[Ehrenbreitstein, &c.] No. 23.-CONVENTION between Prussia and the Duke and Prince of Nassau. Signed at Vienna, 31st May, 1815. [This Convention formed Annex VIII to the Vienna Congress Treaty of 9th June, 1815, No. 27.] 3. Commissioners to determine what parts of Siegen, &c., are to be ceded by Prussia to Nassau. 4. Public and Demesnial Property of ceded Territories. Neither Party to possess enclaves in Territory of the other. Renunciations. Property belonging to Duke and Prince of Nassau. 5. Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein. 6. Import and Export Trade on the Rhine, through Ehrenbreitstein and Vallendar. 7. Arrears of Revenue and Surplus of Public Chests. 8. Debts of ceded Territories. 9. Pensions. 10. Local Functionaries and Persons in Office to remain in ceded Territories. Pensions if allowed to retire. 11. Military Persons to return to their native Country after the Campaign. Officers may remain in service of ceded Country. 12. Condemned and Insane Persons to be sent to their native Country. 13. Archives of ceded Territories. 14. Engagements of Prussia relative to Post Offices of Taxis. 15. Military Road from Giessen to Ehrenbreitstein. 16. Appointment of Commissioners for the settlement of Debts, Pensions, &c. 17. Nassau to fulfil Engagements made by Prussia relative to Mutual Cessions of Territory. 18. Ratifications. (Translation as laid before Parliament.*) THE hereditary possessions of the House of Orange having been transferred as an indemnity to His Majesty the King of Prussia, in virtue of the stipulations agreed upon between the Powers assembled at the Congress of Vienna, and a territorial arrangement with their Serene Highnesses the Duke and Prince of Nassau, having been expressly reserved, His Majesty the King of Prussia has appointed as his Plenipotentiary to conclude such arrangement, viz.: the Prince Hardenberg, his Chancellor of State, his First Plenipotentiary at the Congress of Vienna, &c. And their Serene Highnesses the Duke and Prince of Nassau, *For French and German Versions, see "State Papers," vol. ii, p. 102. [Ehrenbreitstein, &c.] Ernest Francis Louis Marshal de Bieberstein, and their Principal Minister of State and Plenipotentiary at the Congress, &c. Who, after having exchanged their full powers, have agreed on the following Articles: Cessions by Nassau to Prussia. ART. I. Their Serene Highnesses the Duke and Prince of Nassau cede to His Majesty the King of Prussia, in full sovereignty and property, the bailiwicks, parishes, and places hereafter mentioned :* 1. The bailiwick of Linz. 2. The bailiwick of Altenwied. 5. The parish of Ham, formerly composing part of the bailiwick of Hachenberg. 6. The bailiwick of Schönstein. 7. That of Frensberg. 8. That of Friedewald. 9. That of Dierdorf. 10. The detached part of the bailiwick of Hersbach, bordering on Altenkirchen. 11. The bailiwick of Neuerburg. 12. That of Hammerstein, together with Irlich and Engers. 13. The bailiwick of Huddesdorf. 14. The town of Neuwied. 15. The communes of Gladbach, Heimbach, Weiss, Sayn, Mühlhofen, Bendorf, Weitersburg, Vallendar, and Mallendar, forming part of the bailiwick of Vallendar. 16. The communes of Nieder-Werth, Nieder-Berg, Urber, Immendorf, Neudorf, Ahrenberg, Ehrenbreitstein, together with the mills of Arzheim, Pfaffendorf, and Horchheim, forming part of the bailiwick of Ehrenbreitstein. 17. The bailiwick of Braunfels. 18. That of Greifenstein. 19. That of Hohen-solms. Cessions by Prussia to Nassau. ART. II. His Majesty the King of Prussia, on his part, cedes to their Serene Highnesses the Duke and Prince of Nassau, with all the rights of sovereignty and property thereunto belonging: *See Vienna Congress Treaty of 9th June, 1815, Art. XXIV. [Ehrenbreitstein, &c.] 1. The three Principalities formerly possessed by the House of Nassau-Orange, viz., Dietz, Hadamar, and Dillenburg, including the Lordship of Beilstein, excepting, however, the bailiwicks of Burbach and Neunkirchen. 2. A part of the Principality of Siegen, and of the bailiwicks of Burbach and Neunkirchen, containing a population of 12,000 inhabitants, and composed of communes contiguous to the principality of Dillenburg.* 3. Lastly, the Lordships of Westerburg and Schadek, and that part of the Bailiwick of Runkel which belonged to the former Grand Duchy of Berg. Commissioners to determine what parts of Siegen, &c., are to be ceded by Prussia to Nassau. ART. III. The part of the Principality of Siegen, and of the bailiwicks of Burbach and Neunkirchen, which is to be ceded in virtue of the above Articles, shall be determined by Commissioners, to be appointed by the two High Contracting Parties with as little delay as possible, and, at furthest, within four weeks after the ratification of the present Treaty; but, at all events, previously to the taking possession of the provinces belonging to the House of Nassau-Orange. The Commissioners shall conform to the principle of the contiguity of these portions with the respective territories; and they shall take especial care that the relations with regard to the communes, to the Church, and to industry, as they at present exist, shall be maintained. Under the relations of industry, are specially included those which relate to the working of mines. In the event of these Commissioners not agreeing upon one or other of these points, they are authorised to refer to an Arbitrator, of their own appointment, whose decision shall be final. Public and Demesnial Property of ceded Territories. Neither Party to possess Enclaves in Territory of the other. ART. IV. The bailiwicks and portions of territory to be reciprocally ceded, in conformity to Articles I, II, and III, shall be transferred to the future possessor, with all the precincts of the communes belonging thereto, together with all the public and demesnial property contained in these territories, under whatever denomination they may have been held, or whatever be the title by which they may have been acquired. Neither Party shall * See Vienna Congress Treaty of 9th June, 1815, Art. XXIV. [Ehrenbreitstein, &c.] possess enclaves in the territory of the other, and, particularly, the Abbeys of Kommersdorf, Sayn, Nieder-Werth, and Basselick, situated in the communes ceded by Article I, shall be comprehended in the Prussian territory, with all their property inclosed within the Prussian limits. Renunciations. The two Contracting Parties renounce reciprocally, in behalf of each other, all revenues, rights of suzeraineté, feudal or other rights, of whatever description, which might have belonged to one party in the territory of the other. Property belonging to Duke and Prince of Nassau. The utensils of the mint of Ehrenbreitstein, the furniture in the castle of Engers, and the yachts belonging to their Serene Highnesses the Duke and Prince of Nassau, are reserved to them, to be taken away in three months from the date of the ratification of the present Treaty. Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein.* ART. V. In order to insure and complete the fortifications and defence of the ancient Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, situated in the territory ceded by the House of Nassau, in case it should be considered expedient to re-establish it, it is agreed that Prussia shall, in general, be at liberty to erect military works wherever it may be thought proper, at the distance of 1,500 Rhenish yards (Rheinländischen ruthen) from the Fortress, even in those communes which may remain under the sovereignty of the House of Nassau, an indemnity being, however, given to the landowners, and without prejudice to territorial relations. Import and Export Trade on the Rhine, through Ehrenbreitstein and Vallendar. ART. VI. In order that the cessions agreed upon in Article I may not prove detrimental to the commerce of the Duchy of Nassau, it is agreed that the import and export trade on the Rhine by roads leading to that river, through Ehrenbreitstein and Vallendar, shall not experience any obstacle in respect to the inhabitants of that Duchy, nor be subjected to any new charges. Arrears of Revenue and Surplus of Public Chests. ART. VII. With respect to arrears of revenues, and the surplus of the public chests, the same principles shall be acted upon as * See Vienna Congress Treaty of 9th June, 1815, Art. XXIV, § 2. [Ehrenbreitstein, &c.] have been adopted, and are now observed, in regard to similar objects towards His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, in those proportions of territory which have been transferred to His said Majesty by His Majesty the King of Prussia. Debts of Ceded Territories. ART. VIII. With regard to Debts belonging to the ceded portions of territory, it is agreed: A. That the private Debts of the communes, parishes, bailiwicks, districts, or provinces, shall be transferred, with these communes, parishes, bailiwicks, districts, and provinces to their future possessor, and shall continue to belong to them. When the bailiwicks, districts, or provinces shall have been divided, the debts of these bailiwicks, districts, or provinces, respectively, shall be shared between the two Governments, in the proportion in which the ceded parts have hitherto contributed to the payment of interest and the reimbursement of the capital; or, if this proportion cannot be settled, in that in which these countries have in general contributed to the ordinary expenses. B. The Debts of the public chests and chamber of finance of the Duchy of Nassau, such as their amount was ascertained to be on the 31st December, 1814, shall be divided between the two Parties, in the proportion of the net revenues which the ceded territories have annually paid into the central state chests and the chamber of finance, taking for average the five years immediately preceding 1812, adding thereto, however, the net revenue of the bailiwick of Runkel in the year 1814. C. The State Debts, and those of the chamber of finance of the Princes of Nassau-Orange, shall be divided between the two Contracting Parties, in the proportion and according to the period already agreed upon, taking as the average the net revenues of the chamber of Nassau-Orange in the five years from 1801 to 1805, and adding to each of these years the net revenues of the Lordships of Westerburg and Schadeck, such as they were in 1814. D. The Debts of Nassau-Saarbruck, with which the state chest of the Duchy of Nassau may yet be burdened, are not comprised in this distribution, but shall remain exclusively at the charge of the House of the Duke and Prince of Nassau. Pensions. ART. IX. The Pensions which have been granted for services |