Treaty of Concordia
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Concordia was signed on March 23, 1648 between the French and the Dutch. The signing took place atop Mount Concordia. Based on the terms of the agreement, the island of Saint Martin
was to be divided between the French Kingdom
and the Dutch Republic
and that the peoples of St.Martin shall coexist in a cooperative manner. However, France
and the Netherlands
would continue to dispute over the ownership of the island until 1817 when the borders of the island were finally set.
At the time of the Treaty, agreements signed between representatives of the monarch
had to be registered at the King's Council. This essential formality was never performed, but it seems that on many occasions French civil law recognizes the validity of this Agreement.
The Treaty has always been fairly applied in practice and is referred to in the following texts:
Saint Martin
Saint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ; however, the Dutch side has the larger population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between...
was to be divided between the French Kingdom
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
and the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
and that the peoples of St.Martin shall coexist in a cooperative manner. However, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
would continue to dispute over the ownership of the island until 1817 when the borders of the island were finally set.
Text of the Treaty of Concordia (1648)
See here the Text of the Treaty of Concordia (Wikisource : English translation of the original text in french).Validity of the treaty of March 23, 1648
The problem of the validity of the Treaty of 1648 arises several time and even today. Research was supposed to be undertaken by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs about it.At the time of the Treaty, agreements signed between representatives of the monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
had to be registered at the King's Council. This essential formality was never performed, but it seems that on many occasions French civil law recognizes the validity of this Agreement.
The Treaty has always been fairly applied in practice and is referred to in the following texts:
- Franco-Dutch Convention of 28 November 1839. (See french text)
- February 11th 1850's french side gubernatorial Order about the rules on the salt trade and use, whose Article #32 states :
- The inhabitants of the French side of St. Martin will enjoy the ability to consume and export abroad salts harvested by them on the Dutch side, this under the terms of the Treaty of 1648.
- Decree of the 30th July 1935, which in its Article #40 provides for the freedom of establishment in the French part of Saint-Martin for the Dutch citizens from the Dutch part of Saint-Martin :
- The requirements of the Decree shall not apply to foreigners from the Dutch island of St.Martin regarding their stay and transit in the French part of the island. Foreigners from the islands of Saba, AnguillaAnguillaAnguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
, Statia, Saint ChristopherSaint Kitts and NevisThe Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....
Nevis, which at the date of this Order were finally fixed in the dependences of Saint-Martin and Saint Bartholomew for the benefit referred to in the preceding paragraph.
- The requirements of the Decree shall not apply to foreigners from the Dutch island of St.Martin regarding their stay and transit in the French part of the island. Foreigners from the islands of Saba, Anguilla
See also
- History of St. MartinHistory of St. MartinSt. Martin's history shares many commonalities with other Caribbean islands. Its earliest inhabitants were Amerindians, followed by Europeans who brought slavery to exploit commercial interests.-Early history:...
- Franco-Dutch treaty on Saint Martin border controlsFranco-Dutch treaty on Saint Martin border controlsThe Franco-Dutch treaty on Saint Martin border controls, often called the Franco-Dutch Treaty is a treaty between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and France aimed at improving border controls at the two airports on the island of...
- List of treaties