4. By the Treaty of Bucharest, 1826.

Article VII. §§ 1 and 3. Special attention is called and confirmation given to the provisions of the above-cited 31st to 35th Articles of the Treaty of Commerce, 1783.

By the Treaty of Ackerman, 1827, provision is thus made in Article 7, § 4, for further extending the liberty of entering the Black Sea.

Article VII, § 4. The Sublime Porte will accept the good offices of the Imperial Russian Court in granting, in accordance with former precedents, the entrance of the Black Sea to vessels of Powers friendly to the Ottoman Government which have not as yet obtained that privilege, so that the import trade of Russian produce by means of these vessels, and the export of Russian produce on board of them, may not be subject to any impediment.

5. Treaty of Adrianople, 1829.

Article VII. provides, that Russian subjects shall enjoy throughout the whole extent of the Ottoman Empire as well by land as by sea the full and entire freedom of trade secured to them by the Treaties concluded heretofore. This freedom of trade shall not be molested in any way nor fettered in any case or under any pretext by any prohibition. It also confirms most carefully and fully all the privileges heretofore accorded, and grants free and open passage through the Straits of Constantinople and the Bosphorus to Russian vessels under the merchant flag laden or in ballast, whether coming from the Black Sea for the purpose of entering the Mediterranean, or whether coming from the Mediterranean for the purpose of entering the Black Sea. By this Article the Straits of Constantinople and the Dardanelles are also declared free and open to the merchant-ships of Powers at peace with the Porte, and it winds up thus: "And if, which God forbid, any of the stipulations contained in the present Article should be infringed, and the reclamation of the Russian minister on that subject should not obtain a full and prompt satisfaction, the Sublime Porte recognizes beforehand the right in the Imperial Court of Russia to consider such an infraction as an act of hostility, and immediately to retaliate on the Ottoman Empire."

6. By the Treaty of Commerce, Constantinople, 1846.

Article I. specially confirms all Treaties and Stipulations already existing relating to the rights, privileges, and immunities accorded to Russian subjects and vessels in Turkey, especially the Treaty of Commerce, 1783, and Article 7 of the Treaty of Adrianople.

Article VII. declares that the Sublime Porte confirms in every respect the liberty of transit accorded by preceding

Treaties to Russian goods and to Russian merchant-vessels traversing the Straits of Constantinople and the Dardanelles, in order to pass from the Black Sea to the White Sea, and vice versa. În the event of there being any necessity to unload goods destined for other than Turkish places, and warehouse them for a time, the intention however being to resume and continue their transit, on notice of these facts, and of such intention to the Custom-house authorities (at the place of such temporary unloading), no charge or duty shall be made upon or against them.

7. Treaty of Paris, 1856.

Article X. The Convention of 13th July, 1841, which maintains the ancient rule of the Ottoman Empire relative to the closing of the Straits of the Bosphorus and of the Dardanelles, has been revised by common consent.

The Act concluded for that purpose, and in conformity with that principle between the High Contracting Powers, is and remains annexed to the present Treaty, and shall have the same force and validity as if it formed an integral part thereof. Here follow the Articles of the said Act.

Article I. The High Contracting Parties mutually engage not to have in the Black Sea any other vessels of war than those of which the number, the force and the dimensions are hereinafter stipulated.

Article II. The High Contracting Parties reserve to themselves each to maintain in that sea six steam-vessels of fifty metres in length at the line of floatation of a tonnage of 800 tons at the maximum, and four light steam or sailing vessels of a tonnage which shall not exceed 200 tons each.

Article XI. The Black Sea is neutralized, its waters and its ports thrown open to the mercantile marine of every nation, are formally and in perpetuity interdicted to the flag of war either of the Powers possessing its coasts, or of any other Power, with the exceptions mentioned in Articles XIV. and XIX. of this Treaty1.

Article XII. Free from any impediment, the commerce in the ports and waters of the Black Sea shall be subject only to regulations of health, customs, and police, framed in a spirit favourable to the development of commercial transactions.

1 XIV. relates to a separate Convention between the Emperor of Russia and the Sultan, for the purpose of settling the force and number of light vessels to be maintained in the Black Sea.

XIX. provides for the right of each of the contracting Powers to station two light vessels at the mouth of the Danube at all times.

In order to afford to the commercial and maritime interests of every nation the security which is desired, Russia and the Sublime Porte will admit Consuls into their ports situated upon the coasts of the Black Sea, in conformity with the principles of international law.

Article XIII. The Black Sea being neutralized according to the terms of Article XI. the maintenance or establishment upon its coast of military-maritime arsenals becomes alike unnecessary and purposeless; in consequence. His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias and His Imperial Majesty the Sultan engage not to establish or to maintain upon that coast any military-maritime arsenal.

8. Treaty of London, 1871.

Article I. The Black Sea remains open as heretofore to the mercantile marine of all nations.

Article II. The principle of the closing of the Straits of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles in time of peace invariably established, as the ancient rule of the Ottoman Empire, and confirmed by the Treaty of Paris of March 30, 1856, remains in full force.

Article III. His Imperial Majesty the Sultan, by virtue of the right of sovereignty which he exercises over the Straits of the Bosphorus and of the Dardanelles, reserves to himself in time of peace the power of opening them by way of temporary exception, in case only that the interests of the security of his Empire should cause him to recognize the necessity of the presence of vessels of war of the non-riverain Powers of the Black Sea.

Article IV. It is agreed that the stipulation contained in the preceding Article shall for the future replace those of Articles XI., XIII. and XIV. of the Treaty of Paris of March 30, 1856, as well as the Special Convention concluded between the Sublime Porte and Russia, and annexed to the said Article XIV.

NOTE. Dr Holland's Lecture on the Treaty Relations of Russia and Turkey, from 1774 to 1853 (published by Macmillan and Co. 1877), is a useful little work in connection with some of the subjects noticed in this Appendix.

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