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[Danubian Principalities.]

And His Imperial Majesty the Sultan, Mustapha Reshid Pasha, late Grand Vizier, and at present his Minister for Foreign Affairs, &c.;

Who after having exchanged their Full Powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles:

Means to be adopted for Evacuation of Danubian Principalities.

ART. I. His Majesty the Emperor of Austria engages to exhaust all the means of negotiation and all other means to obtain the Evacuation of the Danubian Principalities by the Foreign Army which occupies them, and even to employ, in case they are required, the number of Troops necessary to attain this end.

Command of Austrian Army.

ART. II. It will appertain in this case exclusively to the Imperial Commander-in-Chief to direct the operations of his Army. He will, however, always take care to inform the Commander-inChief of the Ottoman Army of his operations in proper time.

Administration of Danubian Principalities.

ART. III. His Majesty the Emperor of Austria undertakes by common Agreement with the Ottoman Government to re-establish in the Principalities, as far as possible, the legal state of things such as it results from the Privileges secured by the Sublime Porte in regard to the Administration of those Countries. The local authorities thus reconstituted shall not, however, extend their action so far as to attempt to exercise control over the Imperial Army.

Sovereign Rights and Integrity of Ottoman Empire.

ART. IV. The Imperial Court of Austria further engages not to enter into any plan of accommodation with the Imperial Court of Russia which has not for its Basis the Sovereign Rights of His Majesty the Sultan, as well as the Integrity of his Empire.

Withdrawal of Austrian Troops from Principalities on conclusion of Peace with Russia.

ART V. As soon as the object of the present Convention shall have been obtained by the conclusion of a Treaty of Peace between the Sublime Porte and the Court of Russia, His Majesty the

[Danubian Principalities.]

Emperor of Austria will immediately make arrangements for withdrawing his Forces with the least possible delay from the Territory of the Principalities. The details respecting the retreat of the Austrian Troops shall form the object of a special understanding with the Sublime Porte.

Assistance to Austrian Troops from Ottoman Authorities.

ART. VI. The Austrian Government expects that the Authorities of the Countries temporarily occupied by the Imperial Troops will afford them every assistance and facility, as well for their march, their lodging or encampment, as for their subsistence and that of their horses, and for their communications. The Austrian Government likewise expects that every demand relating to the requirements of the service shall be complied with, which shall be addressed by the Austrian Commanders, either to the Ottoman Government through the Imperial Internunciate at Constantinople, or directly to the Local Authorities, unless more weighty reasons render the execution of them impossible.

Maintenance of Order by Commanders of Austrian Army.

It is understood that the Commanders of the Imperial Army will provide for the maintenance of the strictest discipline among their Troops, and will respect, and cause to be respected, the Properties as well as the Laws, the Religion, and the Customs of

Ratifications.*

ART. VII. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the Ratifications shall be exchanged at Vienna in the space of 4 weeks, or earlier if possible, dating from the day of its signature. In faith of which the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed it and set their Seals to it.

Done in duplicate, for one and the same effect, at BoyadjiKeuy, the 14th June, 1854.

(L.S.) V. BRUCK.

(L.S.) RESHID.

* Ratifications exchanged at Vienna, 30th June, 1854.

[War with Russia. Conditions of Peace.]

No. 250.-NOTES exchanged between Great Britain and Austria, respecting the Conditions to be imposed for the re-establishment of Peace. Vienna, 8th August, 1854.

(Translation as laid before Parliament.*)

The Earl of Westmorland to Count Buol.

Vienna, 8th August, 1854.

THE Undersigned, &c., has the honour to announce to Count Buol, &c., that he has received from his Government orders to record in the present note that it results from the confidential communications which have taken place between the Courts of Vienna, Paris, and London, in conformity with the passage of the Protocol of the 9th April last (No. 241), by which Austria, France, and Great Britain engaged, at the same time as Prussia, to seek means for connecting the existence of the Ottoman Empire with the general Balance of Power in Europe, that the 3 Powers are equally of opinion that the relations of the Sublime Porte with the Imperial Court of Russia cannot be re-established on solid and durable bases

1. If the Protectorate hitherto exercised by the Imperial Court of Russia over the Principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Servia, be not discontiuued for the future; and if the Privileges accorded by the Sultans to those Provinces, dependent on their Empire, be not placed under the Collective Guarantee of the Powers, in virtue of an Arrangement to be concluded with the Sublime Porte, and the stipulations of which should at the same time regulate all questions of detail.

2. If the Navigation of the Danube at its mouths be not freed from all obstacle, and made subject to the application of the principles established by the Acts of the Congress of Vienna (No. 27).

3. If the Treaty of the 13th July, 1841 (No. 193), be not revised in concert by all the High Contracting Parties in the interest of the Balance of Power in Europe.

4. If Russia do not cease to claim the right of exercising an official Protectorate over the subjects of the Sublime Porte, to * For French version, see "State Papers," vol. xliv, p. 88.

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whatever rite they may belong, and if France, Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, do not mutually assist each other in obtaining from the original action of the Ottoman Government the confirmation and the observance of the Religious Privileges of the different Christian communities, and in turning to account, for the common interest of their co-religionists, the generous intentions manifested by His Majesty the Sultan, without any prejudice resulting therefrom to his dignity and the Independence of his Crown.

The Undersigned is moreover authorised to declare that the Government of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, while reserving to themselves the right of making known, at a suitable time, the particular conditions which they may attach to the conclusion of peace with Russia, and of modifying the general Guarantees above specified in such manner as the continuance of hostilities may render necessary, are resolved not to discuss and not to take into consideration any proposition from the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh which should not imply on its part a full and entire adhesion to the principles on which they are already agreed with the Governments of His Majesty the Emperor of Austria and of His Majesty the Emperor of France. The Undersigned, &c.

WESTMORLAND.

(Translation as laid before Parliament.)

Count Buol to the Earl of Westmorland.

Vienna, 8th August, 1854.

THE Undersigned, Minister of Foreign Affairs of His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty, hastens to acknowledge the receipt of the note which his Lordship the Earl of Westmorland, &c., did him the honour to address to him on the 8th of this month, and to record in his turn that it results from the confidential communications which have taken place between the Courts of Vienna, Paris, and London, in conformity with the passage of the Protocol of the 9th April last (No. 241), by which Austria, France, and Great Britain engaged, at the same time as Prussia, to seek means for connecting the existence of the Ottoman Empire with the general Balance of Power in Europe, that the 3 Powers are equally of opinion that the relations of the Sublime Porte with the Imperial Court of Russia cannot be re-established on solid and durable Bases:

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1. If the Protectorate hitherto exercised by the Imperial Court of Russia over the Principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Servia be not discontinued for the future, and if the Privileges accorded by the Sultans to those Provinces, dependent on their Empire, be not placed under the Collective Guarantee of the Powers, in virtue of an Arrangement to be concluded with the Sublime Porte, and the stipulations of which should at the same time regulate all questions of detail.

2. If the Navigation of the Danube at its mouths be not freed from all obstacle and made subject to the application of the principles established by the Acts of the Congress of Vienna (No. 27).

3. If the Treaty of the 13th July, 1841 (No. 193), be not revised in concert by all the High Contracting Parties in the interest of the Balance of Power in Europe.

4. If Russia do not cease to claim the right of exercising an official Protectorate over the subjects of the Sublime Porte, to whatever rite they may belong; and if Austria, Great Britain, France, Prussia, and Russia do not mutually assist each other in obtaining from the original action of the Ottoman Government the confirmation and the observance of the Religious Privileges of the different Christian communities, and in turning to account, for the common interest of their co-religionists, the generous intentions manifested by His Majesty the Sultan, without any prejudice resulting therefrom to his dignity and the Independence of his Crown.

The Undersigned is, moreover, authorised to declare that his Government takes note of the determination of England and of France not to enter into any arrangement with the Imperial Court of Russia which should not imply on the part of the said Court a full and entire adhesion to the four principles above enumerated, and that it accepts for itself the engagement not to treat except on those Bases, reserving to itself, however, liberty of judging as to the conditions which it might attach to the reestablishment of Peace, if it should itself be forced to take part in the War.

The Undersigned, &c.

BUOL.

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