[French Pecuniary Indemnity.] power), the French Government shall be informed thereof, and on the same condition shall enjoy the preference of negociating such Bons. Done, in five parts, at Paris, 2nd February, 1819. LE BARON DE VINCENT. LE MARQUIS DESSOLLES. CHARLES STUART. H. DE GOLTZ. [Ionian Islands and Parga.] No. 91.-ACT OF RATIFICATION by the Sultan, of the Cession of the Ionian Islands to Great Britain, and of Parga to Turkey. Signed at Constantinople, 24th April, 1819. (Translation.*) WE, by the Grace of the Supreme Master of Empires, of the immutable Founder of the Solid Edifice of the Caliphat, and by the miraculous influence of the Model of Saints, of the Sun of the two Worlds, our Great Prophet Mahommed Mustapha, as well as by the co-operating assistance of his Disciples and Successors, and the whole series of the Saints. (Seal.) Sultan, son of a Sultan, and Emperor, son of an Emperor, Mahmoud Han, Conqueror, son of Abdulhamyd Han, Conqueror, son of Ahmed Han, Conqueror, whose noble diplomas are decorated with the Sovereign title of Sultan of the two Worlds, and the Supreme Acts with the name of Emperor of the two Seas, and whose duties, belonging to our Imperial dignity, are the administration of justice, the care of governing well, and the security of the repose of our Peoples, Master and Guardian of the most noble of the Towns of the Universe, towards which the good wishes of all nations are directed, the two sacred cities of Mecca and Medina, of the internal Sanctuary and of the Holy Land, Supreme Caliph of the vast regions and provinces situated in Anatolia and Roumelia, in the White and Black Seas, in Arabia, in Chaldea, and glorious Sovereign over numberless fortresses, castles, places, and towns: Declare : That, considering the perfect intelligence and perpetual friendship between our Sublime Porte of eternal duration, and the most glorious among the great Princes, believers in Jesus Christ, the model of the august personages of the nation of the Messiah, the reconciler of the interests of the States of Christian Nations, decorated with the robes of Majesty and Glory, and covered with the marks of grandeur and of high renown; His Majesty, our most esteemed, ancient, intimate, loyal, and constant friend, the King (Padichah) of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and * For French version, see "State Papers," vol. vii., p. 832. [Ionian Islands and Parga.] Ireland, and of a great number of countries depending thereon, George III., whose end may it be glorious, both Courts actuated by the most perfect and eager desire of confirming the bases of friendship, and of strengthening more and more the ties of good understanding and intimacy between them. Therefore, it is of public notoriety that the districts of Prevesa, Vonitza, Butrinto, and Parga, situated in the neighbourhood and on the coasts of Albania, one of the Imperial Provinces, having, in times past, by the wise measures of our Sublime Porte, come into our possession and annexed to our Imperial States, one of those districts, Parga, on account of certain vicissitudes had passed into other hands, and after some time was delivered by Great Britain. It is equally well known that that District having been reckoned among the States of our illustrious Empire, the Court of England, whose loyalty towards our Sublime Porte is as clear as the day, and whose proofs of sincere friendship multiply more and more, has just made over to our Sublime Porte the Place of Parga, with all its Dependencies and Appurtenances, and as the Islands of Corfu, Cephalonia, Zante, St. Maura, Ithaca, and Cerigo, known under the name of the United Seven Islands, as well as the small Islands depending thereon, and some of which are inhabited and others desert, have also in times past been under the Sovereignty of our Sublime Porte, and recognised as being its tributaries and under its protection, and thus through the circumstances of the times that state of things has undergone a change; and that finally those Islands have also passed into the hands of Great Britain, this Court has signified that, with the exception of the four districts above-mentioned, which form part of our Imperial States, the said Islands have been placed under the immediate and exclusive Protection of His Majesty the King (Padichah) of Great Britain, according to the arrangements made solely on the subject of the above Islands, between the Four Great Powers [5th November, 1815] (No. 39). Consequently, the said Court of England has amicably requested that in future His Majesty should be recognised as the Sovereign Protector of those Islands, and that their inhabitants shall be considered as Protected Subjects; that the same treatment shall be extended to them as to British subjects, and that when the said subjects may wish to frequent the States of the Turkish Empire, and to transact commercial business there, they may be free from all impediment and molestation; that their affairs may [Ionian Islands and Parga.] be treated according to the Capitulations and Stipulations observed in favour of the other subjects of His Britannic Majesty, and they themselves may be received with cordiality and kindness. Therefore, the English Court, from the most remote times, the intimate friend of our Sublime Porte, and having also in this instance, from the regard which she has manifested in restoring the Place of Parga, manifested its friendly and just conduct, and given new proofs of its uprightness, as well as of its love that harmony and good harmony should exist between us; we are perfectly satisfied therewith, and our Sublime Porte accepts and Ratifies that friendly request on the grounds specified. She therefore recognises from henceforth the Inhabitants of the above-mentioned Islands, as being as above stated Protected Subjects of the Court of Great Britain; and our Sublime Porte promises and engages that the same Capitulations and Stipulations which are observed in favour of the other British subjects, shall be punctually executed at all times towards the inhabitants of the Seven Islands. Those from among them who may be in Ottoman countries, and who may have acquired lands, immovable property, and possessions of a similar nature, and who in peaceably transacting their commercial affairs may wish to accept of their own accord the condition of Rayah, shall be reckoned as such; if, on the contrary, they do not wish to remain, but would prefer returning to their Islands, by selling their lands and estates, our Sublime Porte will give its consent, giving them twelve months to dispose of their estates and to settle their affairs; and engages to treat them as real British subjects. The whole of the above having been agreed to between the two Courts, and His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Sir Robert Liston, may his end. be happy, having engaged to procure the Ratification of his Court within a few months, it is clear and evident that all those points will be accepted, and maintained on our Imperial part; and so long as nothing to the contrary takes place on the part of the English Court, there is no reason to apprehend that any circumstance will arise contrary thereto on the part of our Sublime Porte. 24th April, 1819. [Territorial.] No. 92.-TERRITORIAL TREATY between Prussia and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Signed at Berlin, 21st May, 1819. Preamble. Reference to Vienna Congress Treaty of 9th June, 1815, and to Treaty of 18th September, 1816. 1. Renunciation by Mecklenburg-Strelitz in favour of Prussia of Territory in Cantons of Cronenburg, Reiferscheid, and Schleiden. 2. Acceptance of renunciation by Prussia. Pecuniary Indemnity to HesseDarmstadt. 3. Revenues arising from the Territory allotted to Grand Duke replaced by tne Interest arising from the Pecuniary Indemnity. 4. Cession to Hesse-Darmstadt of high road leading from Fürstenburg to Strelitz, as well as the Territorial Forest enclosed between the said Road and the present Frontier of the Grand Duchy. Indemnity to be given to Prussia. 5. Acceptance of Indemnity by Prussia. Prussian Subjects to have free use of the Road. 6. Ratifications. (Translation.) Preamble. Reference to Vienna Congress Treaty of 9th June, 1815, and to Treaty of 18th September, 1816. IN consequence of the Lands, which, in execution of Articles XLIX. and L. of the Act of the Congress of Vienna (No. 27), were ceded by the Treaty of the 18th September, 1816 (No. 61), to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, by His Majesty the King of Prussia, being remote and separate from the ancient Dominions of His Royal Highness, and being completely surrounded moreover by His Majesty's Territories; the Two High Contracting Powers have expressed their desire to agree upon a more suitable and advantageous arrangement, which they had expressly reserved to themselves the power of doing by Article III. of the above Treaty; and the Negociations which have been entered into subsequently to that Treaty, having led to a preliminary understanding upon the subject; His Majesty the King of Prussia has appointed and empowered on his part M. Jordan, actual Privy Councillor of the Embassy, and Envoy to the Royal Court of Saxony, conjointly with M. Hoffman, actual Chief Privy Councillor of the Regency; And His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg |