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Agreement between Great Britain and France, relative to Merchant Seamen Deserters [1854] CATSer 1 (23 June 1854)

E102121

AGREEMENT BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE, RELATIVE TO MERCHANT SEAMEN DESERTERS

The Government of Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Government of His Majesty the Emperor of the French, being desirous, for the benefit of British and French commerce, to facilitate the discovery, apprehension, and surrender of seamen who may desert from merchant vessels of the two countries, on the basis of a full and entire reciprocity, have agreed as follows:

It is mutually agreed that if any seamen or apprentices, not being slaves, should desert from any ship belonging to a subject of either of the Contracting Parties within any port in the territories, or in the Possessions or Colonies of the other Contracting Party, the authorities of such port and territory, possession, or colony, shall be bound to give every assistance in their power for the apprehension and sending on board of such deserters, on application to that effect being made to them by the Consul of the country to which the ship of the deserter may belong, or by the deputy or representative of the Consul.

It is understood that the preceding stipulations shall not apply to subjects of the country where the desertion shall take place.

Each party reserves to itself the right of terminating this Agreement at any time, on giving to the other a year's notice of its wish to that effect.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and the Ambassador of His Majesty the Emperor of the French to Her Britannic Majesty, being duly authorized by their respective Governments, have signed the present Agreement, and have affixed thereto the seal of their arms.

DONE at London the 23rd day of June, in the year of our Lord, 1854.

Clarendon

A. Walewski