Louisiana Purchase Treaty Transcript: First Convention
A CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE FRENCH REPUBLIC
The President of the United States of America and the First Consul of
the French Republic in the name of the French people, in consequence of
the treaty of cession of Louisiana which has been Signed this day;
wishing to regulate definitively every
thing which has relation to the Said cession have authorized to this
effect the Plenipotentiaries, that is to say the President of the United
States has, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of the Said
States, nominated for their Plenipoten tiaries, Robert R. Livingston,
Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States, and James Monroe, Minister
Plenipotentiary and Envoy-Extraordinary of the Said United States, near
the Government of the French Republic; and the First Consul of the French
Republic, in the name of the French people, has named as Pleniopotentiary
of the Said Republic the citizen Francis Barbé Marbois: who, in virtue
of their full powers, which have been exchanged this day, have agreed to
the followings articles:
Art: 1
The Government of the United States
engages to pay to the French government in the manner Specified in the
following article the sum of Sixty millions of francs independant of the
Sum which Shall be fixed by another Convention for the payment of the
debts due by France to citizens of the United States.
Art: 2
For the payment of the Sum of Sixty
millions of francs mentioned in the preceeding article the United States
shall create a Stock of eleven millions, two hundred and fifty thousand
Dollars bearing an interest of Six percent per annum payable half yearly in London Amsterdam or Paris amounting by the half year to three
hundred and thirty Seven thousand five hundred Dollars, according to the
proportions which Shall be determined by the french Govenment to be paid
at either place: The principal of the Said Stock to be reimbursed at the
treasury of the United States in annual payments of not less than three
millions of Dollars each; of which the first payment Shall commence
fifteen years after the date of the exchange of ratifications:--this Stock
Shall be transferred to the government of France or to Such person or
persons as Shall be authorized to receive it in three months at most after
the exchange of ratifications of this treaty and after Louisiana Shall be
taken possession of the name of the Government of the United States. It is further agreed that if the french Government Should be desirous
of disposing of the Said Stock to receive the capital in Europe at Shorter
terms that its measures for that purpose Shall be taken So as to favour in
the greatest degree possible the credit of the United States, and to raise
to the highest price the Said Stock.
Art 3
It is agreed that the Dollar of the United
States Specified in the present Convention shall be fixed at five francs
3333/100000 or five livres eight Sous tournois. The present
Convention Shall be ratified in good and due form, and the ratifications
Shall be exchanged the Space of Six months to date from this day or Sooner
it possible. In faith of which the respective Plenipotentiaries
have Signed the above articles both in the french and english languages,
declaring nevertheless that the present treaty has been originally agreed
on and written in the french language; to which they have hereunto affixed
their Seals. Done at Paris the tenth of Floreal eleventh year of
the french Republic
30th April 1803 .
Robt R Livingston [seal]
Jas. Monroe [seal]
Barbé Marbois [seal]
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