir, Novgorod, Czar of Cazan,
Czar of Astrakan, Czar of Poland, Cz tr of Siberia,
Czar of the Tauric Chersonese, Czar of Georgia ;
Lord of Pleskow, and Grand Duke of Smolensk,
Lithuania, Volhynia, Podolia, and Finland ; Duke
of Esthonia, Livonia, Courland, and Semigalle,
Samogitia, Bialostock, Carelia, Twer, Ingoria,
Perm, Viatka, Bulgaria, &c. ; Lord and Grand
Duke of Lower Novgorod, Tchernigow, Riazan,
Pulotsk, Rostow, Yaroslow, Beloosersk, Oudor,
Obdor, Condia, Vitebsk, and Mstislaw ; Ruler of
all the Northern country ; Lord of Iberia, Carta-
linia, Cabardia, and the province of Armenia;
Hereditary Prince and Sovereign of the Princes
of Circassia and other Montagnard Princes ; Suc-
cessor of Norway, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein Stor-
man, Ditmarsen, and Oldenburg, &c. ; make known
by these presents that in consequence of a common
agreement between us and the Government of the
United States of North America, our Plenipoten-
tiaries have concluded and signed, at Washington,
on the 18th and 30th April, 1867, a treaty for the
cession of our colonies in North America, the tenour
of which treaty is as follows:
" His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias
and the United States of America, desiring to
strengthen, if possible, the good understanding ex-
isting between them, have appointed for that pur-
pose as their Plenipotentiaries, viz., his Majesty the
Emperor of All the Russias, the Privy Councillor
Edward de Stoeckl, his Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary in the United States; and
the President of the United States, William H.
Seward, Esq., Secretary of State, who, after having
exchanged their full powers, found in good and due
form, have drawn up and signed the following
articles :

" Article I.—His Majesty the Emperor of All the
Russias binds himself, by this convention, to cede
to the United States, immediately after the ex-
change of the ratifications, all the territory with the
right of sovereignty at present possessed by his
Majesty on the continent of America as well as the
contiguous islands, the said territory being com-
prised within the geographical limits indicated be-
low, viz.—the Eastern limit is the line of demarca-
tion between the Russian and British possessions in
North America, as established by the convention
concluded between Russia and Great Britain on
the 16th to 28th February, 1825, and defined in
the following terms of the Articles 111. and IV. of
the said convention :

" Starting from the southernmost point of Prince
of Wales Island, which point is under the parallel
of 40 deg. 40 min, north latitude, and between 131
and 133 deg. west longitude (meridian of Green-
wich), the said line will continue northwards along
Portland Channel, to that point of terra firma in-
dicated by the 56th degree of north latitude; from
this latter point the line of demarcation will follow
the crest of the mountains situated parallel to the
coast as far as the point of intersection of the
141st degree of west longitude (same meridian); and
finally, from the said point of intersection, the
same meridian line of the 141st degree, will form,
in its prolongation to the Frozen Sea, the limit be-
tween the Russian and British posse&ions on the
Continent of North-Western America.

" IV. It is understood with reference to the line
of demarcatioh determined by the preceding article :
" Ist. That Prince of Wales Island shall belong