No. 4249. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Min. des Ausw. an Mr. Odo Russell in Versailles. Foreign Office, November 25, 1870. - Grossbrit., 1870. Sir, I have received and laid before the Queen and my col- No. 4249. leagues your telegrams of the 21st and 22nd instant reporting the results of 25. Novbr. your two conversations with Count Bismarck. In the former you state that Count Bismarck had expressed himself as taken by surprise by the Russian Circular; that he regretted it, but could not interfere or return an official answer to it at present; and that he showed the greatest anxiety to prevent the matter leading to hostilities. From the second it appears that his Excellency offers, with the consent of Her Majesty's Government, to take the initiative in proposing a Conference at St. Petersburgh, which he understands Prince Gortchakoff would be ready to accept; that he strongly recommends St. Petersburgh as the place of meeting with a view to the speedy settlement of the question; and begs that Her Majesty's Government, if they agree, will invite the French Government to join. I understand from you that his Excellency is not indisposed to a revision of the Treaty in a sense favourable to the views of Russia. ¶You will inform Count Bismarck of the pleasure with which Her Majesty's Government have learned that a communication which had made so painful an impression on themselves has not been received without surprise and regret by the Government of Prussia. It is with pleasure also that they recognize the desire shown by his Excellency to bring to a satisfactory issue the differences between Russia and the other Powers parties to the Treaty of 1856. ¶ Speaking for themselves, Her Majesty's Government have no objection to enter into a Conference for the purpose of considering any adequate statement of the grounds on which Russia may wish to bring before the co-signatary Powers a proposal for the revision of the Special Convention between herself and Turkey, annexed to and embodied in the Treaty of 1856. Her Majesty's ¶ Government could only join in such a Conference on the express understanding that it should be in no way prejudiced by any previous assumption as to the result of its deliberations.. They would, however, feel bound, in concert with the other Powers, to weigh with fairness and without bias any claims which Russia might advance and any proposals which she might make. As regards the place of meeting of the Conference, there seems to be an obvious objection to Count Bismarck's suggestion of St. Petersburgh, and equally so to Constantinople: the same reasons do not apply to Berlin; but, during the unhappy continuance of the present war, it would be impossible for France to send a Representative to the Prussian capital. Her Majesty's Government would be willing to accept Vienna, Florence, or London as the place of meeting; or, should it be thought preferable to choose the capital of some State which was not a party to the Treaty under Grossbrit., or No. 4249. discussion, they would consent to the selection of the Hague, Brussels, 25. Novbr. Berne. ¶ On hearing from you that Count Bismarck concurs in the views 1870. set forth above, I shall be ready to communicate with the French Government. ¶ I am, &c. Granville. No. 4250. Grossbrit., 1870. GROSSBRITANNIEN. No. 4250. Min. des Ausw. an Mr. Odo Russell in Versailles. Constatirung des Einverständnisses über die Conferenzbasis. Foreign Office, November 27, 1870. Sir, I received late last night your telegram announcing that 27. Novbr. Count Bismarck agreed to the basis laid down by Her Majesty's Government for the proposed Conference, and to London as the place of meeting, and that he would telegraph to St. Petersburgh and Florence accordingly. In compliance with his Excellency's request, conveyed in your telegram, I have communicated his assent to the Austrian and French Governments with a view to obtaining their concurrence in the Conference, and I will at once make a similar communication to the Porte. I have also informed Her Majesty's Representatives at St. Petersburgh, Berlin, and Florence of what has passed. I am, &c. Granville. No. 4251. No. 4251. Grossbrit., 1870. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Min. des Ausw. an den Botschafter in St. PetersUnterredung mit Baron Brunnow bei Uebergabe der Russischen Depesche vom 20. November 1870 [No. 4231]. burg. Foreign Office, November 28, 1870. Sir, Baron Brunnow read to me on the 25th instant, and gave 28. Novbr. me a copy of, the inclosed despatch from Prince Gortchakoff, in reply to my despatch to your Excellency of the 10th instant, on the subject of the denunciation by Russia of the Treaty arrangements of 1856 for the neutralization of the Black Sea. On receiving it I stated to his Excellency ¶ that I could not make any observations on it without consulting my colleagues, but that I should be glad to ask his Excellency a question as to a matter of fact. In the despatch it was stated that Russia would not have demanded anything better than to arrive at the result by an agreement with the Powers who signed the Treaty of 1856, but that all the attempts which had been made at different times to assemble the Powers in common deliberations, in order to avert the causes of the complications which disturb the general peace, had constantly failed. I asked Baron Brunnow whether he could tell me when Russia had made any propositions to this country for the revision of the Treaty of 1856. His Excellency answered that Russia had never I am, &c. Granville. No. 4251. Grossbrit., 28. Novbr. 1870. No. 4252. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Botschafter in Constantinopel an den Königl. Min. des Unterredung zwischen dem Grossvezier und General Ignatieff nach des Letzteren Rückkehr von St. Petersburg. Ausw. Therapia, November 20, 1870. Grossbrit., 1870. My Lord, - General Ignatieff returned to Constantinople late last No. 4252. night and called upon the Grand Vizier this morning. ¶ I saw his High- 20. Novbr. ness immediately afterwards, when he informed me that the Ambassador had spared no pains to induce him to take a favourable view of the step that had just been resorted to by his Government. The abrogation of the neutralization clause was the removal of the only impediment to the perfect understanding and cordiality of relations between Russia and Turkey, and after it there would no longer remain an "Eastern question" to threaten the repose of the world. The Emperor had felt that clause to be a blot upon his reign which he could not leave to his successor to wipe out, and the Porte ought to be sensible of his having abrogated it in the manner the least calculated to produce inconvenience. His Majesty might have demanded its repeal under a menace of extreme proceedings if it was refused, but he had abstained from placing the Porte in the embarrassing position which such a proceeding would have given rise to, and had confined himself to a simple declaration that he had resumed the natural sovereign Grossbrit., No. 4232. rights which, in 1856, he had consented to limit. His honour being 20. Novbr. satisfied by this step His Majesty had, General Ignatieff said, no intention 1870. at present of proceeding further by the creation of a fleet in the Black Sea. ¶ His language appears to have been very explicit as to there being positively no other subject connected with Turkey or with the Treaty of 1856 which Russia wished to agitate, and he expressed some surprise the Porte had not at once intimated its satisfaction at the announcement which had been made. ¶ Aali Pasha replied that he could not admit that any justification had been made out for a proceeding showing an entire disregard for the rights of all the parties to the Treaty of Paris, and which, apart from its own importance, formed a precedent most injurious to the prospects of future harmony, which depended so largely upon the faith which could be put in international engagements. ¶ Upon General Ignatieff protesting that it would certainly not be looked upon as a precedent by his Government, his Highness remarked that though he was, of course, glad to receive this assurance, he was not able to see how Russia could give him any security that other countries might not think themselves just as well entitled to repudiate the engagements which they had taken by the Treaty, and justify themselves by the example now set. More than this he could not say till he had time to consult the other Powers which, equally with the Porte, were parties to the Treaty thus summarily infringed. ¶ I have, &c. Henry Elliot. No. 4253. Grossbrit., 1870. GROSSBRITANNIEN. No. 4253. Botschafter in Constantinopel an den Königl. Min. des Ausw. Die Möglichkeit eines Ersatzes für die seitherige Neutralisation des Schwarzen Meeres. My Lord, Therapia, November 21, (Received December 1) 1870. 21. Novbr. Russia is stated to be ready to renew and confirm the general stipulations of the Treaty of 1856, or to substitute for it any other equitable arrangement calculated to secure the tranquillity of the East. ¶ An effectual substitute for the neutralization of the Black Sea will certainly not be found; but if it is come to an end, some fresh security might, perhaps, be found for Turkey by a slight modification of the engagements relative to the closing of the Straits of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles against ships of war of all nations. The maintenance of the rule for keeping them closed is of the utmost importance, and the proposal that has sometimes been made, and which would have the cheerful acquiescence of Russia, for throwing the Black Sea entirely open, has little to recommend it, and would find no favour with Aali Pasha. By the Treaty of Paris, as by that of 1841, the Sultan took upon himself an engagement, which all the Powers Grossbrit., 1870. agreed to respect, to keep the Straits closed against foreign ships of war No. 4253. "so long as the Porte was at peace." ¶ It appears to deserve full con- 21. Novbr. sideration whether, while maintaining the principle of keeping the Straits closed, some additional security might not be afforded to the Porte by allowing the Sultan to invite the fleets of his allies, when an exceptional emergency might seem to make their presence desirable. As the Treaty now stands, provided Turkey was not actually at war, the appearance of a foreign fleet in the Bosphorus would constitute an undoubted violation of it, and the Porte can have no protection against a coup de main beyond what is to be found in her own resources. If the Porte, however, were now to declare that, in consequence of the altered state of things produced by the proceedings of Russia, the Sultan, while resolved to maintain the rule for the exclusion of foreign ships of war from the Straits, held himself free "in case of emergency" to invite the fleets of his allies to enter them, and the different Parties to the Treaty were to recognize the right of the Porte under existing circumstances to make the change, a new and very important support would be afforded to Turkey, by securing her capital against a surprise. I threw the suggestion out in the course of conversation with Aali Pasha yesterday, telling him that I was entirely unaware whether it might meet your Lordship's approval, but that it seemed at least to deserve to be taken into consideration, and that I should be glad to know what he thought about it. His first impression seemed to be that it was not advisable to do anything to weaken the rule by which the Straits are kept closed; and if the modification were to have that effect, I agree with him in thinking that it had better not be attempted. ¶ An objection of some weight might, perhaps, be raised to following the pernicious example that has just been set, of modifying an International Treaty by the mere declaration of one of the Powers; but the assent of the others should be secured beforehand. I shall be glad to be informed of the opinion which Her Majesty's Government may form upon the subject; but, in the meantime, your Lordship may be satisfied that I shall not go further with the Porte than examine what may be said for and against this, or any other suggestion that is brought forward, as a means of in some degree counteracting the step that has been taken by Russia. ¶ I have, &c. Henry Elliot. GROSSBRITANNIEN. No. 4254. - Botschafter bei der Regierungsdelegation in Tours an den Minister des Ausw. Erste Eröffnung an die Französische Regierung über die beabsichtigte Conferenz in der Pontusfrage. Tours, November 28, (Received December 3) 1870. Grossbrit., My Lord, I had this morning the honour to receive your No. 4254. Lordship's telegram of yesterday, and, in obedience to the instructions 28. Novbr. 1870. XX. 1871. 10* |