à cette ligne collatérale de notre Famille Royale, ont été vidées de la manière la plus satisfaisante. Dès que cet heureux résultat, dû autant aux sentiments généreux et patriotiques de ces illustres personnages qu'à l'habileté de M. le Conseiller Intime des Conférences Dankwart, qui se trouvait chargé de cette commission délicate, a été porté à la connaissance de mon auguste Roi et Maître, Sa Majesté a donné son consentement aux démarches ultérieures que le Président de son Conseil, M. le Comte de Moltke, lui a proposées comme les plus propres pour acheminer l'heureuse solution de cette grave question. C'est ainsi que par suite de l'autorisation Royale, M. de Bülow à Francfort a reçu l'ordre de se rendre viâ Berlin à la résidence du Grand Duc d'Oldenbourg, pour lui porter la nouvelle de la renonciation de la Maison de Hesse à la Couronne de Danemarc et pour sonder par des ouvertures confidentielles à cet égard, les dispositions de la Cour Grand Ducale. Votre Excellence y verra, j'en suis sûr, avec une vive satisfaction, que mon Gouvernement par ces démarches est allé au-devant des vues et des avis que vous avez bien voulu lui faire exprimer à ce sujet par la voie d'une note que Sir Henry Wynn a remise à ma Cour en date du 26 Février dernier. Je saisis, &c. S.E. le Vicomte Palmerston, G.C.B. F. REVENTLOW. No. 16.-Sir H. Wynn to Viscount Palmerston.-(Rec. April 1.) MY LORD, Copenhagen, March 28, 1850. WITH respect to your Lordship's despatch, inclosing a note from Count Reventlow, and your Lordship's answer, on the question of the Succession, I have been informed by M. de Bille that Count Reventlow was only instructed to mention the subject confidentially to your Lordship, and that he had gone beyond the fact in saying that the indemnity to be given to the House of Hesse had been satisfactorily settled. M. de Bille said, that though, from the conciliatory tone of all the members of this collateral branch, he did not foresee any difficulty, still that matters had not yet assumed so determined a form as represented by Count Reventlow, nor could they until the sentiments of the Duke of Oldenburg were known, as it is from him that any indemnity must come. Your Lordship will have been informed by the Earl of Westmorland that Baron Bülow is gone to Oldenburg, and that a direct intercourse has thus at length been opened by the Duke. This I have always represented to Count Moltke and M. de Bille as being the first step to be taken, both as a mark of respect to the person most interested, and as on his concurrence the whole arrangement depended. I have, &c. Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B. H. W. WILLIAMS WYNN. No. 18.-The Duke of Holstein-Augustenburg to Viscount Palmerston. (Received June 3.) MILORD, Nienstädten près d'Altona, le 27 Mai, 1850. D'APRES ce que je viens d'apprendre, votre Excellence, de concert avec les Représentants d'autres Puissances, aurait pris en considération plus intime les questions pendantes entre le Royaume de Danemarc et les Duchés de Slesvig-Holstein, touchant les droits respectifs et les rapports mutuels des 2 pays. Je ne suis pas suffisamment informé des intentions de votre Excellence à cet égard, ou de la direction qu'elle a le dessein d'imprimer à toute cette affaire. Cependant je dois croire comme possible, qu'il ne s'agira pas seulement de la situation des Duchés à l'égard l'un de l'autre, et de la situation de ceux-ci vis-à-vis du Danemarc, mais aussi de la Succession future dans les 2 pays. Si cette supposition serait fondée, les droits qui m'appartiennent en ma double qualité d'agnat de la Maison d'Oldenbourg et de cognat de la Maison Régnante en Danemarc seraient probablement pris en considération. Sous ces rapports je me trouve d'autant plus obligé d'exprimer à votre Excellence mon espoir qu'elle ne permettra point que, sans un mandataire que je serais prêt d'envoyer à Londres, l'on agisse au détriment des droits de Succession d'une ancienne Maison Princière qui a l'honneur d'être proche parente de la Maison Royale de la Grande Bretagne. C'est parce que le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté la Reine d'Angleterre s'est interposé comme médiateur dans la question du Danemarc et des Duchés que j'ai cru qu'il était de mon devoir de m'adresser à votre Excellence. Recevez, &c. AUGUST, DUC DE HOLSTEIN-AUGUSTENBOURG. S.E. le Vicomte Palmerston, G.C.B. No. 19.-Viscount Palmerston to the Duke of Holstein-Augustenburg. MON PRINCE, Foreign Office, June 5, 1850. I HAVE had the honour to receive the letter which your Serene Highness addressed to me on the 27th ultimo, referring to the negotiations now carrying on for the settlement of the existing differences between His Majesty the King of Denmark and His Majesty's subjects. The Duke of Holstein-Augustenburg. I am, &c. PALMERSTON. No. 20.-Sir H. Wynn to Viscount Palmerston.-(Rec. June 10.) MY LORD, Copenhagen, June 6, 1850. THIS Government have been much concerned and embarrassed at the intelligence which your Lordship will have received of the Prussian Ministers having, on the strength of one of the stipulations of the Preliminaries, declined any engagements as to the Succession, and insisting on its being reserved for future decision by the Great Powers, after the signature of a definitive peace. This has naturally put a stop to the measures which I announced to your Lordship as in contemplation. The Danish Govern nent do not admit M. de Schleinitz's interpretation of the Preliminaries, which they say bound the King to refer the question of the Succession to the Great Powers after the signature, but did not debar him from bringing it forward immediately; and, in addition to this, they do not see with what justice Prussia can insist on one of the stipulations of a Treaty to which in other respects she does not consider herself as bound. I have, &c. Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B. H. W. WILLIAMS WYNN. No. 22-Mr. Magenis to Viscount Palmerston.-(Rec. June 24.) MY LORD, Vienna, June 18, 1850. I LEARN from Prince Schwarzenberg that he has received from London copy of the project of a Convention which had been discussed-if not as yet finally concluded-between your Lordship and the French and Russian Ministers in England, to regulate the Succession to the Throne, and to guarantee the integrity of the Danish Kingdom, as it is at present constituted. In answer to my inquiry whether he approved of that project, His Highness replied that he had instructed the Austrian Minister at Berlin, Baron Prokesch, to declare, in the event of its conclusion, that Austria had no objection to make to it ("n'y voyait pas de difficulté "). I have, &c. Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B. ARTHUR C. MAGENIS. No.23.-The Earl of Westmorland to Visc.Palmerston. (Rec.June24.) (Extract.) Berlin, June 20, 1850. I HAVE learned from Baron Prokesch that he has received an instruction from Prince Schwarzenberg as to the object of the Protocol respecting the eventual Succession to the Danish Monarchy. Prince Schwarzenberg when he wrote to Baron Prokesch had not received the formal application to become a party to that Protocol which has been transmitted to him on the part of the Danish Government by Baron Pechlin, but it would appear from his letter that if such an application was made to him he would not object to agree to it. Baron Prokesch has informed me that a few days ago Baron Schleinitz requested him to write to Prince Schwarzenberg to warn him against becoming a party to the Protocol which he understood had been drawn up in London, stating that it would militate against the free action of Germany as to the claims of the Agnates of the Danish Royal Family. Baron Prokesch considers the letter of Prince Schwarzenberg to be an evidence of the non-adhesion of the Prince to the recommendation of Baron Schleinitz. Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B. WESTMORLAND. No.24.-The Earl of Westmorland to Visc. Palmerston.-(Rec. June 27.) (Extract.) Berlin, June 24, 1850. I HAVE to report to your Lordship that at a Conference held at my house this day, called by the Danish Plenipotentiaries, their propositions for a final arrangement of the differences between Denmark and Prussia and Germany were brought forward. I forward to your Lordship a copy of a separate Article which relates to the future arrangement for the Succession to all the States which compose the Danish Monarchy. Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B. WESTMORLAND. (Inclosure.)-Separate Article produced at the 10th Conference by the Danish Plenipotentiaries. SA Majesté le Roi de Danemarc et Sa Majesté le Roi de Prusse venant de conclure la paix par le Traité signé aujourd'hui par les Plénipotentiaires respectifs, sont en même temps convenus de ce qui suit. Sa Majesté le Roi de Prusse se déclare disposé à coopérer à l'établissement d'un ordre de Succession commun pour tous les Etats réunis sous le sceptre de Sa Majesté Danoise, lorsque, par suite de l'Article IV des Préliminaires du 10 Juillet, 1849, Sa Majesté Danoise soumettra à ce sujet une proposition aux Grandes Puissances. La stipulation précédente sera ratifiée en même temps que le Traité de Paix signé aujourd'hui, et les ratifications en seront échangées à Berlin dans l'espace de 8 jours à dater du jour de la signature, ou plus tôt si faire se peut. No.25.-The Earl of Westmorland to Fisc1. Palmerston.-(Rec. July2.) (Extract.) Berlin, June 27, 1850. I HAVE recommended Baron Pechlin to consent to an alteration proposed by Baron Schleinitz in the separate Article which relates to the Succession, according to which the wording would be more conformable to Article IV of the Preliminary Treaty, and the word "coopérer" would be replaced by "prendre part." This alteration is required by Baron Schleinitz, in order that His Prussian Majesty may not engage himself to co-operate towards establishing "un ordre de Succession commun pour tous les Etats réunis sous le sceptre de Sa Majesté Danoise," until all the claims of the Agnates are satisfied, and the Duchies have consented to the arrangement the Danish Government may propose to them. I spoke to Baron Schleinitz upon this point, telling him I could not conceive how he could object to such an engagement, or how he could be otherwise than anxious to give his assistance towards securing the object of all the other great Powers of Europe by the maintenance of the integrity of the Danish Monarchy as at present existing; but he still maintained that Prussia could not at the present moment consent to be a party to such an arrangement, and that your Lordship was aware of it, as you had learnt it from the Chevalier Bunsen. Under these circumstances, and having received from Mr. Magenis the information that the Austrian Government would agree to the Protocol your Lordship had proposed upon this subject, I told Baron Pechlin I did not think he would be justified in putting an end to the negotiation, by refusing to agree to the alteration which was proposed to him. Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B. WESTMORLAND. No. 26.-The Chevalier Bunsen to Viscount Palmerston. MY DEAR PALMERSTON, 9, Carlton Terrace, July 3, 1850. LAST night, on my return from dinner, I found your note, inclosing the project of a Protocol on the Danish question. I have carefully considered the note, and I have examined again the highly important document it incloses. Having compared its contents and its bearing with my instructions, in the anxious wish to find myself able to comply with your summons, I deeply regret to be obliged to declare to you, without a moment's delay, that I am not at liberty to join in the Protocol. On the contrary, my instructions prescribe to me positively not to join in any protocol of this sort, previously agreed upon by the 3 non-Germanic Powers of Europe, in consequence of negotiations carried on, and commented upon even publicly between those Powers, without either Prussia or Austria or any German Govern ment and authority having been consulted or even as much as asked their opinion. Can it be overlooked that this Protocol has been kept studiously, and in spite of reiterated requests as far as Prussia is concerned, a secret to the German Powers? It is only on the 20th of last month that I have obtained a reading of it from you, and Lord Westmorland has not even made a confidential communication of its contents to the Prussian Government, whereas Sir Henry Wynn has communicated it a month ago to the Danish Government, who have transmitted it to their Envoy in London, by whom it has been communicated to the Cabinet of Vienna through Baron Koller. The document begins with introducing into the public law of Europe an entirely new expression not recognized by any Treaty, |