The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-26 00:00:00

THB CONVENTION FOR THE NAVIGA.
TI Or TEE DAIVUBE.

The clauses of the convention of the "Riverain"
States, of most importance to countries who are
commercially interested in the navigation of the
Danube, are as follows ;--
" Art. 1. The navigation of the Danube, from
the point at which the river becomes navigable
downto the Black Sea, and from the Black Sea up
to the said point, shall in as far as regards com-
merce be entirely free, as well for the transport of
goods as for the transport of travellers, if the stipu-
lations of the present act of navigation and the re-
gulations of the river police are observed.
" Art. 2. All the exclusive privileges of naviga-
tion of the Danube, as also all special favours of
the same nature which have hitherto been granted
to companies, to corporations, or to private indi-
viduals are entirely abolished by the present act,
and privileges or favours of such a nature cannot
in future be granted to any one. The present dis-
positions, however, are not applicable to ferryboats
or to other apparatus used for purposes of trans-
port between the two opposite banks of the river.
The riverain authorities shall in this matter take
such measures as they may consider necessary.
" Art. 3. All forced' dues, such as those of sta-
ple, depot, breaking bulk, first sale, and others of
a like nature, which may ever have existed on
the Danube, are from this time forward abol-
ished. Consequently no master of a vessel can
in future, for suoh reasons, be constrained to
enter any port in the river to discharge or
transfer cargo in the same, or to stop for a certain
time against his will in any place whatever.
" Art. 4. In respect to postal dues, the transport
of letters and the produce of the periodical press
shall in each riverain country be subject to the
regulations there established. No other packet or
bale, whatever may be its weight or size, is subjec,
on the Danube to the postal reservation.
" Art. 6. The navigation from the open sea to
each of the ports of the Danube, and from each of
those portato the open sea, is free for the vessels of
all nations. Consequently such vessels can touch
stall the ports lying in the direction of such voyages,
can disembark a part or the whale of the merchan-
dise and travellers brought from sea, and take in
merchandise and travellers going to sea. In the
practice of this navigation all vessels will in every
respect be treated on a footing of perfect equality.
" Art. 6. The papers with which ships are fur-
nished for maritime navigation will serve as proofs
of identity during the navigation of the Danube for
all those vessels which come from or return to the
open sea. The persons havinc, charge of such
vessels shall be obliged to exhibit the ship's Tapers
at the demand of the authorities charged with the
superintendence of the navigation of the Danube.
Art. 7. Vessels coming from or returning to a
navigable river indirectly communicating with the
Danube shall be treated according to the principles
laid down in Arts. 5 and 6.
"Art. 8. The exercise of the river navigation—
in the strictest sense of the word—between the
ports of the Danube, without enttring into the
open sea, is reserved to the vessels of the countries
lying on the banks of the river. All the vessels
belonging to this category, being legalised in con-
formity with the tenor of the following articles,
have a right to exercise the river navigation upon
a footing of perfect equality. Consequently they
can without any exception transport merchandise
and travellers between all the ports of the river
bordering countries. However, in the exercise of
the inner navigation of the river between the ports
of one and the same river-bordering country, they
and the persons in charge of them shall be subject
to the same regulations as the natives of the
country.
" Art". 9. Every shipowner belonging to one of
the river-bordering countries is at liberty to place
in the territory of another, on the banks of the
river, agents of navigation, to open bureaux, and
other necessary establishment=, and also to make
use of the public establishments, such as landing-
places, quays, &c., on the sem) footing as the
natives. The publication of the fares charged shall
not be prevented. (There is reason to believe that
some reservation made by the Porte respecting
right of possession' was annexed- to this article.)
" Art. 10. All the advantages granted to the
ships of any other nation by a river-bordering
country, in regard to the navigation of the Danube
shall also be conceded to the vessels of all the
river-bordering States."
The act of navigation is composed of no fewer
than 47 articles, and it hardly admits of a doubt
that several of them must be modified before their
validity can be recognised by the non-Riverain
Powers. A quarantine will be established on the
Danube, and all vessels navigating the river will be
obliged to have a pilot on board.