United Kingdom, this Warrant shall come into operation on the first day of February next. Whitehall, Treasury Chambers, the eighteenth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.

Duncan.

H. Brand.

FROM THE

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

LONDON GAZETTE of SEPTEMBER 23,

1856.

Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between Her Majesty and the Kings of Siam.

Signed at Bangkok, April 18, 1855. [Ratifications exchanged at Bangkok, April 5, 1856.1

HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and all its dependencies, and Their Majesties Phra Bard Somdetch Phra Paramendr Maha Mongkut Phra Chom Klau Chau Yu Hua, the first King of Siam, and Phra Bard Somdetch Phra Pawarendr Ramesr Mahiswaresr Phra Pin Klau Chau Yu Hua, the second King of Siam, desiring to establish upon firm and lasting foundations the relations of peace and friendship existing between the two countries, and to secure the best interests of their respective subjects, by encouraging, facilitating, and regulating their industry and trade, have resolved to

conclude a Treaty of Amity and Commerce for this purpose, and have therefore named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Sir John Bowring, Knight, Doctor of Laws, &c., &c. :

And Their Majesties the first and second Kings of Siam, his Royal Highness Krom Hluang Wongsa Dhiraj Snidh; his Excellency Somdetch Chau Phaya Param Maha Puyurawongse; his Excellency Somdetch Chau Phaya Param Maha Bijai-neate; his Excellency Chau Phaya Sri Suriwongse Samuha Phra Kralahome; and his Excellency Chau Phaya, Acting Phra-Klang :

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, and found them to be in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles :

ARTICLE I.

There shall henceforward be perpetual peace and friendship between Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britian and Ireland, and Her successors, and Their Majesties the first and second Kings of Siam, and their successors. All British subjects coming to Siam shall receive from the Siamese Government full protection and assistance to enable them to reside in Siam in all security, and trade with every facility, free from oppression or injury on the part of the Siamese ; and all Siamese subjects going to an English country shall receive from the British Government the same complete protection and assistance that shall be granted to British subjects by the Government of Siam.

ARTICLE II.

The interests of all British subjects coming to Siam shall be placed under the regulation and

control of a Consul, who will be appointed to reside at Bangkok: he will himself conform to, and will enforce the observance by British subjects of, all the provisions of this Treaty, and such of the former Treaty negotiated by Captain Burney in 1826, as shall still remain in operation. He shall also give effect to all rules or regulations that are now or may hereafter be enacted for the government of British subjects in Siam, the conduct of their trade, and for the prevention of violations of the laws of Siam. Any disputes. arising between British and Siamese subjects shall be heard and determined by the Consul, in conjunction with the proper Siamese officers; and criminal offences will be punished, in the case of English offenders by the Consul according to English laws, and in the case of Siamese offenders, by their own laws, through the Siamese authorities. But the Consul shall not interfere in any matters referring solely to Siamese, neither will the Siamese authorities interfere in questions which only concern the subjects of Her Britannic Majesty.

It is understood, however, that the arrival of the British Consul at Bangkok shall not take place before the ratification of this Treaty, nor until ten vessels owned by British subjects, sailing! under British colours and with British papers, shall have entered the port of Bangkok for purposes of trade, subsequent to the signing of this Treaty.

ARTICLE III.

If Siamese in the employ of British subjects offend against the laws of their country, or if any Siamese having so offended or desiring to desert, take refuge with a British subject in Siam, they shall be searched for, and, upon proof of their

guilt or desertion, shall be delivered up by the Consul to the Siamese authorities. In like manner, any British offenders resident or trading in Siam, who may desert, escape to, or hide themselves in, Siamese territory, shall be apprehended and delivered over to the British Consul on his requisition. Chinese, not able to prove themselves to be British subjects, shall not be considered as such by the British Consul, nor be entitled to his protection.

ARTICLE IV.

British subjects are permitted to trade freely in all the seaports of Siam, but may reside permanently only at Bangkok, or within the limits assigned by this Treaty. British subjects coming to reside at Bangkok may rent land, and buy or build houses, but cannot purchase lands within a circuit of 200 sen (not more than four miles English) from the city walls, until they shall have lived in Siam for ten years, or shall obtain special authority from the Siamese Government to enable them to do so. But with the exception of this limitation, British residents in Siam may at any time buy or rent houses, lands, or plantations, situated any where within a distance of twentyfour hours' journey from the city of Bangkok, to be computed by the rate at which boats of the country can travel. In order to obtain possession of such lands or houses, it will be necessary that the British subject shall, in the first place, make application through the Consul to the proper Siamese officer; and the Siamese officer and the Consul having satisfied themselves of the honest intentions of the applicant, will assist him in settling, upon equitable terms, the amount of the purchase money, will mark out and fix the boundaries of the property, and will convey the same

to the British purchaser under sealed deeds. Whereupon he and his property shall be placed under the protection of the Governor of the district and that of the particular local authorities; he shall conform in ordinary matters, to any just directions given him by them, and will be subject to the same taxation that is levied on Siamese subjects. But if through negligence, the want of capital, or other cause, a British subject should fail to commence the cultivation or improvement of the lands so acquired within a term of three years from the date of receiving possession thereof, the Siamese Government shall have the power of resuming the property, upon returning to the British subject the purchase money paid by him for the same.

ARTICLE V.

All British subjects intending to reside in Siam shall be registered at the British Consulate. They shall not go out to sea, nor proceed beyond the limits assigned by this Treaty for the residence of British subjects, without a passport from the Siamese authorities, to be applied for by the British Consul; nor shall they leave Siam, if the Siamese authorities show to the British Consul that legitimate objections exist to their quitting the country. But within the limits appointed under the preceding Article, British subjects are at liberty to travel to and fro under the protection of a pass, to be furnished them by the British Consul, and counter-sealed by the proper Siamese officer, stating, in the Siamese character, their names, calling, and description. The Siamese

officers at the Government stations in the interior may, at any time, call for the production of this pass, and immediately on its being exhibited, they must allow the parties to proceed; but it will be