Traité de Westminster, 3 novembre 1655
entre l’Angleterre et la France
Le traité de Westminster est un traité entre la France de Louis XIV et l’Angleterre du Lord protecteur Olivier Cromwell. Il a pour but de rétablir des relations pacifiques entre les deux pays après les dissensions consécutives à la révolution anglaise de 1648. Après avoir renversé et exécuté le roi Charles Ier, le Commonwealth républicain d’Angleterre se montre hostile à la France et apporte un soutien actif aux frondeurs en lutte contre le jeune roi de France et son ministre Mazarin.
Le traité indique rétablir la paix entre les deux États et ordonne la cessation de toutes hostilités.
Outre ces dispositions militaires, le traité prévoit la liberté et l’équité du commerce maritime entre les deux pays et des conditions de voyage sûres pour les navires et équipages.
Le traité comporte également d’importantes dispositions politiques, la France s’engageant à ne pas donner asile à Charles Stuart, fils du roi Charles Ier et prétendant au trône d’Angleterre. En contrepartie, l’Angleterre s’engage à expulser de son territoire plusieurs dissidents français.
Le traité est un succès pour Cromwell et sera suivi en 1657 d’une alliance en bonne et due forme entre la France et l’Angleterre contre l’Espagne. Le Lord protecteur décède cependant l’année suivante, permettant la restauration de la monarchie anglaise et le couronnement de Charles II. Les relations entre la France et l’Angleterre se dégradent alors et un nouveau traité de paix sera conclu entre elles le 31 juillet 1667 à Breda.
Sur cet épisode des relations entre la France et l’Angleterre, voir :
Treaty of Peace between Louis XIV. King of France and Navarre, and the Lord Protector of the Republic of England, Scotland, and Ireland, at Westminster, November 3, 1655.
ART. 1 – THAT from this time there be a firm peace between the Republic and France, and that the subjects of both nations be at liberty to travel through the dominions of each other, and that the judges and officers do take care that they be rather favoured everywhere, and all manner of justice be done them. page 2
ART. 2 – Neither party shall directly or indirectly assist such as are now, or shall be hereafter declared rebels, enemies, or adherents against the other.
ART. 3 – All manner of hostilities shall cease, and whatever shall be taken after fourteen days following the publication of this treaty shall be restored within three months after the interested parties shall demand the same, but if legal satisfaction be refused, either party may issue letters of marque and reprisal, to affect only the particular delinquents—not the effects of the subjects of either unconcerned.
ART. 4 – Commerce shall be entirely free and open, without regard to letters of safe conduct, or general or special license, provided that the parties trading pay the due customs and port duties, and properly regard the laws and statutes of the dominions of each other.
ART. 5 – The people of the Republic of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and all the dominions thereof, may freely import their manufactures of wool and silk into all the ports of France, without incurring any penalties or forfeitures thereby. The regulations stipulated in the 13th article of the treaty between James King of Great Britain, and Henry IV. of France and Navarre, anno 1606, concerning clothes that are ill made, shall be kept and observed, and both sides shall enjoy in each other’s dominions the same privileges as other foreigners.
ART. 6 – That the port duties, customs, etc., may be truly known, tables thereof shall be made and fixed up in public places at London, and other ports of the Republic, and at Roan and other ports in France, to which recourse may be had in cases of controversy.
ART. 7 – Some ports in both dominions claiming particular duties, the magistrates are to take care that nothing be demanded but what is legal.
ART. 8 – It being customary in some harbours of England and France to demand head money of foreigners, the same shall be henceforth void, and each nation to be on the footing of natives in that respect.
ART. 9 – The French merchants trading in England shall not be obliged to give any other security for the sale of their products page 3 their merchandise than their own oaths, nor be liable on that account to any other expenses than the natives.
ART. 10 – French ships may come to the key of London, and to the other ports in the dominions of the Republic, and take in their lading there without molestation, as may the English ships in any ports of the dominions of France, and in all respects a free and impartial equality shall be preserved in the commerce of the two nations.
ART. 11 – The merchant ships of the Republic which sail to Bordeaux or enter the Garonne in their voyage, shall not be compelled to take out their guns, etc., at the castle of Blaye, nor shall the subjects of France be liable to any such impediments in the ports of the Republic, and each party shall enjoy the same immunities in all cases as other nations in alliance with either of them enjoy.
ART. 12 – Subjects of the Republic dying in France may dispose of their effects as in England, without any regard to the Droit de Aubeine, provided that the right to intestate estates, or who have made wills, shall be proved according to law in the place where the person died, whether in France or England, &tc.
ART. 13 – That the inhabitants of the Islands of Guernsey and Jersey shall enjoy the same privileges as the French do in those islands, paying the customs on both sides.
ART. 14 – All ships of force shall, before they sail, give security by competent persons, not of the ship’s company, to the admiralty of either nation, for double value, not to seize or molest the ships or goods of the other, and if the judges of the respective admiralties take incompetent securities, they themselves shall answer for the damages.
ART. 15 – That for the space of four years to come, or until other stipulations are agreed on, the ships of either nation may carry commodities of any kind to the enemies of the other, excepting to places besieged, and excepting military stores, in which cases they shall be deemed lawful prize.
ART. 16 – Both parties shall admonish their naval commanders not to injure the ships of the other, and contravening such order, shall be corporally punished, and be— obliged, if in their power, to satisfy the damages, and page 4 finding merchant ships steering the same course, shall protect them from violence. L.
ART. 17 – Commanders taking prizes shall, within twentyfour hours after their arrival, deliver the books of account, etc., to the judge of the admiralty, or other proper officer residing on the spot, who shall send the same sealed up to the judge of the admiralty in order to be copied, during which time the mariners shall not be taken out, nor any part of the cargo touched, unless by authority of the court of admiralty.
ART. 18 – Commanders who take prizes shall not carry away the captain, master, mate, nor mariner, unless for the sake of examining them, and in such case not above two or three, who shall be carried within twenty-four hours to the judge of the admiralty, or if none at the place, to the magistrate or officers, who shall examine them.
ART. 19 – That neither party shall receive pirates, their accomplices or assistants, and all ships piratically taken and brought into the harbours of either of the confederates, shall be restored to the right owners.
ART. 20 – That neither party shall permit the ships or goods of the other, which shall be taken by rebels, under color of any commissions whatsoever, to be alienated from the right owners, but shall see the same duly restored.
ART. 21 – Ships drove by stress of weather or other danger into the ports of either confederate, and not breaking bulk, shall not be subjected to any duties, and shall, when the danger is over, depart out of the harbour.
ART. 22 – Either party may traffic freely to any country at war with the other, observing the stipulations of the 15th article in relation to contraband goods and places behindered.
ART. 23 – That both parties shall take care that justice be done incorruptibly, and that all preceding sentences and conventions, which either party or their subjects have obtained in the lands of the other, shall be ratified.
ART. 24 – Whereas since the year 1640 many prizes have been taken on both sides, commissioners shall be appointed to settle the same at London, and if they do not determine in six months and a fortnight, the city of Hamburg page 5 shall be desired to despatch commissioners, whose arbitration shall be final, and their award made within four months; but if neither shall make an award ; no force shall be used on either side until after the expiration of four months more.
ART. 25 – The right of either to the three forts of Penta colt, St. John, and Port Royal in America, shall be de termined by the same commissioners.
ART. 26 – In case of a war breaking out, the merchants shall have six months time to remove their effects.
ART. 27 – Contraveners of this treaty shall be obliged to make satisfaction, and refusing to do so, shall be deemed enemies to both parties, and punished accordingly, but the same shall not affect the league in any sense.
ART. 28 – This league shall be ratified within a fort night, and immediately after published and proclaimed, and it is agreed, that the Lords the States General shall be included herein.
It is likewise agreed, that the following persons shall remove from the dominions of either within forty days after ratification, and not be on any pretence hereafter admitted.
Out of England, Marifin, the elder Cugnac, Trancart, Mazerelles, Barriere, St. Mars, Conan, Delert, Blato, Taudin.
Out of France, Charles, eldest son of Charles late King of England, James Duke of York, Henry Duke of Gloucester, after ten years if required: the Lord of Or mond, Sir Edward Hyde, Sir John Culpepper, Lord Ger rard, Daniel O’Neal, Lord Wilmot, Sir Marmaduke Langdale, Sir Edward Nicholas, Lord Wentworth, eldest son of the Earl of Cleveland, Sir Richard Greenville, Sir Francis Doddington, Sir John Berkeley, the Lord — Bellasis, O’Sullivan Beare, Lieutenant General Middleton, Lord Muskerry the Father, Major General Edward Massey,page 6
A Posterior Article for including the Lords the States General. Done at Westminster, November 23, 0.5. December 3, N.S. SO,
It is agreed, that the States General shall be included in the treaty made the third of November, N.S. 1655, and are by these presents therein comprehended, as are also the allies and confederates of both states who shall be desirous of being included within the space of three months.
The above was only the foundation of the main design which Cromwell had of entering into an offensive war with Spain; the chief view whereof was the important acquisition of the sea ports in Flanders. Previous to this was another treaty with Sweden, but is to follow it in order to avoid breaking into the connection.
Le texte du traité est publié en anglais in
| 296 Ko Jenkinson, t. 1, pp. 81-86 (en anglais)Pour les références bibliographiques des recueils mentionnés ci-dessous, voy. la page consacrée aux recueils de traités
La présente fiche a été réalisée dans la cadre du programme de stage du CERIC à l’Université d’Aix-Marseille.
Elle a été conçue par :
Laurane VR (fiche de contextualisation, illustration, résumé)
Marie Albano (correction du texte intégral, mise en ligne)
Margaux Chatain (correction)
Pr. Romain Le Boeuf (sources, transcription du texte intégral)
Crédits image : Wikipédia