Treaty of Peace and Alliance among the Holy Roman Emperor, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Spain
tranquillity, leaves their laid Majefties no room to doubt, that
the faid Republic is defirous of becoming, as foon as may be, a
principal contracting party in the faid treaty, to the end fhe may
partake of the advantages therein ftipulated for her; both their
Majefties will therefore unite their endeavours, that this treaty
may be figned at the Hague on the part of the faid States Gen-
eral, within the fpace of three months, to be computed from the
day of the figning of the prefent treaty, or fooner if poffible ; for
it appeared neceffary both to his Imperial, and his royal Britan-
nick Majefty, in order to obtain the end propofed by the prefent
treaty, and for completing the public tranquillity, that the faid
States General fhould enter into a part and partnerfhip of the
faid conventions.
This feparete Article fhall have the fame Force, &c.
A Declaration concerning Eaft Friefland.
THE States General of the United Provinces of the Netherlands,
having upon feveral occafions affured his Imperial and Catholic
Majefty, that how much foever they are interefted in the re-
eftablifhment and prefervation of the peace in their neighbour-
hood, and by confequence that of the province of Eaft Friefland,
it was never their intention to prejudice in the leaft the depend-
ence of the faid province of Eaft Friefland, upon the Emperor
and the Empire ; his faid Imperial and Catholic Majefty, to give
the States a frefh proof of his defire to oblige them as far as is
confiftent with juflice, has been pleafed to explain to them his
true fentiments on that affair, and by that means to recover
them from the fears they feem to have received. In order to this,
no hefitation has been made to declare to them on his part by
the prefent act, that his intention always was and ftill is.
I. That an amnefty which he has moft gracioufly granted to
thofe of Embden and their adherents, fhall have its entire effect ;
and therefore that the feveral pains and penalties pronounced
againft thofe of Embden and their adherents, upon the fcore of
their renitency (refiftance) fhall not be put in execution. And as
for thofe of them which have actually been executed fince the
moft gracious acceptance of the fubmiffion made by the people
of Embden and their adherents, the whole fhall be reftored
upon the foot it ftood before the faid fubmiffion was accepted,
that is to fay before the third of May, 1729, faving what is here-
after mentioned of an agreement to indemnify thofe for their
loffes, who were plundered during the late troubles.
II. His Imperial and Catholic Majefty, having by his refolu-
tion of the 12th of Sept. 1729, moft gracioufly permitted thofe
of the town of Embden, and their adherents, to draw up a frefh
account of their grievances, or matters wherein they thought
themfelves aggrieved by the decrees of 1721, and the years fol-
lowing, concerning the ground of the affairs upon which they
differed with the prince; and the faid grievances having been
afterwards exhibited to the Imperial Aulick council, with all
fubmiffion, the ____ of November the fame year, his faid
Majefty has already ordered by his moft gracious refolution of
the 31ft of Auguft, that thofe grievances fhould be examined as
foon as poffible. And as it has been often declared, it has been
and ftill is his conftant defire, that they fhould be determined
and decided with all the juftice and difpatch that is poffible,
according to the agreements, conventions and decifions, which
make the particular law of the province of Eaft Friefland, and
which are referred to in the Prince’s reverfal letters, paffed and
fworn to at his acceffion to the regency : provided neverthlefs,
that under the denomination of thofe agreements, conventions
and decifions, none be comprehended which were abrogated
and annulled by his Imperial Majefty’s auguft predeceffors in
the empire, or which ftrike at the fupreme rights of the
Emperor and Empire over the province of Eaft Friefland. And
his Imperial and Catholic Majefty, as a farther proof of his moft
gracious intention to cut as fhort as juftice will admit him, the
examination of the grievances of the people of Embden, and
their adherents, has, already ordained by his refolutions of the
31ft of Auguft laft year, that as foon as the account thereof is
delivered to thofe who are properly to take cognizance of the
fame, according to the tenor of the refolution above-men-
tioned, they fhall anfwer it, very foon, and once for all ; after
which his Imperial Majefty, with the advice of his Imperial
Aulick council, will redrefs every complaint, article by article,
which fhatt appear to be grounded on the agreements above-
mentioned.
III. It having been already ordained, purfuant to his Imperial
and Catholic Majefty’s laft refolution of the 31ft of Auguft,
1730, that the people of the town of Embden, and their adher-
ents, ought to be admitted into the affembly of the States, which
is to be called together to deliberate freely upon the aflairs that
lie before them ; his Imperial and Catholic Majefty, will take
care, that this refolution fhall have its entire effect, and that
none of thofe who have a right to affift therein be excluded,
contrary to the tenor of it.
IV. As to the indemnification, his Imperial Majefty thinks it
proper, that an account be taken of the damages, which accord-
ing to the tenour of the amnefty publifhed the ____ in the year
1728, and of the refolution of the 12th of September, 1729,
ought to be made good by the Renitents; and that the faid
account be communicated to them, that they may make their
objections: after which his Imperial and Catholic Majefty will
caufe the difference to be amicably adjufted, or on failure of an
accommodation, will, with the utmoft equity, fix the fum which
fhall be required to make good the damages fuftained.
V. His Imperial and Catholic Majefty perfifts in the intention
he always had to take particular care of the payment of the
intereft of the fums which the States of Eaft Friefland, and of
the town of Embden, have borrowed of the fubjects of the
United Provinces, as alfo of the reimburfement of the capital,
according to the engagements entered into on that account.