[Religion. Naturalization.] § 3. Naturalization can only be granted by law and individually. § 4. A special law shall regulate the conditions under which foreigners may establish their domicile in Roumania. § 5. Roumanian subjects, either by birth or by naturalization, shall be entitled to acquire rural property ("des immeubles ruraux") in Roumania. Acquired rights shall be respected. All international Conventions actually existing remain in force with all their stipulations, and until the time for which they have been concluded shall have expired. [The alteration thus made in the Roumanian Constitution was promulgated by a Decree dated 25th October, 1879.] [Bulgarian Boundary. Bridge over Danube near Silistria.] No. 558.-PROCÈS-VERBAUX of the Meetings of the Commissioners of Great Britain, Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Turkey, respecting the Bulgarian Frontier and the proposed Bridge over the Danube, near Silistria,* in accordance with Articles II and XLVI of the Treaty of Berlin (No. 530). 27th October 11th November, 1879.† ABSTRACT OF PROCÈS-VERBAUX. No. 1. Election of President and Officers of Secretariat. Questions to be decided by a majority of votes; unanimity not necessary. Roumanian Representatives. Decision to admit them whenever the Commission are taking information, but not when deliberating. Petition from Bulgarian subjects in Silistria, respecting inconveniences of proposed Frontier (Annex). No. 2. Silistria, 27th October, 1879. Arrival of General Struve, Commissioner for Russia. Discussion as to Duties of Commission. Commission cannot receive Petition of Silistrian Population. Admission of Bulgarian Delegates declared to be unnecessary. Discussion as to site of Bridge over Danube. Memorandum by Roumanian Delegates (Annex). Silistria, 28th October, 1879. No. 3. Account of explorations of Commission, from 29th to 31st October. Further discussion with regard to admission of Bulgarian Delegates, consequent upon Instructions received by Commissioners from their respective Governments. Motion in favour of admission of M. Antonovitch, a Bulgarian Delegate, carried. His introduction to Commission. Discussion on Bridge question. Commission refuse to admit Deputations from Silistria and Almali. Wishes of Deputations to be interpreted through M. See Exchange of Notes, August-September, 1880, No. 577. + The Commissioners were For Great Britain: {Captain Sale. Turkey: Lieut. Caillard (Assistant). Major Heyde. Colonel Jaeger. M. Lalanne. Major de Sponzilli. General Struve. M. Karischeff (Assistant). General Yahya Pasha. {M. Gabriel Effendi (Noradounghian) (Assistant). For the full text of these Procès-Verbaux, in the French language, see "Parliamentary Paper," Turkey, No. 2 (1880), pages 417 to 449. [Bulgarian Boundary. Bridge over Danube near Silistria.] No. 4. No. 5. No. 6. No. 7. Karamihailoff. Note by General Struve respecting Passage of Silistria, 1st November, 1879. Memorandum presented by Roumanian Delegate respecting Bridge (Annex), also by Bulgarian Delegate (Annex). Questions respecting Kalarache embankment. Commission decide that the motion upon Bridge question shall be as to possibility of the construction of a Bridge over the Danube upon the site indicated by Russian Commissioner, and as to which of the following two sites is preferable: Cioroiu-Kanlia, proposed by Russian Commissioner, or Silistria-Kalarache, chosen by Bulgarian Boundary Commission. Commission to proceed to Bucharest. Silistria, 3rd November, 1879. Motion at last Sitting respecting site of Bridge formulated. All except Russian Commissioner declare in favour of that at Silistria-Kalarache. Commission decide to insert in the l'rocèsVerbal of a later Sitting the Notes written by the several Commissioners on the subject of the site of the Bridge. Bucharest, 5th November, 1879. Adoption, with slight modifications, of Procès-Verbaux Nos. 4 and 5. Statement respecting Plain of Kalarache. Exception taken by British Commissioner to plan of Kitchiu-Kalarache embankment. Observation by President that the Procès-Verbaux of the Sittings are the only documents of which the Commission are able to recognize the authenticity. Bucharest, 9th November, 1879. Notes written by Commissioners respecting site of Bridge are read. Observation by Russian Commissioner respecting navigation of the Borcia. Commission express thanks to President and Secretariat, and proceedings are closed. Bucharest, 11th November, 1879. [Turco-Greek Boundary. Constantinople Conferences.] No. 559.-PROTOCOLS OF CONFERENCES between the Plenipotentiaries of Greece* and Turkey, respecting the Rectification of the Greek Frontier. Constantinople, 22nd August-17th November, 1879. No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. ABSTRACT OF PROTOCOLS. Appointment of Secretaries, &c. Greek declaration calling upon the Porte to accept the 13th Protocol of the Berlin Congress (No. 526) as the basis of the negotiation. Constantinople, 22nd August, 1879. Ottoman declaration respecting the situation, and statement to the effect that the indications of Protocol 13 are not considered by the Powers as obligatory upon Turkey, but that the terms of the Protocol will be accepted as a first basis of negotiation, provided that either party be allowed to modify the clauses referring to the extreme points of the proposed line of frontier. Greek Plenipotentiaries press for a clear reply to the request made at the first meeting. Turkish Plenipotentiary points out that two misunderstandings exist on the subject of the rectification of the frontier; the first being the pretended obligatory character of the award (avis) expressed by the Powers at Berlin (No. 569); the second, the belief that the Powers have designated two extreme points of the future tracing, one on the Egean Sea, the other on the Ionian Sea. Greek Plenipotentiary accepts the declaration ad referendum. Constantinople, 31st August, 1879. Greek declaration and renewed demand for an answer to the proposal for a basis of negotiation. Discussion respecting the indications of the 13th Protocol of the Berlin Congress (No. 526). Attempt to enter upon the discussion of the practical side of the question, that is to say, of the points of departure of the new frontier line. Question as to obligatory character of Protocol 13 again brought on. No understanding being arrived at, the Ottoman Plenipotentiaries decide to give a written reply at next meeting to Greek declaration. Constantinople, 6th September, 1879. * The Greek Plenipotentiaries were :— A. G. Coundouriotis, Braïlas Arméni, Panos Colocotronis. The Turkish Plenipotentiaries were: Safvet Pasha, Sawas Pasha, Ali Saïb Pasha. [Turco-Greek Boundary. Constantinople Conferences.] PROTOCOL. No. 5. No. 6. No. 7. No. 8. No. 9. Ottoman counter-declaration read reviewing the position of affairs. Lengthy discussion respecting the basis of negotiations. No agreement arrived at. Further Ottoman declaration proposed for the acceptance of the Greek Plenipotentiaries to the effect that the latter are disposed to consider the indications of Protocol 13 of the Berlin Congress (No. 526) as susceptible of discussion and modification. Greek Plenipotentiaries accept the declaration ad referendum. Constantinople, 10th September, 1879. Greek Government reject Ottoman declaration made at the end of the last meeting. New Greek declaration approved by AustriaHungary, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia, that the two parties accept as point of departure of the new frontier line and as the basis of discussion, the indications of Protocol 13 (No. 526). Ottoman Plenipotentiaries willing to accept it with the necessary explanations, but these their Greek colleagues refuse. Ottoman Plenipotentiaries state their readiness to take as first basis of discussion the geographical indications of Protocol 13. Greek Plenipotentiaries refuse to proceed with the discussion, but will refer to their Government the last statement of their Ottoman colleagues. Constantinople, 5th October, 1879. Greek Plenipotentiaries request their Ottoman colleagues to make known the tracing of the frontier that they would propose. Ottoman Plenipotentiaries think that it would be useless to discuss any frontier line other than the general line of the valleys of Calamas and Peneus. Greek Plenipotentiaries refuse to begin the discussion, and urge their Ottoman colleagues to explain in what manner they regard that line. Ottoman Plenipotentiaries persist in the view that their Hellenic colleagues should take the initiative. Discussion adjourned. Constantinople, 18th October, 1879. Turkish and Greek declarations respecting new frontier line read. Greek declaration follows the indications of Protocol 13 of the Berlin Congress (No. 526). Constantinople, 24th October, 1879. Lengthy discussion with regard to the declarations made at last Sitting. Ottoman Plenipotentiaries affirm that the Greek tracing of the frontier-line does not correspond with the indications of Protocol 13. Constantinople, 29th October, 1879. Greek Plenipotentiary reads a memorandum giving details of, and reasons for adopting the tracing proposed at the preceding Sitting. Ottoman memorandum read demonstrating the inadmissibility of the Greek tracing, which is quite opposed to the indications of Protocol 13, and making known the line traced upon the southern heights of the valleys of Calamas and Peneus, which the Ottoman Plenipotentiaries consider to be more in accordance with the terms of that Protocol. Greek Pleni |