Anglo-Portuguese Commercial Treaty Act 1914

Article 15 U.K.

Any vessel of either of the contracting Parties which may be compelled by stress of weather or by accident, to take shelter in a port of the other, shall be at liberty to refit therein, to procure all necessary stores, and to put to sea again, without paying any dues other than such as would be payable in a similar case by a national vessel. In case, however, the master of a merchant vessel should be under the necessity of disposing of a part of his merchandise in order to defray his expenses, he shall be bound to conform to the regulations and tariffs of the place to which he may have come.

If any vessel of one of the contracting Parties should run aground or be wrecked upon the coasts of the other, such vessel, and all parts thereof, and all furniture and appurtenances belonging thereunto, and all goods and merchandise saved therefrom, including any which may have been cast into the sea, or the proceeds thereof if sold, as well as all papers found on board such stranded or wrecked vessel shall be given up to the owners or their agents when claimed by them. If there are no such owners or agents on the spot, then the same shall be delivered to the British or Portuguese consular officer in whose district the wreck or stranding may have taken place, upon being claimed by him within the period fixed by the laws of the country, and such consular officers, owners, or agents shall pay only the expenses incurred in the preservation of the property, together with the salvage or other expenses which would have been payable in the like case of a wreck of a national vessel.

The contracting Parties agree, moreover, that merchandise saved shall not be subjected to the payment of any Customs duty unless cleared for internal consumption.

In the case either of a vessel being driven in by stress of weather, run aground, or wrecked, the respective consular officers shall, if the owner or master or other agent of the owner is not present, or is present and requires it, be authorised to interpose in order to afford the necessary assistance to the fellow-countrymen.