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Transcript of Declaration by
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DECLARATION BETWEEN
THE GOVERNMENTS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND THE GERMAN EMPIRE RELATING TO THE RECIPROCAL FREEDOM OF TRADE AND COMMERCE LN THE BRITISH AND GERMAN POSSESSIONS AND PROTECTORATES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC. (Signed at Berlin, April 10 1886.)* The Government of Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Government of His Majesty the German Emperor, having resolved to guarantee to each other, so soon as the British and German spheres of influence in the Western Pacific have been demarcated, reciprocal freedom of trade and commerce in their possessions and protectorates within the limits specified in the present Declaration, the undersigned, Sir Edward Baldwin Malet, Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary; and Count Herbert Bismarck, His Imperial Majesty's Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, having been duly empowered to that effect, have agreed, on behalf of their respective Governments, to make the following Declaration: Article 1
1. For the purpose of this Declaration the expression "Western Pacific" means that part of the Pacific Ocean lying between the 15th parallel of north latitude and the 30th parallel of south latitude, and between the 165th meridian of longitude west and the 130th meridian of longitude east of Greenwich. 2. The Government of Her Britannic Majesty and the Government of His Majesty the Emperor agree that the subjects of either State shall be free to resort to all the possessions or protectorates of the other State in the Western Pacific, and to settle there, and to acquire and to hold all kinds of property, and to engage in all descriptions of trade and professions, and agricultural and industrial undertakings, subject to the same conditions and laws, and enjoying the same religious freedom and the same protection and privileges, as the subjects of the sovereign or protecting State. 3. In all the British and German possessions and protectorates in the Western Pacific the ships of both States shall in all respects reciprocally enjoy equal treatment as well as most-favoured-nation treatment, and merchandize of whatever origin imported by the subjects of either State, under whatever flag, shall not be liable to any other or higher duties than that imported by the subjects of the other State or of any third Power. 4. All disputed claims to land alleged to have been acquired by a British subject in a German possession or protectorate, or by a German subject in a British possession or protectorate, prior to the proclamation of sovereignty or of protectorate by either of the two Governments, shall be examined and decided, by a mixed commission, to be nominated for that purpose by the two Governments. The claim may, however, be settled by the local authority alone, if the claimant to the land makes formal application to that effect. 5. Both Governments engage not to establish any penal settlements in, or to transport convicts to, the Western Pacific. 6. In this Declaration the words "possessions and protectorates in the Western Pacific" shall not include the colonies which now have fully constituted governments and legislatures. The present Declaration shall take effect from the date of its signature. DECLARED AND SIGNED, in duplicate, at Berlin, this 10th day of April, 1886. [Signed:] EDWARD B MALET * Signed also in the German language. |
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Note.
Nikolaus Heinrich Ferdinand Herbert, Prince of Bismarck (born Nikolaus Heinrich Ferdinand Herbert Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen;[b] 28 December 1849 – 18 September 1904) was a German politician, who served as Foreign Secretary from 1886 to 1890. His political career was closely tied to that of his father, Otto von Bismarck, and he left office a few days after his father's dismissal. He succeeded his father as the 2nd Prince of Bismarck in 1898. He was born in Berlin and died in Friedrichsruh.[Wikipedia] Edward B. Malet was a British diplomat and at the time of this agreement was ambassador to the German Empire (1884–1895). |
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Source.
Document no. 89. April 10, 1886. "Transcript of Declaration by Governments of Great Britain and Germany." Page 1501.
This transription was made from the collection of documents at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library.
Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Aug 1 2022.
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