[Peace. Alsace and Lorraine.] Territorial Guarantee, consisting in the partial occupation of the French Territory, a Financial Guarantee, should it be offered by the French Government under conditions considered sufficient by His Majesty the Emperor and King for the interests of Germany. The 3,000,000,000 (3 milliards), the payment of which shall have been deferred, shall bear Interest at the rate of 5 per cent., beginning from the Ratification of the present Convention. Maintenance of German Troops of Occupation. ART. IV. The German Troops shall abstain from levying contributions either in money or in kind in the occupied Departments. On the other hand, the maintenance of the German Troops remaining in France shall be at the expense of the French Government in the manner decided upon by an Agreement with the German Military Administration. Provisions to be made in favour of Inhabitants of ceded Territories. ART. V. The interests of the Inhabitants of the Territories ceded by France, in everything relating to their Commerce and their Civil Rights shall be regulated in as favourable a manner as possible when the conditions of the Definitive Peace are settled. A certain time will be fixed, during which they will enjoy particular advantages for the disposal of their produce. The German Government will put no obstacle in the way of Free Emigration by the Inhabitants from the ceded Territories, and shall take no steps against them affecting their Persons or their Property. Prisoners of War. ART. VI. The Prisoners of War who shall not have been already set at liberty by exchange shall be given up immediately after the Ratification of the present Preliminaries. In order to accelerate the transport of French Prisoners, the French Government shall place at the disposal of the German Authorities in the interior of the German Territory a part of the rolling-stock of its Railways in such proportion as shall be determined by special arrangements, and at prices paid in France by the French Government for military transport. Negotiations for Definitive Treaty of Peace. ART. VII. The opening of negotiations for the Definitive Treaty of Peace to be concluded on the Basis of the present Preliminaries shall take place at Brussels, immediately after the [Peace. Alsace and Lorraine.] Ratification of the latter by the National Assembly and by His Majesty the Emperor of Germany. Administration of occupied Departments to be made over to French Authorities. ART. VIII. After the conclusion and the Ratification of the Definitive Treaty of Peace (No. 446), the Administration of the Departments which are still to remain occupied by the German Troops shall be made over to the French authorities. But the latter shall be bound to conform to the orders which the Commanders of the German troops may think necessary to give in the interests of the safety, maintenance, and distribution of the Troops. Taxes in occupied Departments to be levica by and for the use of the French Government. After the Ratification of the present Treaty, the Taxes in the occupied Departments shall be levied on account of the French Government, and by its own Officers. German Military Authority not to extend to unoccupied Territory. ART. IX. It is well understood that these stipulations do not give to the German Military Authority any right over the parts of Territory which it does not actually occupy. Ratifications. ART. X. The present Preliminary Treaty shall be immediately submitted to the Ratification of His Majesty the Emperor of Germany and to the French National Assembly sitting at Bordeaux. In testimony whereof the Undersigned have signed the present Preliminary Treaty, and sealed it with the Seal of their Arms. Done at Versailles, 26th February, 1871. (L.S.) BISMARCK. (L.S.) A. THIERS. * Ratifications exchanged at Versailles 2nd March, 1871. [Peace. Alsace and Lorraine.] Accession of Baden, Bavaria, and Wurtemberg. The Kingdoms of Bavaria and Wurtemberg, and the Grand Duchy of Baden, having taken part in the actual War as Allies of Prussia, and now forming part of the Germanic Empire, the Undersigned adhere to the present Convention in the name of their respective Sovereigns. Versailles, 26th February, 1871. CTE. DE BRAY-STEINBURG. MITTNACHT. JOLLY. [Conventions were concluded between France and Germany on the 21st May, and 12th October, 1871, on the 29th June, 1872, and on the 15th May, 1873, with reference to the payment of the War Indemnity of 3 Milliards = 5,000,000,000 Francs or £200,000,000. The last Instalment was paid by France on the 5th September, 1873, and the last German Troops passed the French Frontier on the 16th of the same Month.] [Black Sea and Danube.] No. 439.-TREATY between Great Britain, Austria, France, Germany (Prussia), Italy, Russia, and Turkey, for the Revision of certain Stipulations of the Treaties of 30th March, 1856, relative to the Black Sea and Danube. Signed at London, 13th March, 1871. Preamble. Reference to Treaty of 30th March, 1856. 1. Abrogation of Articles of Treaty of 30th March, 1856, and of Convention of 30th March, 1856. 2. Closing of Straits of Dardanelles and Bosphorus, and power to open them to Vessels of War in time of Peace. 3. Black Sea open to Mercantile Marine of all Nations. 4. Extension of Term of Duration of Danube Commission to 24th April, 1883. 5. Conditions of re-assembling of Riverain Commission. 6. Provisional Tax on Vessels in the Danube, until Extinction of Debt. 7. Neutrality of Works and Establishments created by European Commission of the Danube. 8. Confirmation of Stipulations of Treaty of 30th March, 1856. 9. Ratifications. (Translation as laid before Parliament.") In the Name of Almighty God. Reference to Treaty of 30th March, 1856. HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, His Majesty the Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia, His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, &c., and Apostolic King of Hungary, the Chief of the Executive Power of the French Republic, His Majesty the King of Italy, His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias, and His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans, have judged it necessary to assemble their Representatives in Conference at London, in order to come to an understanding, in a spirit of concord, with regard to the revision of the stipulations of the Treaty concluded at Paris on the 30th March, 1856 (No. 264), relative to the navigation of the Black Sea, as well as to that of the Danube; being desirous, at the same time, to ensure in those regions new facilities for the development of the commercial activity of all nations, the High Contracting Parties have resolved to conclude a Treaty, and have For French version, see "State Papers," vol. lxi. [Black Sea and Danube.] for that purpose named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Granville George Earl Granville, Lord Leveson, a Peer of the United Kingdom, a Member of Her Majesty's Privy Council, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle, Chancellor of the University of London, Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, &c.; His Majesty the Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia, the Sieur Albert, Count of Bernstorff-Stintenburg, his Minister of State and Chamberlain, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of His Imperial and Royal Majesty to Iler Britannic Majesty, &c.; His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, &c., and Apostolic King of Hungary, the Sieur Rudolph Count Apponyi, Chamberlain, Privy Councillor of His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty, his Ambassador Extraordinary to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; The Chief of the Executive Power of the French Republic, the Sieur James Victor Albert Duc de Broglie, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; His Majesty the King of Italy, the Chevalier Charles Cadorna, Minister of State, Senator of the Kingdom, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias, the Sieur Philip Baron de Brunnow, his Actual Privy Councillor, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; And His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans, Constantine Musurus Pasha, Muchir and Vizir of the Empire, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; Who, after having exchanged their Full Powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles: Abrogation of Articles of Treaty of 30th March, 1856, and of Convention of 30th March, 1856. ART. I. Articles XI, XIII, and XIV of the Treaty of Paris of |