par IV. His Majesty, the King of Great Britain, is maintained in his right to the Island of Newfoundland, and to the adjacent islands, as the whole were assured to him by the thirteenth article of the Treaty of Utrecht; excepting the Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, which are ceded in full right, by the present treaty, to His Most Christian Majesty [the King of France.]
XX(?). As it is necessary to appoint a certain period for the restitutions and evacuations to be made by each of the high contracting parties, it is agreed that the King of Great Britain shall cause to be evacuated the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, three months after the ratification of the present treaty, or sooner, if it can be done.
(XXIV. As it is necessary to assign a fixed epoch for the restitutions and the evacuations, to be made by each of the high contracting parties, it is agreed, that the British and French troops shall compleat, before the 15th of March next, all that shall remain to be executed of the XIIth and XIIIth articles of the preliminaries, signed the 3d day of November last, with regard to the evacuation to be made in the Empire, or elsewhere. The island of Belleisle shall be evacuated six weeks after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty, or sooner if it can be done. Guadeloupe, Desirade, Mariegalante Martinico, and St. Lucia, three months after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty, or sooner if it can be done. Great Britain shall likewise, at the end of three months after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty, or sooner if it can be done, enter into possession of the river and port of the Mobile, and of all that is to form the limits of the territory of Great Britain, on the side of the river Mississippi, as they are specified in the VIIth article. The island of Goree shall be evacuated by Great Britain, three months after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty; and the island of Minorca by France, at the same epoch, or sooner if it can be done: And according to the conditions of the VIth article, France shall likewise enter into possession of the islands of St Peter, and of Miquelon, at the end of three months after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty. The Factories in the East Indies shall be restored six months after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty, or sooner if it can be done. The fortress of the Havannah, with all that has been conquered in the island of Cuba, shall be restored three months after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty, or sooner if it can be done: And, at the same time, Great Britain shall enter into possession of the country ceded by Spain according to the XXth article. All the places and countries of his most Faithful Majesty, in Europe, shall be restored immediately after the exchange of the ratification of the present treaty: And the Portuguese colonies, which may have been conquered, shall be restored in the space of three months in the West Indies, and of six months in the East Indies, after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty, or sooner if it can be done. All the fortresses, the restitution whereof is stipulated above, shall be restored with the artillery and ammunition, which were found there at the time of the conquest. In consequence whereof, the necessary orders shall be sent by each of the high contracting parties, with reciprocal passports for the ships that shall carry them, immediately after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty.)
“Le Roi de la Grande-Bretagne, en cédant les Iles de Saint-Pierre et de Miquelon à la France, les regarde comme cédées à fin de servir réellement d’abri aux pêcheurs François, et dans la confiance entière que ces possessions ne deviendront point un objet de jalousie entre les deux nations ; et que la pêche entre les dites îles, et celle de Terre-Neuve, sera bornée à mi-canal.” – Déclaration de sa Majesté Britannique, le 3 septembre 1783.
« Les principes qui ont dirigé le Roi, dans tout le tours des négociations qui ont précéde le rétablissement de la Paix, ont dû convaincre le Roi de la Grande-Bretagne, que Sa Majesté n’a eu d’autre but que de la rendre solide et durable, en prévenant, autant qu’il est possible, dans les quatre parties du monde, tout sujet de discussion et de querelle. Le Roi de la Grande-Bretagne met indubitablement trop de confiance dans la droiture des intentions de Sa Majesté, pour ne point se reposer sur l’attention constante qu’elle aura d’empêcher que les Iles St. Pierre et Miquelon ne deviennent un objet de jalousie entre les deux nations. »
“Quant à la pêche sur les côtes de Terre-Neuve, qui a été l’objet des nouveaux arrangements dont les deux Souverains sont convenus sur cette matière, elle est suffisamment exprimée par l’Article V du Traité de Paix signé ce jourd’hui, et par la Déclaration remise également aujourd’hui par l’Ambassadeur Extraordinaire et Plénipotentiaire de Sa Majesté Britannique ; et Sa Majesté déclare qu’elle est pleinement satisfaite à cet égard.
“Pour ce qui est de la pêche entre l’lle de Terre-Neuve et celles de St. Pierre et Miquelon, elle ne pourra se faire, de part et d’autre, que jusqu’à mi-canal, et Sa Majesté donnera les ordres le plus précis, pour que les pecheurs François n’outrepassent point cette ligne. Sa Majesté est dans la ferme confiance que le Roi de la Grande-Bretagne donnera de pareils ordres aux pêcheurs Anglois.” – Contre-déclaration de sa Majesté, le Roi de France, le 3 septembre 1783