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[Neufchatel and Valengin.]

No. 281.- TREATY between Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia, Russia, and the Swiss Confederation, relative to Neufchatel and Valengin. Signed at Paris, 26th

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1. Renunciation by Prussia of Sovereignty over Principality of Neufchatel

and County of Valengin.

2. Neufchatel to form part of Swiss Confederation.

3. Swiss Confederation to pay Expenses of Events in 1856. Neufchatel to pay Proportion as one of the Cantons.

4. Mode of Payment of Neufchatel proportion.

5. Amnesty for all Offences.

6. Revenues of Property to the Church.

7. Maintenance of Capital and Revenues of Religious and other Institutions.

8. Ratifications.

(Translation as laid before Parliament.*)

THEIR Majesties the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Emperor of Austria, the Emperor of the French, and the Emperor of All the Russias, being desirous to preserve the general Peace from any cause of disturbance, and, with that view, to place in harmony with the requirements of the repose of Europe the international state of the Principality of Neufchatel and of the County of Valengin;

And His Majesty the King of Prussia, Prince of Neufchatel and Count of Valengin, having signified his intention, with a view to the same object, of deferring to the wishes of his Allies, the Swiss Confederation has been invited to come to an understanding with Their said Majesties as to the means most suitable for obtaining that result.

In consequence, Their said Majesties and the Swiss Confederation have resolved to conclude a Treaty, and have named as their Plenipotentiaries :

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Henry Richard Charles Earl Cowley, Viscount Dangan, Baron Cowley, a Peer of the For French version, see "State Papers," vol. xlvii, p. 40.

[Neufchatel and Valengin.]

United Kingdom, a Member of Her Britannic Majesty's Privy Council, Her Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the Emperor of the French, &c. ;

His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, M. Joseph Alexander Baron de Hübner, his actual Privy Councillor, and his Ambassador to His Majesty the Emperor of the French, &c.;

His Majesty the Emperor of the French, M. Alexandre Count Colonna Walewski, a Senator of the Empire, his Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, &c.;

His Majesty the King of Prussia, M. Maximilian Frederick Charles Francis Count of Hatzfeldt-Wildenburg-Schoenstein, his actual Privy Councillor, and his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the Emperor of the French, &c.;

His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias, the Count Paul Kisseleff, his Aide-de-camp General, a General of Infantry, a Member of the Council of the Empire, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the Emperor of the French, &c.;

The Federal Council of the Swiss Confederation, Doctor John Conrad Kern, a Member of the Council of the Swiss States, Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary charged with a Special Mission, &c.;

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective Full Powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles:

Renunciation by Prussia of Sovereignty over Principality of
Neufchatel and County of Valengin.

ART. I. His Majesty the King of Prussia consents to renounce in perpetuity, for himself, his heirs and successors, the Sovereign Rights over the Principality of Neufchatel and the County of Valengin, which are assigned to him by Article XXIII of the Treaty concluded at Vienna on the 9th of June, 1815 (No. 27).

Neufchatel to form part of Swiss Confederation.

ART. II. The State of Neufchatel, dependent henceforward on itself, shall continue to form part of the Swiss Confederation on the same footing as the other Cantons, and in conformity with Article LXXV of the aforesaid Treaty (No. 27).

[Neufchatel and Valengin.]

Swiss Confederation to pay Expenses of Events in 1856. Neufchatel to pay proportion as one of the Cantons.

ART. III. The Swiss Confederation undertakes all the expenses resulting from the events of September, 1856. The Canton of Neuchatel shall only be required to contribute to those charges as any other Canton, and according to the proportion of its money contingent.

Mode of Payment of Neufchatel Proportion.

ART. IV. The expenses to be borne by the Canton of Neufchatel shall be divided among all the inhabitants on the principle of an exact proportion, and shall not, by means of an exceptional impost, or in any other manner, be levied exclusively or principally upon one class or description of families or individuals.

Amnesty for all Offences.

ART. V. A full and complete Amnesty shall be proclaimed for all offences or infractions, civil or military, relating to the late events, and in favour of all the inhabitants of Neufchatel, whether Swiss or Foreigners, and specially in favour of those men of the militia who, by going abroad, evaded the obligation of bearing

arms.

No suit, whether criminal, or correctional for damages, shall be brought, either by the Canton of Neufchatel, or by any other corporation or person whatsoever, against those who took part, directly or indirectly, in the events of September.

The Amnesty shall equally extend to all political offences, and all offences of the Press, anterior to the events of September.

Revenues of Property of the Church.

ART. VI. The Revenues of the Property of the Church, which was in 1848 united to the domain of the State, shall not be diverted from their original destination.

Maintenance of Capital and Revenues of Religious and other

Institutions.

ART. VII. The Capital and the Revenues of Pious Foundations, of Private Institutions, of Public Utility, as well as the fortune bequeathed by the Baron de Pury to the Citizens of Neufchatel, shall be religiously respected; they shall be main

[Neufchatel and Valengin.]

tained in conformity with the intentions of the founders and with the deeds which established such foundations, and shall never be diverted from their object.

Ratifications.

ART. VIII. The present Treaty shall be ratified, and the Ratifications shall be exchanged in 21 days, or sooner if possible. The exchange shall take place at Paris.

In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the Seal of their Arms. Done at Paris, the 26th of May, 1857.

(L.S.) COWLEY.

(L.S.) HUBNER.
(L.S.) A. WALEWSKI.
(L.S.) C. M. D'HATZFELDT.
(L.S.) CTE. KISSELEFF.
(L.S.) KERN.

* Ratifications exchanged at Paris, 16th June, 1857.

[Bessarabian Frontier. Delta of Danube. Isle of Serpents.]

No. 282.-TREATY between Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia, Russia, Sardinia, and Turkey, relative to the Frontier in Bessarabia, the Isle of Serpents, and the Delta of the Danube. Signed at Paris, 19th June, 1857.

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Preamble. Reference to Treaty of 30th March, 1856.

1. Map of Frontier between Russia and Turkey in Bessarabia.

2. Islands at Mouths of the Danube to be under Sovereignty of Sultan of Turkey.

3. Turkish Sovereignty over Island of Serpents.

4. Maintenance by Turkey of Lighthouse on Island of Serpents.

5. Ratifications.

(Translation as laid before Parliament.*)

Reference to Treaty of 30th March, 1856.

THEIR Majesties the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Emperor of Austria, the Emperor of the French, the King of Prussia, the Emperor of All the Russias, the King of Sardinia, and the Emperor of the Ottomans, considering that the Boundary Commission charged with the execution of Article XX of the Treaty of Paris, of the 30th March, 1856 (No. 264), has terminated its labours, and desiring to act in conformity with the arrangements of the Protocol of the 6th of January last (No. 277), by recording in a Treaty the Modifications made by common consent in that Article, as well as the Resolutions adopted with regard to the Isle of Serpents and the Delta of the Danube, and contained in the same Protocol, have named as their Plenipotentiaries for that purpose, that is to say:

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Henry Richard Charles, Earl Cowley, Her Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the Emperor of the French, &c.;

His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, M. Joseph Alexander Baron de Hübner, and his Ambassador to His Majesty the Emperor of the French, &c.;

His Majesty the Emperor of the French, M. Alexandre Count For French Version, see "State Papers," vol. xlvii, p. 60.

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