1850 Convention of Settlement

CONVENTION between Great Britain and the Argentine Confederation, for the Settlement of existing Differences and the re-establishment of Friendship.—Signed at Buenos Ayres, November 24, 1849.

[Ratifications exchanged at Buenos Ayres, May 15, 1850.]

Convention for re-establishing the perfect Relations of Friendship between Her Britannic Majesty and the Argentine Confederation.

Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, and his Excellency the Governor and Captain-General of the Province of Buenos Ayres, charged with the foreign relations of the Argentine Confederation, being desirous of putting an end to the existing differences, and of restoring perfect relations of friendship, in accordance with the wishes manifested by both Governments; the Government of Her Britannic Majesty having declared that it has no separate or interested object in view, nor any other desire than to see securely established the peace and independence of the States of the River Plate, as recognized by Treaty; have named to that effect as their Plenipotentiaries, viz.:

Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, Henry Southern, Esquire, Her Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary accredited to the Court of Buenos Ayres;

And his Excellency the Governor and Captain-General of the Province of Buenos Ayres, his Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Doctor Don Felipe Arana;

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, and found them in good and due form, have agreed as follows:

Art. I. The Government of Her Britannic Majesty, animated by the desire of putting an end to the differences which have interrupted the political and commercial relations between the 2 countries, having on the 15th of July, 1847, raised the blockade which it had established of the ports of the 2 Republics of the Plata, thereby giving a proof of its conciliatory sentiments, now hereby binds itself, in the same amicable spirit, definitively to evacuate the Island of Martin Garcia; to return the Argentine vessels of war which are in its possession, as far as possible in the same state as they were in when taken; and to salute the flag of the Argentine Confederation with 21 guns.

II. By both Contracting Parties shall be delivered to their respective owners, all the merchant vessels, with their cargoes, taken by them during the blockade.

III. The auxiliary Argentine divisions existing in the Oriental State, shall return across the Uruguay when the French Government disarms the Foreign Legion and all other foreigners who may be under arms, and form the garrison of the town of Montevideo, evacuates the territory of the 2 Republics of the Plata, abandons its hostile position, and celebrates a Treaty of Peace. Her Britannic Majesty's Government, in the event of its being necessary, offers to use its good offices in bringing about these objects, with its ally the French Republic.

IV. Her Britannic Majesty's Government recognizes the navigation of the River Parana to be an inland navigation of the Argentine Confederation, and subject solely to its laws and regulations, in the same manner as that of the River Uruguay in common with the Oriental State.

V. Her Britannic Majesty's Government having declared, " that it is freely acknowleged and admitted that the Argentine Republic is in the unquestioned enjoyment and exercise of every right, whether of peace or war, possessed by any independent nation ; and that if the course of events in the Oriental Republic has made it necessary for the Allied Powers to interrupt for a time the exercise of the belligerent rights of the Argentine Republic, it is fully admitted that the principles on which they have acted, would, under similar circumstances, have been applicable either to Great Britain or France," it is hereby agreed that the Argentine Government, with regard to this declaration, reserves its right to discuss it opportunely with the Government of Great Britain, in that part which relates to the application of the principle.

VI. In virtue of the Argentine Government having declared that it would celebrate this Convention on condition that its ally, his Excellency the President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Brigadier Don Manuel Oribe, should previously agree to it,— this being for the Argentine Government an indispensable condition in any arrangement of the existing differences,— it proceeded to solicit the assent of its said ally, and having obtained it, the present Convention is hereby agreed upon and concluded.

VII. Under this Convention perfect friendship between Her Britannic Majesty's Government and the Government of the Confederation, is restored to its former state of good understanding and cordiality.

VIII. This Convention shall be ratified by the Argentine Government within 15 days after the ratification of Her Britannic Majesty's Government is presented, and the ratifications shall be exchanged.

IX. In witness whereof the Plenipotentiaries sign this Convention, and affix the seals of their arms thereto.

Done at Buenos Ayres on the 24th of November, in the year of our Lord, 1849.

(L.S.) HENRY SOUTHERN. (L.S.) FELIPE ARANA.