[Peace.] The Officials who are to be taken over from the now ceded portions of Territory formerly belonging to Nassau and Electoral Hesse are to be treated in an analogous manner. Such Military Persons, natives of the above-mentioned Districts, as are not of the rank of Officers, will be discharged from the Grand Ducal Hessian Army and sent home. Their service in the Grand Ducal Hessian Forces will be reckoned in their liability to Prussian Service. The Officers, as well as those persons who have the rank of Officers, are at liberty to choose in which country's service they will continue. 2. The Commissioners mentioned in Article XVI of the Treaty of Peace will attend to all those matters which are connected with the reciprocal arrangements, as, for example, the arrears of Public Taxes, and other matters of that kind. 3. Full liberty of Expatriation within a year from the date of the exchange of the Ratifications of this Treaty is reserved to all the inhabitants of the ceded portions of Territory. 4. The Paintings, the Library, and other Collections, as well as the Orangery in the Residential Palace at Homburg vor der Höhe, are not included in the Cession of the Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg; they remain the property of the Grand Ducal House. 5. Simultaneously with the withdrawal of the Royal Prussian Troops from the Grand Ducal Hessian Territory, the measures taken on the part of Prussia for the Civil Administration of the occupied Territory will come to an end, and the Grand Ducal authorities and officials will no longer be hindered from the performance of their Official Functions. 6. It is agreed on both sides that in the Special Agreements to be come to respecting the Postal and Telegraph Services, the point shall never be lost sight of, that the two Grand Ducal Hessian Provinces of Starkenburg and Rhenish Hesse, situated south of the Maine, are to be subject to the same arrangements in regard to the administration of the Postal and Telegraph Services as are to be introduced for the Province of Upper Hesse, on the basis of those which prevail in the North German Confederation. When the Princely House of Tour and Taxis is done away with, the Royal Prussian Government takes the place of the Princely House of Tour and Taxis in regard to existing liabilities, especially in respect to the settlement of the canon. Negotiations shall also take place between the Commissioners [Peace.] forthwith for the technical execution of the stipulation contained in the second sentence of Article X of the principal Treaty. 7. All Prisoners of War will be set at liberty within 8 days after the ratification of the Treaty of Peace of this date, and will be received on the part of the respective Military Authorities at places to be agreed upon. 8. In reference to Prussia's right of Garrisoning Mentz, which remains exclusively with her, the conditions which have hitherto prevailed between the Confederation and the Territorial Government will be applied to the relations between Prussia and the Territorial Government. 9. With respect to the first sentence of Article XI* of the principal Treaty, it is acknowledged on the part of Grand Ducal Hesse, that on account of the Garrison Arrangements of Mentz, the Telegraphic Service there must belong exclusively to the Frussian Government. The administration and working of the Telegraphs intended for the service of the railways is not interfered with by Article XI* of the principal Treaty, so far, that is, as these are compatible, according to circumstances, with the absolute security of the Fortress. 10. The Grand Ducal Hessian Government declares its readiness to enter into a negotiation with the Royal Prussian Government for the Cession of the management and working of the length of the Maine and Weser Railway, situated in the Grand Ducal Territory, starting with the principle that the whole of the net returns of the said length shall be annually paid undiminished to the Grand Ducal Government. The Grand Ducal Hessian Government engages at all events to cede to Prussia, on the above condition, the management and working of the length of the Maine and Weser Railway in the Grand Ducal Territory, from the Frontier of Electoral Hesse to Giessen. 11. If the Royal Prussian Government should find it expedient to send its troops returning from Bohemia or Bavaria by the Schwadorf-Nuremberg-Wurtzburg-Aschaffenburg line, through the Grand Ducal Hessian Territory, the Grand Ducal Government hereby gives its consent thereto, and will also place the railway leading through the Grand Ducal Territory at the disposal of the Royal Prussian Military Authorities engaged on that Service, for *See page 1732. [Peace.] the transport of the Troops; on the other hand, the Royal Prussian Government engages to pay the compensation at the Grand Ducal Hessian Rates for the transport of Troops. 12. No subject of His Majesty the King of Prussia, or of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, &c., will be prosecuted, molested, or obstructed in his person or his property on account of his conduct during the War. 13. With respect to Article XVIII* of the principal Treaty, both parties reserve a further negotiation in case the Crown of Prussia should not have acquired the said Salt Works up to the year 1892. 14. The Ratification of the foregoing Convention shall be considered as included in the Ratification of the Treaty of Peace of this date. Berlin, 3rd September, 1866. (L.S.) v. BISMARCK. (L.S.) SAVIGNY. (L.S.) DALWIGK. (L.S.) HOFMANN. [A Treaty between Prussia and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, for the Cession by Prussia of the State Forests in the Circle of Schmalkalden to Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, was signed at Berlin, on the 14th September, 1866. A Military Convention between Prussia and Hesse-Darmstadt was signed on the 7th April, 1867; and a Treaty of Offensive and Defensive Alliance between those Powers was also signed on the 11th April, 1867.] * Page 1735. [Union of Hanover, Hesse-Cassel, Nassau, and Frankfort to Prussia.] No. 390.- DECREE of the King of Prussia, uniting Hanover,* Hesse-Cassel,† Nassau, and Frankfort, with the Prussian Monarchy. Berlin, 20th September, 1866.§ (Translation.) WE, William, by the Grace of God, King of Prussia, &c., with the consent of both Houses of the Landtag (No. 385), decree as follows: § 1. The Kingdom of Hanover, the Electorate of Hesse, the Duchy of Nassau, and the Free Town of Frankfort, are, in accordance with Article II of the Constitution for the Prussian States, united for ever with the Prussian Monarchy. § 2. The Prussian Constitution comes into operation in these Countries on 1st October, 1867. The arrangements for the necessary modifications, additions, and for the execution thereof, will be settled by separate Laws. § 3. The Ministry of State is charged with the execution of this Law. As witness our Royal Signature and Seal. (L.S.) WILLIAM. COUNT VON BISMARCK-SCHONHAUSEN and 7 others. [On the 20th September, 1866, a Decree and Proclamation were issued by the reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, Abdicating his Sovereignty over the Duchy, in favour of his Son; and on the following day a Proclamation was issued by his Successor, assuming the Government of the Duchy.] The King of Hanover protested against this Annexation on the 23rd September, 1866. On the 6th October following a Proclamation was addressed by the King to his Subjects releasing them from their Allegiance, but with certain reserves. On the 18th September, 1866, a Proclamation was issued by the Elector of Hesse releasing his Subjects from their Allegiance. On the 24th September, 1866, the Inhabitants of Frankfort protested against the Annexation of Frankfort to Prussia. § See also Prussian Patents of 3rd October, 1866. [Protest against Annexation to Prussia.] No. 391.-PROTEST of the King of Hanover against the Incorporation of Hanover with the Prussian Monarchy. Hietzing, near Vienna, 23rd September, 1866.* (Translation.†) WE, George V, by the Grace of God, King of Hanover, Prince Royal of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Cumberland, Duke of Brunswick and Luneburg, &c.; In presence of the facts which have just been accomplished, and a statement of which follows, namely: On the 15th June of the present year His Majesty the King of Prussia, our Cousin-Germain and up to that time our Ally, invaded our Kingdom, violating the most legitimate and sacred Rights. The conduct of our Government, during the conflict which, to our profound regret, broke out between Austria and Prussia, could not give rise to a measure so unjust. On the contrary, animated by the most sincere and ardent desire to see the disagreements which had arisen between the two most powerful members of the German Confederation removed, and seeking to prevent the misfortunes which must ensue from a War between Germans, our Government did everything in its power to remain in relations of friendship, as well with Prussia as with Austria, and to preserve its freedom of action to act at the Diet, in a peaceful and conciliatory manner. The Prussian Government having expressed its desire that we should remain Neutral in a possible War, we acceded to that desire. We simply declared at Berlin that the particular conditions of that Neutrality could only be determined in the event of the German Confederation being really dissolved. Our accession to the Prussian proposal was in perfect conformity with the circumstances, since the Federal Law, forbidding members of the Confederation to wage War among themselves, forbad them consequently to take part in a War which, notwithstanding that prohibition, had broken out between Governments forming part of the Confederation. To explain the acts of hostility of which Prussia was guilty * A Treaty between the King of Prussia and King George of Hanover, relative to the Private Property of King George, was signed on the 29th September, 1867. On the 2nd March, 1868, a Prussian Decree was issued, sequestrating the Fortune of King George, which was revoked by a Decree, dated 15th February, 1869; but as the consent of the Prussian Landtag was made obligatory, King George protested against this condition on the 30th March, 1869. + For French version, see "State Papers," vol. lvi, p. 1069. |