[Preliminaries of Nikolsburg.]

having decided upon these Preliminaries, will conclude an Armistice for the Austrian and Saxon armies on the one part, and for the Prussian army on the other part, of which the detailed conditions, from the military point of view, are to be immediately determined. That Armistice shall date from the 2nd of August, the day to which the present Suspension of Arms shall be prolonged.

Conclusion of Armistice with other States.

The Armistice shall, at the same time, be concluded with Bavaria, and General the Baron von Manteuffel will be instructed to conclude with the Kingdom of Wurtemberg and the Grand Duchies of Baden and Hesse-Darmstadt, as soon as those States shall propose it, an Armistice beginning on the 2nd August, and founded on the state of military possession at the time.

In faith whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Convention, and to it have affixed the Seals of their Arms.

Done at Nikolsburg, 26th July, 1866.

[A Convention of Armistice was concluded between Austria and Prussia at Vienna on the 26th July, 1866; and another Convention between the Austrian and Italian Military Commissioners on the 12th August, 1866.]

2. War Indemnity to be paid by Wurtemberg to Prussia.

3. Guarantee for Payment of the Indemnity.

4. Discount on earlier payment of Indemnity.

5. Withdrawal of Prussian Troops from Wurtemberg.

6. Property belonging to former Germanic Confederation.

7. Renewal of Zollverein Treaties.

8. Appointment of a Commission to regulate Railway Traffic. Establishment of New Railway Communications.

9. Accession of Wurtemberg to Preliminary Treaty of 26th July, 1866. 10. Ratifications.

(Translation.)

THEIR Majesties the King of Wurtemberg and the King of Prussia, desirous of insuring to their people the blessings of Peace, have determined to come to an agreement upon the stipulations of a Treaty of Peace to be concluded between them.

For this purpose their Majesties have named as their Plenipotentiaries :

The King of Wurtemberg, the Minister of the Household and of Foreign Affairs, Baron Charles von Varnbüler, of Hemmingen, &c.; and the Minister of War, Lieutenant-General Oscar von Hardegg, &c.;

The King of Prussia, the President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Otto von Bismarck-Schönhausen, &c.; and the Privy Councillor Chamberlain and Envoy, Charles Frederick von Savigny, &c.

These Plenipotentiaries after exchanging their Powers, which were found in good order, have agreed upon the following stipulations:

Peace and Friendship.

ART. I. Between His Majesty the King of Wurtemberg and His Majesty the King of Prussia, their Heirs and Successors, their States and Subjects, there shall be Peace and Friendship henceforth for ever.

* A Treaty of Alliance was signed on the same day.

[Peace.]

War Indemnity to be paid by Wurtemberg to Prussia.

ART. II. His Majesty the King of Wurtemberg binds himself to pay to His Majesty the King of Prussia within two months the sum of 8,000,000 florins, for the purpose of covering a part of the expenses incurred by Prussia in the War.

By the payment of this sum, His Majesty the King of Wurtemberg frees himself from the obligations for damages incurred by him by $$ 9 and 10 of the Armistice Treaty, dated 1st August, 1866, at Eisingen, near Würzburg.

Guarantee for Payment of the Indemnity.

ART. III. His Majesty the King of Wurtemberg gives a Guarantee for the payment of this sum by the deposit of 3 per cent, and 4 per cent. Wurtemberg State Obligations to the amount of the sum to be guaranteed. These papers are to be reckoned at the exchange of the day and the Guarantee sum is to be raised 10 per cent.

Discount on earlier Payment of Indemnity.

ART. IV. His Majesty the King of Wurtemberg is at liberty to pay the whole or part of the above Indemnity earlier with a discount of 5 per cent. per annum.

Withdrawal of Prussian Troops from Wurtemberg.

ART. V. As soon as the Guarantee is given, according to Article III, or the payment of the War Indemnity is made, the King of Prussia will withdraw his Troops from the Wurtemberg Territory. The provisioning of the Troops during their Withdrawal will be made in accordance with the existing Federal Regulations.

Property belonging to former Germanic Confederation.

ART. VI. The apportionment of the Property belonging to the former Germanic Confederation is reserved for Special Arrangement.

Renewal of Zollverein Treaties.

ART. VII. The High Contracting Powers will enter into negotiations for the arrangement of the Zollverein question as soon as Peace is concluded. In the meantime the Zollverein Treaty of 16th May, 1865, and the Conventions connected therewith, which

[Peace.]

became inoperative by the outbreak of War, shall again come into force on the day of the exchange of the Ratifications of this present Treaty, with the condition that each of the High Contracting Powers may give 6 months' notice of its cessation.

Appointment of a Commission to regulate Railway Traffic. ART. VIII. The High Contracting Powers, as soon as Peace is restored in Germany, will cause the meeting of a Commission for the purpose of establishing the passenger and goods Traffic of the Railways on a proper basis; especially to regulate the state of competition in a proper manner; and to oppose such efforts of separate Boards as are injurious to the general interests of traffic.

Establishment of New Railway Communications.

Inasmuch as the High Contracting Powers are agreed that the establishment of all New Railway communications conducive to the general interest is to be allowed and as far as possible promoted; they will cause the above-named Commission to lay down principles most advantageous to the general interests of traffic in this respect.

Accession of Wurtemberg to Preliminary Treaty of 26th July, 1866.

ART. IX. His Majesty the King of Wurtemberg acknowledges the conditions of the Preliminary Treaty of Nicolsburg of 26th July, 1866 (No. 383), between Prussia and Austria, and, as far as the future of Germany is concerned, accedes to the

same.

Ratifications.*

ART. X. The Ratifications of the present Treaty shall take place at the latest on the 21st August this year.

In witness whereof the above-mentioned Plenipotentiaries have this day signed and affixed their Seals to this Treaty in duplicate.

Done at Berlin, 13th August, 1866.

(L.S.) VARNBULER.

(L.S.) HARDEGG.

(L.S.) v. BISMARCK.

(L.S.) v. SAVIGNY.

* Ratifications were exchanged at Berlin, in August, 1866.

[Union of Hanover, Hesse-Cassel, Nassau, and Frankfort to Prussia.]

No. 385.-MESSAGE from the King of Prussia to the Landtag, for their sanction to the Annexation of Hanover,* Hesse-Cassel, Nassau, and Frankfort† to Prussia. Berlin, 16th August, 1866.‡

1. Draft of a Law for Uniting the Kingdom of Hanover, the Electorate of Hesse, the Duchy of Nassau, and the Free Town of Frankfort, with the Prussian Monarchy.

2. Reasons for the Draft of Law for the Annexation of the Kingdom of Hanover, &c.

3. Royal Authority to the President of the Landtag to bring before it the Draft of a Law for the Annexation of Hanover, &c.

(Translation.)

WE, William, by the Grace of God, King of Prussia, &c.,. hereby declare and make known:

The Governments of the Kingdom of Hanover, of the Electorate of Hesse, and of the Duchy of Nassau, as well as the Free Town of Frankfort, have by their participation in the hostile conduct of the former Diet placed themselves in a state of open War with Prussia. They declined the Neutrality as well as the Alliance repeatedly offered to them by Prussia, even at the last moment, under the promise of a Guarantee of the Integrity of their Territory; they took an active part in the War of Austria against Prussia, and appealed to the decision of War for themselves and their Countries. This decision, according to God's decree, has been against them. Political necessity obliges us not to restore to them the power of government, of which they have been deprived by the victorious advance of our army.

The aforesaid countries could, in case they maintained their Independence, cause, from their geographical position, difficulties and obstructions, by a hostile or even doubtful attitude of their Governments towards Prussian policy and military action, far surpassing the extent of their actual power and importance. Not

The King of Hanover protested against this Annexation on the 23rd September, 1866.

+ The Inhabitants of Frankfort protested against the Annexation of their Territory to Prussia on the 24th September, 1866.

The Landtag gave its sanction to the Annexation of these States to Prussia, by a Decree, dated 20th September, 1866.