[Integrity of Sweden and Norway.]

No. 262.-TREATY between Great Britain, France, and Sweden and Norway. Signed at Stockholm, 21st November, 1855.

Preamble. Balance of Power in Europe.

1. Sweden not to make any Territorial Cessions, or confer any Rights of Pasturage, &c., to Russia, in Sweden and Norway.

2. Co-operation of Great Britain and France to resist Pretensions or Aggressions of Russia.

3. Ratifications.

(Translation as laid before Parliament.*)

Balance of Power in Europe.

HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, His Majesty the Emperor of the French, and His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, being anxious to avert any complication which might disturb the existing Balance of Power in Europe, have resolved to come to an understanding with a view to secure the integrity of the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and have named as their Plenipotentiaries to conclude a Treaty for that purpose, that is to say:

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Arthur Charles Magenis, Esquire, her Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway;

His Majesty the Emperor of the French, the Sieur Charles Victor Lobstein, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, &c.;

And His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, the Sieur Gustavus Nicholas Algernon Adolphus Baron de Stierneld, his Minister of State and for Foreign Affairs, &c., &c., &c.;

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective Full Powers, found in good and due form, have agreed as follows:

Sweden not to make any Territorial Cessions or confer any Rights of Pasturage, &c., to Russia, in Sweden and Norway.

ART. I. His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway engages not to cede to nor to exchange with Russia, nor to permit her to occupy, any part of the Territories belonging to * For French version, see "State Papers," vol. xlv, p. 33.

[Integrity of Sweden and Norway.]

the Crowns of Sweden and Norway. His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway engages, further, not to cede to Russia any Right of Pasturage, of Fishery, or of any other nature whatsoever, either on the said Territories or upon the Coasts of Sweden and Norway, and to resist any pretension which may be put forward by Russia with a view to establish the existence of any of the Rights aforesaid.

Co-operation of Great Britain and France to resist Pretensions or Aggressions of Russia.

ART. II. In case Russia should make to His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway any Proposal or Demand having for its object to obtain either the Cession or the Exchange of any part whatsoever of the Territories belonging to the Crowns of Sweden and Norway, or the power of occupying certain points of the said Territories, or the Cession of Rights of Fishery, of Pasturage, or of any other Right upon the said Territories and upon the Coasts of Sweden and Norway, His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway engages forthwith to communicate such Proposal or Demand to Her Britannic Majesty and His Majesty the Emperor of the French; and their said Majesties, on their part, engage to furnish to His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway sufficient Naval and Military Forces to Co-operate with the Naval and Military Forces of His said Majesty, for the purpose of resisting the Pretensions or Aggressions of Russia. The description, number, and destination of such forces shall, if occasion should arise, be determined by common agreement between the 3 Powers.

Ratifications.

ART. III. The present Treaty shall be ratified, and the Ratifications shall be exchanged at Stockholm as soon as possible.

In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the Seal of their Arms.

Done at Stockholm, the 21st of November, in the year of Our Lord, 1855.

(L.S.) ARTHUR C. MAGENIS.

(L.S.) VOR. LOBSTEIN.

(L.S.) STIERNELD.

* Ratifications exchanged at Stockholm, 21st December, 1855.

[Hatti-Humaïoun. Christian Privileges, &c.]

No. 263.-FIRMAN and Hatti-Sheriff of the Sultan, relative to Privileges and Reforms in Turkey. 18th February, 1856.

[This is the Firman referred to in the Treaty of Peace signed at Paris, 30th March, 1856, Art. IX, No. 264.].

(Translation.*)

LET it be done as herein set forth.

To you, my Grand Vizier, Mehemed Emin Aali Pasha, decorated with my Imperial Order of the Medjidiyé of the first class, and with the Order of Personal Merit; may God grant to you greatness, and increase your power!

It has always been my most earnest desire to insure the happiness of all classes of the subjects whom Divine Providence has placed under my Imperial Sceptre, and since my accession to the Throne I have not ceased to direct all my efforts to the attainment of that end.

Thanks to the Almighty, these unceasing efforts have already been productive of numerous useful results. From day to day the happiness of the Nation and the wealth of my Dominions go on augmenting.

It being now my desire to renew and enlarge still more the new Institutions ordained with the view of establishing a state of things conformable with the dignity of my Empire and the position which it occupies among civilized Nations, and the rights of my Empire having, by the fidelity and praiseworthy efforts of all my subjects, and by the kind and friendly assistance of the Great Powers, my noble Allies, received from abroad a confirmation which will be the commencement of a new era, it is my desire to augment its well-being and prosperity, to effect the happiness of all my subjects, who in my sight are all equal, and equally dear to me, and who are united to each other by the cordial ties of patriotism, and to insure the means of daily increasing the prosperity of my Empire.

I have therefore resolved upon, and I order the execution of the following measures.

The guarantees promised on our part by the Hatti-Humaïoun

For French version, see "State Papers," vol. xlvii, p. 136.

[Hatti-Humaïoun.

Christian Privileges, &c.]

of Gulhané (No. 188), and in conformity with the Tanzimat, to all the subjects of my Empire, without distinction of classes or of Religion, for the security of their persons and property and the preservation of their honour, are to-day confirmed and consolidated, and efficacious measures shall be taken in order that they may have their full and entire effect.

All the Privileges and Spiritual Immunities granted by my ancestors ab antiquo, and at subsequent dates, to all Christian communities or other non-Mussulman persuasions established in my Empire under my protection, shall be confirmed and maintained.

Every Christian or other non-Mussulman community shall be bound, within a fixed period, and with the concurrence of a Commission composed ad hoc of members of its own body, to proceed, with my high approbation and under the inspection of my Sublime Porte, to examine into its actual Immunities and Privileges, and to discuss and submit to my Sublime Porte the Reforms required by the progress of civilization and of the age. The powers conceded to the Christian Patriarchs and Bishops by the Sultan Mahomet II and his successors, shall be made to harmonize with the new position which my generous and beneficent intentions insure to these communities.

The principle of nominating the Patriarchs for life, after the revision of the rules of election now in force, shall be exactly carried out, conformably to the tenor of their Firmans of Investiture.

The Patriarchs, Metropolitans, Archbishops, Bishops, and Rabbins shall take an oath on their entrance into office according to a form agreed upon in common by my Sublime Porte and the spiritual heads of the different religious communities. The ecclesiastical dues, of whatever sort or nature they be, shall be abolished and re; laced by fixed revenues of the Patriarchs and heads of communities, and by the allocation of allowances and salaries equitably proportioned to the importance, the rank, and the dignity of the different members of the Clergy.

The Property, real or personal, of the different Christian Ecclesiastics shall remain intact; the Temporal Administration of the Christian or other non-Mussulman communities shall, however, be placed under the safeguard of an Assembly to be chosen from among the members, both ecclesiastics and laymen, of the said communities.

[Hatti-Humaïoun. Christian Privileges, &c.]

In the towns, small boroughs, and villages, where the whole population is of the same Religion, no obstacle shall be offered to the repair, according to their original plan, of buildings set apart for Religious Worship, for Schools, for Hospitals, and for Cemeteries.

The plans of these different buildings, in case of their new erection, must, after having been approved by the Patriarchs or heads of communities, be submitted to my Sublime Porte, which will approve of them by my Imperial order, or make known its observations upon them within a certain time.

Each Sect, in localities where there are no other Religious Denominations, shall be free from every species of restraint as regards the public exercise of its Religion.

In the towns, small boroughs, and villages where different sects are mingled together, each community, inhabiting a distinct quarter, shall, by conforming to the above-mentioned ordinances, have equal power to repair and improve its Churches, its Hospitals, its Schools, and its Cemeteries. When there is question of the erection of new buildings, the necessary authority must be asked for through the medium of the Patriarchs and heads of communities from my Sublime Porte, which will pronounce a Sovereign decision according that authority, except in the case of administrative obstacles. The intervention of the administrative authority in all measures of this nature will be entirely gratuitous. My Sublime Porte will take energetic measures to ensure to each sect, whatever be the number of its adherents, entire Freedom in the exercise of its Religion.

Every distinction or designation tending to make any class whatever of the subjects of my Empire inferior to another class, on account of their Religion, Language, or Race, shall be for ever effaced from the Administrative Protocol. The laws shall be put in force against the use of any injurious or offensive term, either among private individuals or on the part of the authorities.

As all forms of Religion are and shall be freely professed in my dominions, no subject of my Empire shall be hindered in the exercise of the Religion that he professes, nor shall be in any way annoyed on this account. No one shall be compelled to change their Religion.

The nomination and choice of all Functionaries and other Employés of my Empire being wholly dependent upon my Sovereign will, all the subjects of my Empire, without distinc