Part 10 (1/2)

(Signed) C. U. AITCHISON, Officiating Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department.

TREATY BETWEEN RUSSIA AND KASHGAR.

THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS OF FREE TRADE WERE PROPOSED AND AGREED UPON BETWEEN GENERAL AIDE-DE-CAMP VON KAUFMANN AND YAKOOB BEG, CHIEF OF DJETY-SHAHR.

ARTICLE I.

All Russian subjects, of whatsoever religion, shall have the right to proceed for purposes of trade to Djety-Shahr, and to all the localities and towns subjected to the Chief of Djety-Shahr, which they may desire to visit in the same way as the inhabitants of Djety-Shahr have hitherto been, and shall be in the future, ent.i.tled to prosecute trade throughout the entire extent of the Russian Empire. The honourable chief of Djety-Shahr undertakes to keep a vigilant guard over the complete safety of Russian subjects, within the limits of his territorial possessions, and also over that of their caravans, and in general over everything that may belong to them.

ARTICLE II.

Russian merchants shall be ent.i.tled to have caravanserais, in which they alone shall be able to store their merchandise, in all the towns of Djety-Shahr in which they may desire to have them. The merchants of Djety-Shahr shall enjoy the same privilege in the Russian villages.

ARTICLE III.

Russian merchants shall, if they desire it, have the right to have commercial agents (caravanbas.h.i.+s) in all the towns of Djety-Shahr, whose business it is to watch over the regular courts of trade, and over the legal imposition of customs dues. The merchants of Djety-Shahr shall enjoy the same privilege in the towns of Turkestan.

ARTICLE IV.

All merchandise transported from Russia to Djety-Shahr, or from that province into Russia, shall be liable to a tax of 2-1/2 per cent. _ad valorem_. In every case this tax shall not exceed the rate of the tax taken from Mussulmans being subject to Djety-Shahr.

ARTICLE V.

Russian merchants and their caravans shall be at liberty, with all freedom and security, to traverse the territories of Djety-Shahr in proceeding to countries conterminous with that province. Caravans from Djety-Shahr shall enjoy the same advantages for pa.s.sing through territories belonging to Russia.

These conditions were sent from Tashkent on the 9th of April, 1872.

General Von Kaufmann I., Governor-General of Turkestan, signed the treaty and attached his seal to it.

In proof of his a.s.sent to these conditions, Mahomed Yakoob, Chief of Djety-Shahr, attached his seal to them at Yangy-Shahr, on the 8th of June, 1872.

This treaty was negotiated by Baron Kaulbars.

TREATY BETWEEN ENGLAND AND KASHGAR.

TREATY BETWEEN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND HIS HIGHNESS THE AMEER MAHOMED YAKOOB KHAN, RULER OF THE TERRITORY OF KASHGAR AND YARKAND, HIS HEIRS AND SUCCESSORS, EXECUTED ON THE ONE PART BY THOMAS DOUGLAS FORSYTH, C.B., IN VIRTUE OF FULL POWERS CONFERRED ON HIM IN THAT BEHALF BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. THOMAS GEORGE BARING, BARON NORTHBROOK OF STRATTON, AND A BARONET, MEMBER OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL OF HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, GRAND MASTER OF THE MOST EXALTED ORDER OF THE STAR OF INDIA, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA, IN COUNCIL, AND ON THE OTHER PART BY SYUD MAHOMED KHAN TOORAH, MEMBER OF THE 1ST CLa.s.s OF THE ORDER OF MEDJIDIE, &C., IN VIRTUE OF FULL POWERS CONFERRED ON HIM BY HIS HIGHNESS.

Whereas it is deemed desirable to confirm and strengthen the good understanding which now subsists between the high contracting parties, and to promote commercial intercourse between their respective subjects, the following Articles have been agreed upon:--

ARTICLE I.

The high contracting parties engage that the subjects of each shall be at liberty to enter, reside in, trade with, and pa.s.s with their merchandise and property into and through all parts of the dominions of the other; and shall enjoy in such dominions all the privileges and advantages with respect to commerce, protection or otherwise, which are, or may be, accorded to the subjects of such dominions, or to the subjects or citizens of the most favoured nation.

ARTICLE II.

Merchants of whatever nationality shall be at liberty to pa.s.s from the territories of the one contracting party to the territories of the other, with their merchandise and property at all times, and by any route they please; no restriction shall be placed by either contracting party upon such freedom of transit, unless for urgent political reasons to be previously communicated to the other; and such restriction shall be withdrawn as soon as the necessity for it is over.