Grossbrit., 1871. No. 4273. Delegation, in regard to the French nation being represented in the Conference. 6. Januar It is unnecessary that I should refer to the terms in which I have urged your Excellency to make known to the French Government the earnest desire entertained by that of Her Majesty that France should bear her part in any discussions which might take place upon a question of so much interest to all the Great Powers of Europe; and your Excellency has from time to time informed me of the views entertained by the French Government on this matter. The objections which have been entertained by the Delegation of the Government to sending a Representative to the Conference have been very frankly stated to your Excellency by Count de Chaudordy, in the various conversations which you have had with him upon this subject. Yielding, however, ultimately to the earnest wish expressed not only by Her Majesty's Government, but by other Powers who would be represented in the Conference, the Delegation of the Government ultimately gave in their adhesion to the proposal, subject to the assent of the Government at Paris, which Count de Chaudordy engaged to endeavour to obtain; and, on the 26th ultimo, Her Majesty's Government had the satisfaction of receiving your Excellency's telegram of the previous day, in which you reported that the Count de Chaudordy had communicated to you the desire expressed by M. Jules Favre to proceed himself to London to join the Conference; and M. de Chaudordy at the same time requested your Excellency to take steps to obtain, as soon as possible, a safe-conduct for M. Favre, and to request the Prussians to send it themselves into Paris. The steps which Her Majesty's Government have taken in order to bring about this object have already been made known to your Excellency, and it was therefore with some surprise and disappointment that I received from Count Bernstorff the communication of the telegram from Count Bismarck, which I recorded to your Excellency yesterday, to the effect that the supposition that M. Jules Favre was desirous of taking part in the Conference seemed to be based upon some misunderstanding; for that the American Minister had made inquiries of him and had written to say that M. Favre had no knowledge of the Conference, and did not intend to leave Paris, although the report of your Excellency's communication on this subject, recorded in your telegram of yesterday, would warrant the hope that M. Jules Favre's intentions may have been misunderstood, since it would appear that he was probably in ignorance, at the time. when the American Minister made his report, of all that had passed between Her Majesty's Government and the Delegation at Bordeaux in regard to the arrangements for the Conference. I have already instructed your Excellency to explain to the French Government the reasons for which they so sincerely desired the presence of a French Representative at the Conference, and it is the less necessary for me to recapitulate them here since they have been fully done justice to by the French Government themselves. Her Majesty's Government have all along deemed it of importance to the Provisional Government to be represented at the Conference, and they considered it very essential to the position which France should henceforth hold in Grossbrit., 6. Januar 1871. Europe to show that, even at a time of temporary defeat, she has not lost No. 4273. her interest in questions of European importance, and particularly in one. in which she herself is so closely concerned; and that she should bear in mind that although engaged in a fearful struggle, she is still the most powerful maritime power of the Continent. I should not have consented to enter the Conference unless France had been invited to attend; I took care to assure myself that her Representative would be treated with all the respect due to the Representative of a great nation; and I shall now take every care that any decision which may be come to, either in the form of a Declaration, or a Protocol, or a Convention, shall be left open for the ultimate adhesion of France, and I shall make a point of communicating with the Representative of France in London before and after each sitting of the Conference. etc. Granville. GROSSBRITANNIEN. träger in London. No. 4274. Min. des Ausw. an den Französischen Geschäfts- M. le Chargé d'Affaires, ferenz. No. 4274. Grossbrit., 1871. Foreign Office, January 12, 1871. I have the honour to acquaint you that I have severally invited the Plenipotentiaries of Austria, Italy, Prussia, 12. Januar Russia, and Turkey, now in this country, to meet at the Foreign Office on Tuesday next, the 17th instant, at 1 o'clock, to confer with the Representatives of the other Powers, parties to the Treaty signed at Paris on the 30th of March, 1856, respecting certain matters stipulated in that Treaty with respect to the neutralization of the Black Sea; and I trust that by that day a Plenipotentiary of the Government of National Defence, will be prepared to meet the Plenipotentiaries of the other Powers in Conference on that subject. I am, &c. Granville. - No. 4275. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Min. des Ausw. an den Königl. Botschafter bei der Regierungsdelegation in Bordeaux. Frankreichs Verlangen eines neuen Aufschubs der Conferenz; Unthunlichkeit der Willfahrung. My Lord, Foreign Office, January 15, 1871. -- Grossbrit., 1871. It would appear from your Excellency's telegram of No. 4275. last night that M. de Chaudordy has at last heard from M. Favre, who is 15. Januar prepared to come out of Paris to take part in the Conference, although averse to making any direct application to the Prussian authorities for a safe Grossbrit., 1871. No. 4275. conduct, which, however, he thinks he may perhaps obtain through the 15. Januar intervention of the United, States' Minister; and under those circumstances M. de Chaudordy suggests that the meeting of the Conference fixed for the 17th instant should be postponed. Upon consultation, however, with the Austrian and Turkish Representatives, we have come to the conclusion, and being aware of the opinion of the others, that it would be inexpedient to defer the first meeting of the Conference, which has been so long delayed, beyond the day at present fixed for it to be held, although no specific questions relating to the provisions of the Treaty of 1856 will be dealt with on that day. Her Majesty's Government hope that before the second meeting M. Favre will arrive, and that he will not allow any point of form as to the safe-conduct which has been offered to him to interfere with his arrival. ¶ But much misconstruction would be obviated if M. Tissot were authorized to attend the Conference on the first day of its meeting. ¶ I am, &c. Granville. No. 4276. Frankreich, 1871. No. 4276. FRANKREICH. Min. des Ausw. (Jules Favre) an den Königl. Grossbritannischen Min. des Ausw. Antwort auf No. 4270; vorläufige Ver hinderung, die Conferenz zu besuchen. Paris, le 10 Janvier, (Received January 17) 1871. M. le Comte, Je reçois seulement aujourd'hui, 10 Janvier, à 9 10. Januar heures du soir, par l'intermédiaire de M. le Ministre des Etats-Unis, la lettre que votre Excellence m'a fait l'honneur de m'écrire le 29 Décembre dernier, et par laquelle elle veut bien m'annoncer qu'elle a prié M. le Comte de Bernstorff de faire tenir à ma disposition le sauf-conduit qui m'est nécessaire pour franchir les lignes Prussiennes, et assister, comme Représentant de la France, à la Conférence qui doit s'ouvrir à Londres. ¶ Je remercie votre Excellence de cette communication et de l'obligeance qu'elle a mise à me faciliter l'accomplissement du devoir qui m'est imposé. Il m'est, toutefois, difficile de m'éloigner immédiatement de Paris, qui, depuis huit jours, est livré aux horreurs d'un bombardement exécuté sur sa population inoffensive, sans l'avertissement usité dans le droit des gens. Je ne me sens pas le droit d'abandonner mes concitoyens au moment où ils sont victimes de cette violence. D'ailleurs, les communications entre Paris et Londres sont, par le fait du Commandant-en-chef de l'armée assiégeante, si lentes et si incertaines que je ne puis, malgré mon bon vouloir, répondre à votre appel dans les termes de votre dépêche. Vous vouliez bien me faire connaitre que la Conférence se réunirait, le 3 Janvier, puis s'ajournerait probablement à une semaine. ¶ Prévenu le 10 au soir, je ne pouvais profiter de votre invitation en temps opportun. De plus, en me la faisant parvenir, M. le Comte de Bismarck n'y a pas joint un sauf-conduit cependant indispensable. Il demande qu'un officier Français se rende au quartier-général Prussien pour le chercher, se prévalant de réclamations qu'il aurait adressées à M. le Gou- No. 4276. Frankreich, 10. Januar verneur de Paris à l'occasion d'un fait dont un parlementaire aurait eu à se 1871. plaindre le 23 Décembre; et M. le Comte de Bismarck ajoute que, jusqu'à ce que satisfaction lui ait été donnée, le Commandant en chef Prussien interdit toute communication par parlementaire. Je n'examine point si une pareille résolution, contraire aux lois de la guerre, ne serait pas la négation absolue des droits supérieurs que la nécessité et l'humanité ont toujours fait maintenir au profit des belligérants. Je me contente de faire remarquer à votre Excellence que M. le Gouverneur de Paris s'est empressé d'ordonner une enquête sur le fait relevé par M. le Comte Bismarck, et, en le lui annonçant, il a porté à sa connaissance des faits de même nature beaucoup plus nombreux imputables à des sentinelles Prussiennes, sur lesquels cependant il n'avait jamais songé à s'appuyer pour interrompre les échanges de relations ordinaires. ¶ M. le Comte de Bismarck semble avoir admis, en partie au moins, la justesse de ces observations, puisque, aujourd'hui même, il charge M. le Ministre des Etats Unis de me faire savoir que, sous la réserve d'enquêtes respectives, il rétablit les relations par parlementaires. ¶ Il n'y a donc plus aucune nécessité à ce qu'un officier Français se rende au quartier-général Prussien, et je vais entrer en communication avec M. le Ministre des Etats Unis pour me faire remettre le sauf-conduit que vous avez bien voulu obtenir. Dès que j'aurai cette pièce entre les mains et que la situation de Paris me le permettra, je prendrai la route de Londres, sûr, à l'avance, de ne pas invoquer en vain, au nom de mon Gouvernement, les principes de droit et de morale que l'Europe a un si grand intérêt à faire respecter. Jules Favre. Veuillez, &c. No. 4277. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Min. des Ausw. an den Königl. Botschafter bei der Regierungsdelegation in Bordeaux. Bericht über das Stattfinden der ersten Conferenzsitzung; Unthunlichkeit längeren Wartens. Foreign Office, January 20, 1871. Grossbrit., 1871. My Lord, I received last night your Excellency's despatches No. 4277. from the 13th to the 16th instant, reporting your communications with M. 20. Januar de Chaudordy respecting the attendance of M. Jules Favre at the Conference, and the difficulties which delayed his leaving Paris for that purpose, and the urgent request of M. de Chaudordy that the meeting of the Conference should be postponed till M. Favre could reach London. In my despatch of the 6th January, and previous despatches on the same point, I fully entered into the questions bearing on the invitation addressed by Her Majesty's Government to the Government of National Defence to appoint a Plenipotentiary to attend the Conference, and into the steps taken by Her Majesty's Government to facilitate the departure of M. Favre from Paris. The difficulty which has arisen, partly on the side of Germany as to the No. 4277. Grossbrit., manner in which M. Favre should obtain a safe-conduct, partly on the side 20. Januar of M. Favre himself in first declining to apply for one, though informed 1871. that it would be given, and more recently in his honourable disinclination to come out of Paris when it was under the pressure of a bombardment, is well known, and has been matter of the sincerest regret to Her Majesty's Government. ¶ But, on the other hand, the question to be debated in Conference was one of a most pressing character, and which might involve serious consequences to a large part of Europe, and I have been urged in the strongest manner by the Plenipotentiaries of Turkey and of the other Powers not to postpone any longer its consideration with a view to its being settled. M. de Chaudordy is well aware of my having provided from the beginning that any Plenipotentiary who might be sent by France should, notwithstanding the provisional character of the Government of which he was the organ, be treated in every way with the respect due to the nation of which he would be the Representative; and he is also aware that, in all matters relating to the Conference, as indeed in all other matters, I have communicated freely and unreservedly with the French Chargé d'Affaires, who was thus enabled to supplement the communications made by your Excellency at Bordeaux by explanations received directly from myself in London. ¶ I need scarcely say with what satisfaction Her Majesty's Government would have hailed the presence of M. Favre in London, to assist with his counsels the solution of a question in which France is much interested, and for the due adjustment of which she has made great sacrifices. But your Excellency will not disguise from M. de Chaudordy the opinion of Her Majesty's Government that if, for whatever reason, M. Favre found himself prevented from attending the Conference in person, he could have had no difficulty in naming some one to supply his place. It surely cannot be maintained that no other person could be found in France qualified to represent her interests and maintain her cause on such an occasion, though it be admitted that none might be able to perform the duty with as great propriety and advantage as the person in charge of the foreign affairs of the country. The Conference, as your Excellency is aware, met for the first time on the 17th. They deferred going into the question of the conditions of the Treaty of Paris until the 24th instant, and they hoped M. Favre might in the meantime reach London. From the tenor of M. de Chaudordy's language to your Excellency, as repeated in the despatches which I now acknowledge, I cannot but apprehend the disappointment of our hope; but it is impossible for me, in the uncertainty which now exists as to the time at which M. Favre can arrive in London, to propose a further adjournment of the Conference, and all that I can do is to take care that the French Chargé d'Affaires is in a position to keep his Government fully informed of all that passes in the Conference, in the hope that France, even if no person representing her should arrive during our sittings, will eventually see reason to concur in the decisions to which we may come. ན། I required of the Plenipotentiaries assembled on the 17th instant that, notwithstanding |