Campveere Agreement 1676

Articles of Agreement for settling the Staple Port at Campheer
Ratified by the Convention. 9th July, and 12th October 1676

 

Parts of the 1676 Agreement

Dedication	Articles 1 - 6	Articles 7 - 13
Royal Commission	Articles 14 - 22	Articles 23 - 34
Commission by Royal Burghs and Veere	Articles 35 - 40	Confirmation

 

Articles 1 to 6

And both the saids pairites having by vertue of their severall commissions divers tyms mett they have at lenth mutuallie resolved and agreed in the forme and maner conteined in the following articles : viz :-

1.Imprimis. That for the keeping and preserveing of the strick allyance and freendship which (by Gods providence) is made betueen his most sacred Majestie of Great Britan, etc., and the Lords of the States Generall of the United Netherlands, and for the long enjoyment of the fruitts of so happie ane peace, the magistratts of this city in all things according to their pouer unon all occasions shall seriouslie give a just and reall demonstration of their true affection to his Majesties royall persone, authoritie, and government and of their constant inclinations to the weelfaire and tranquliitie of his Majesties kingdoms and dominions, and in particular of his Majesties kingdom of Scotland, and in the manifestation thereof the saids mnagistrats shall to their pouer obstruct and hinder the buying or selling of all maner of amunition of warre, weapons, offensive and defensive, unto or by any fugitives, rebells, enimies or others disaffected to his Majesties royall persone and government, as also so far as in them is to hinder the printing and publishing of all seditious books and pamphletts within thair jurisdiction and also the transporting of them to any of his Majesties dominions, and if at any tyme hereafter the same shall be discovered by the conservator or his deputes and information given to the said citie magistratts thairof, they shall cause speedie punishment to be inflicted upon the persons so offending being found within their jurisdiction, according to their demerits.

2. Secondly. That there may be one firme correspondence and agreement betuixt the royall burrows of the kingdom of Scotland and the magistratts and toun of Campheer, with the approbation of the lords commissioners from his royall highnes the Prince of Orange, for the establishment of the Scotts staple court in the said toun of Campheer, for the space of tuentie ane yeirs, and so much more tyme as shall be thereafter agreed upon by the royall burrows and this toun, there to enjoy the priviledges and immunioties mentioned in the enseuing articles, with all other priviledges formerly granted by this toun by antient contracts, especiallie that of the yeir 1612, except in so far as may be inovat by this agreement or that may be agreed upon hereftir for the furder encuradgement of the said intercourse of trade, and that the magistratts of the said toun of Campheer shall give publict assurance that during the whole tyme of this agreement the said conservator and all other persons having dependence upon the said staple court may have ane free and saiff conduct and protection within this toun and that they with their families and goods may peaceably duell and negotiat there and in the jurisdiction thereof.

3. Thridly. In regaird all the staple comodities that cometh fra the kingdome of scotland are of the naturall production of that cuntrie, most of them unmanufactored, by which means the toun of Campheer and the other touns of the provinces have the conveniencie and advantage of reduceing the saids comodities into severall manufactories fitt for use, quherby they rype ane greater benefeet then the people of the Scotts nation, therefor it is by this article agreed that all the saids staple commodities may be freely imported to this toun without paying any toll or custom as is here called incoming convoy, licent money and vijeil-gilt money, and last gilt, upon any of the Scotts shipps or other vessellis quhatsomevir to them belonging, and from all such impositions for the future; and that all residenters belonging or anywhere depending upon the staple court may be free to enjoy all the priviledges and freedoms that the burgers themselves doe enjoy within the toun and jurisdiction thairof; and by this article it is agreid that all goods which wer staple comodities in Sir Patrick Drummonds tyme are hereby declaired to be staple commodities and no others.

4. Fourthly. That the conservator without lett, hinderance, and molestation may exrecise jurisdiction in all causes civill and criminall over the persones and goods of all those who belong to he Scotts staple, as also over all others of the Scotts nation already duelling or who shall herafter duell, remaine, or lodge within the toun of Campheer or freedon theirof, so that no magistratt or judge of this toun shall have pouer to determine in or upon any question of difference, civill or criminall at any tyme happening betueen tuo of the Scotts nation, but the same cause shall only be pleaded, adjudged, and by definitive sentence determined by the court of the conservator,and that no factor be member of the court, and that withour contradiction or appeall; and incaise of incivilitie, contention, opposition or resistance, the city magistratts shall affoord the conservator or his deputie all help and assistance to bring the offenders to usewall and deserved punishment. And that all acts, ordinances, sentences, and decreits, made and given in the conservators court, as also all certificats and lettres testimoniall given, acknowledged and granted, under the hand of the conservator or his deputie and secretary, with the office seal thereto affixed or appended, shall be held and esteemed in all caises, either civill or criminall, als oblidgeing,legall, and authentick to all intents and purposes as any other given and granted by the magistratts or judges of this toun in cases belonging to their jurisdiction; and the conservator shall within sex weeks after the signeing of this contract give to the magistratts a list of all such persones as are under the staple court as also of those that shall happen from tyme to tyme hereaftir to live under the jurisdiction of the staple court.

5. Fyftly. If any question or action civill or criminall shall fall out between any of the Scotts nation and any of the inhabitants of this toun, either native or stranger, the plentive or first complener, he being a Scotts man, shall be oblidged first of all to apply himself to the conservator or his deputie, and being a Dutchman to the magistratts, that there may be arbitrators nominat over the bussines in question, and the said conservator togither with the magistratts shall upon either syde yeirlie name three arbitrators, the present to inculde the absent, that may freely cognosce, arbitratt, and determine upon the saids differences, and the sentences or decreits so past in judgement by them upon the willing submission of the pairtes shall be holden als valide to all intents and purposes as if the same wer past in judgement befor the magistratts of this toun or conservators court, and that all such decreitts and sentences arbitrall so given shall with all expedition be putt in execution according to the priviledges of this toun and lawes of the cuntrie; and if it shuld happen that the saids arbitrators be equall in their voices, in that case the saids arbitrators shall choise ane vmpire that may pronunce arbitrall sentence; and if the saids pairites will not willingly submitt to the said arbritall sentence then the same is to be brought before the magistratts of this toun to be determined at the knowledge of the conservator or his deputie, and that within fourite dayes eftir that full probation is made of the caus by both pairties; and if it shall happen that any of the Scotts nation shall have to doe befor the lords the states or councill of Zealand, the lords of the admirality or toun councill of Midleburgh, whither it be for staying of their shipps, confiscating of their merchandice, or any other caus quhatsomevir, in that caise the magistratts of this toun of Campheer shall be oblidged to caus assist them by thair pentionarij or some other of their councill, to the end that those of the Scotts nation may be weill used and als much favoured as any of their own burgesses.

6. Sixtly. To the end that the people of the Scotts nation be not frustrat of the word of God and exercise of the reformed religion in their own propper languadge, the magistratts of the toun shall hereby be oblidged to provyde for them a convenient church, decently furnished with all nesessaries requsite, to the due ordor and right administration of God’s service and exercise thairof, according to the doctrine, service, and discipline acknowledged, practised, and by law established within the kingdom of Scotland, as also a fitting churchyaird wherin the dead of that nation and none other (without the consent first obtained from the conservator or his substitute) may be buried, togither with such place in the church as shall be by the conservator and deputies thought fitt, the said church and churchyaird to be keeped in due repatration a the charges of the toun and to be exempted from any grund right which may be pretended to be payed for burieing within or without the church, and to have the libertie to burie our dead at any tyme of the day or night at our pleasure without giveing any fyne for the same; and also to have a minister, precenter, and clerk for the service of the said staple church according to their respective callings; and the said minister being dewly admitted the toun shall provyde that the minister shall receave hos yeirlie mantinance in the same maner as it is now payed. And if it shall so happen that the above specified congregation shall so encrease that it shall be fund necessary, to have a second minister for assistance whose interteanment shall be at the charge of the Scotts nation.