[War. Russia and Turkey, &c.] Invitation to Prussia to accede to Convention. ART. VI. Great Britain, Austria, and France will jointly communicate the present Treaty to the Court of Prussia, and will with satisfaction receive its Accession thereto, in case it should promise its co-operation for the accomplishment of the common object.* Ratifications. ART. VII. The present Treaty shall be ratified, and the Ratifications shall be exchanged at Vienna in the space of a fortnight. In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the Seal of their Arms. Done at Vienna, the 2nd of December, in the year of Our Lord, 1854. (L.S.) WESTMORLAND. (L.S.) BUOL-SCHAUENSTEIN.. (L.S.) BOURQUENEY. * Prussia did not accede to this Treaty. Conferences on the Eastern Question were held at Vienna between the Plenipotentiaries of Great Britain, Austria, France, Russia, and Turkey, from the 15th March till the 26th April, 1855; and at the sitting of the 17th March, deep regret was expressed at Prussia not being represented in the Conferences. Prussia, however, took part in the Conferences held at Paris in 1856. [War with Russia. Eastern Question.] No. 253.-MEMORANDUM presented by Great Britain, Austria, and France, to Russia, containing the Bases of Conferences on the Eastern Question. 28th December, 1854. TABLE. Moldavia, Wallachia, and Servia. Black Sea. Christian Subjects of the Porte. (Translation as laid before Parliament.*) In order to determine the sense which their Governments attach to each of the principles contained in the 4 Articles, and reserving to themselves, moreover, as they have always done, the power to put forward such Special Conditions as may appear to them required, beyond the 4 Guarantees, by the general interests of Europe, to prevent the recurrence of the late complications, the Representatives of Austria, France, and Great Britain declare: Moldavia, Wallachia, and Servia. 1. That their Governments, concurring in the opinion that it was necessary to abolish the exclusive Protectorate exercised by Russia over Moldavia, Wallachia, and Servia, and henceforward to place under the Collective Guarantee of the 5 Powers the Privileges accorded by the Sultans to the Principalities dependencies of their Empire, have considered and do consider that none of the stipulations of the ancient Treaties of Russia with the Porte, relative to the said Provinces, should be revived at the Peace, and that the arrangements to be concluded on the subject of them should be ultimately combined so as to give full and entire effect to the Rights of the Suzerain Power, to those of the 3 Principalities, and to the general interests of Europe. Navigation of the Danube. 2. To give to the freedom of Navigation of the Danube all the development of which it is susceptible, it would be desirable that *For French version, see "State Papers," vol. xlv, p. 53. the course of the Lower Danube, beginning from the point where it becomes common to the two River-bordering States, should be withdrawn from the Territorial Jurisdiction existing in virtue of Article III of the Treaty of Adrianople. In every case the Free Navigation of the Danube could not be secured if it be not placed under the control of a Syndicate authority, invested with powers necessary to destroy the obstructions existing at the Mouths of that River, or which may hereafter be formed there. Black Sea. 3. The revision of the Treaty of 13th July, 1841 (No. 193), must have for its object to connect the existence of the Ottoman Empire more completely with the European equilibrium, and to put an end to the preponderance of Russia in the Black Sea. As to the arrangements to be taken in this respect, they depend too directly on the events of the War for it to be possible at present to determine the bases: it is sufficient to point out the principle. Christian Subjects of the Porte. 4. Russia, in renouncing the pretension to take under an official Protectorate the Christian Subjects of the Sultan of the Oriental ritual, equally renounces, as a natural consequence, the revival of any of the Articles of her former Treaties, and especially of the Treaty of Koutchouk-Kainardji, the erroneous interpretation of which has been the principal cause of the present War. In affording their mutual co-operation to obtain from the initiative of the Ottoman Government the confirmation and the observance of the Religious Privileges of the different Christian communities, without distinction of sect, and conjointly turning to account, in the interest of the said communities, the generous intentions manifested in respect to them by His Majesty, the Sultan, they will take the greatest care to preserve from all attack the dignity of His Highness and the Independence of his Crown. [War with Russia.] No. 254.-CONVENTION between Great Britain and France, relative to Supplies to be furnished to the Turkish Army. Signed at London, 24th January, 1855. 1. Supplies to be furnished in equal Proportions during the War. 2. Accounts of Supplies to be made up every 3 months. 3. Repayments to be made by Consuls-General in London and Paris. 4. Ratifications.* (English Version as laid before Parliament.†) HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the Emperor of the French, being desirous to divide equally between their respective Governments the expense of the supplies which the Allied Armies in the Crimea have already furnished, or may hereafter furnish, to the Turkish Army, have named as their Plenipotentiaries to conclude a Convention for that purpose, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable George William Frederick, Earl of Clarendon, Baron Hyde of Hindon, a Peer of the United Kingdom, Her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, &c.; And His Majesty the Emperor of the French, the Sieur Alexander Colonna, Count Walewski, his Ambassador to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; Who, after having communicated to each other their Full Powers, found in due form, have agreed upon the following Articles : ARTS. I to IV. (See Table.) Done at London, the 24th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, 1855. (L.S.) CLARENDON. * Ratifications exchanged at London, 28th February, 1855. + For French version, see "State Papers," vol. xlv, p. 3. [War with Russia.] No. 255.-MILITARY CONVENTION between Great Britain, France, and Sardinia. Signed at Turin, 26th January, 1855. Preamble. Reference to Treaty of 10th April, 1854. 1. Sardinia to furnish 15,000 Men for requirements of the War. 2. Troops to depart as soon as possible. 3. Troops to be composed of Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery. 4. Necessary Reinforcements to be sent to keep up Number of Men. 5. Sardinian Government to provide for the Pay and Subsistence of its Troops. 6. Guarantee of Integrity of Sardinia during the War. 7. Ratifications. (Translation as laid before Parliament.†) Reference to Treaty of 10th April, 1854. His Majesty the King of Sardinia having acceded to the Treaty of Alliance concluded and signed at London on the 10th of April, 1854 (No. 244), between their Majesties the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Emperor of the French, and having engaged to concert, when necessary, with their said Majesties for the purpose of proceeding, conformably to Article II of the Treaty of the 10th of April, to the conclusion of the arrangements of detail which shall regulate the employment of his Land and Sea Forces, and determine the conditions and mode of their Co-operation with those of Great Britain and of France; their Majesties the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Emperor of the French, and the King of Sardinia, have in consequence resolved to conclude a Military Convention destined to regulate the conditions and the mode of the Co-operation of the Sardinian troops with those of Great Britain and of France, and have named for that purpose as their Plenipotentiaries: Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, James Hudson, Esquire, her Envoy Extra *Ratifications exchanged at Turin, 4th March, 1855. + For French version, see "State Papers," vol. xlv, p. 46. |