[Federal Fortresses.]

No. 419.-PROTOCOL OF CONFERENCE between the Representatives of Baden, Bavaria, Hesse-Darmstadt, Prussia, and Wurtemberg, relative to the Joint Moveable Property in the late German Federal Fortresses of Mayence, Ulm, Rastadt, and Landau. Munich, 6th July, 1869.

1. Joint material of the late Federal Fortresses of Mentz, Ulm, Rastadt, and Landau to remain the joint property of all the States represented at the present Conference.

2. Joint material of the Fortresses of Ulm, Rastadt, and Landau, to be managed by the respective Territorial Governments; that of Mayence by the North German Confederation.

3. Maintenance of Material in quantity and quality.

4. Yearly Inspection of Fortresses.

5. Special Inspection Commission for the Fortresses of Ulm, Rastadt, and Landau; and for the Fortress of Mayence.

6. Objects of the Inspection.

7. Right of Grand Ducal Hesse Government to send a Commissioner to the Inspections.

8. Meeting of Officers after Inspection to discuss Military matters. Inspection Commission to issue special discharge respecting Management and safe custody of the Joint Material in the separate Fortresses. Future Treatment of the Joint Material of Fortresses.

9. South German Fortress Commission to communicate to Prussian Military Plenipotentiary result of their transactions.

10. Preservation of Defensive System between North and South Germany.

[Abolition of the Elbe Duties.]

No. 420.-TREATY between Austria and the North German Confederation, for the Abolition of the Elbe Dues. Signed at Vienna, 22nd June, 1870.

1. Exceptional Tolls to be levied on the Elbe.

2. Conventions of 4th April, 1863, annulled, and Dues abolished. 3. Ratifications.

(Translation.)

His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, &c., King of Bohemia, &c., and Apostolic King of Hungary, &c., on the one side, and His Majesty the King of Prussia, in the name of the North German Confederation, on the other side, led by a desire to promote the Navigation of the Elbe, by abolishing the Elbe Dues existing on the same, have entered into negotiations and have appointed Plenipotentiaries for this purpose;

His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty, the Chancellor of the Empire and Minister of the Imperial House and for Foreign Affairs, Frederick Ferdinand, Count Beust;

His Majesty the King of Prussia, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty, &c., Hans Lothar v. Schweinitz;

Who, after having exchanged their Full Powers found to be in good and due form, have concluded the following Agree

ment:

Exceptional Tolls to be Levied on the Elbe.

ART. I. On and after 1st July, 1870, Tolls shall be levied on the Elbe upon Ships and their Cargoes, and upon Rafts only for use of certain special appliances designed for the facilitation of Traffic.

Conventions of 4th April, 1863, annulled and Dues abolished.

ART. II. The Conventions of the 4th April, 1863, between Prussia, Austria, Saxony, Hanover, Denmark, MecklenburgSchwerin, Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen, Anhalt-Bernburg, Lubeck, and Hamburgh, respecting a readjustment of the Elbe Dues, the regulations imposed by existing Treaties and Compacts, affecting the

[Abolition of the Elbe Duties.]

Navigation of the Elbe, which were suspended in virtue of Art. XIV of that Convention, and the Compact of the 4th of April, 1863, between Prussia, Austria, Saxony, Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen, Anhalt-Bernburg and Hamburgh, concerning the administration and imposition at Wittenberg of the Elbe Dues held in common, will cease to have force on and after 1st July, 1870.

Ratifications.

ART. III. The present Agreement shall be ratified and the Ratifications thereof shall be exchanged at Vienna within 10 days.

Vienna, 22nd June, 1870.

(L.S.) BEUST, m.p.

(L.S.) v. SCHWEINITZ, m.p.

* Ratifications exchanged at Vienna, 26th June, 1870.

[Neutrality of Luxemburg.]

No. 421.-DECLARATIONS made by France and Prussia to respect the Neutrality of Luxemburg. 17th July, 1870.

My Lord,

Lord A. Loftus to Earl Granville.

Berlin, 17th July, 1870.

BARON THILE informed me to-day that he had received a telegram from M. Föhr, the Representative of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg at this Court, stating that the French Government had officially notified their intention to respect the Neutrality of the Grand Duchy, provided that it was likewise respected by Prussia.

His Excellency, by order of Count Bismarck, immediately replied that the North German Government would also respect the Neutrality of the Grand Duchy as long as it was respected by France.*

I have, &c.,

AUGUSTUS LOFTUS.

* See also Prussian Circular, of 3rd December, 1870, and Note, page

1903.

[Neutrality. War. France and Frussia.]

No. 422.-NOTE of the Swiss Government to Foreign Powers, declaring its Neutrality in the War between France and Prussia. Berne, 18th July, 1870.

(Translation as laid before Parliament.)

Berne, 18th July, 1870.

THE Treaties of 1815 Guarantee to Switzerland her perpetual Neutrality and the Inviolability of her Territory (No. 43). They also Guarantee the same Neutrality to certain Countries which formerly formed an integral part of the Kingdom of Sardinia (No. 40), but at present are in the possession of France in consequence of the Treaty of Turin of 24th March, 1860 (No. 313).

The hope having vanished of a pacific solution of the quarrel which has taken place between France and Prussia with respect to the Spanish Throne, and these two States having appealed to Arms, the Swiss Confederation has considered it their duty to explain at once and with the greatest freedom the position they intend taking to provide for certain eventualities.

The Federal Council declares, consequently, by virtue of a special power unanimously conferred by the Federal Assembly, that Switzerland will maintain and defend, during the War which is preparing, her Neutrality and the Integrity of her Territory by all the means in her power. She will loyally maintain towards all this position, which is dictated to her by European Treaties, and which agrees as well with her present condition as with her own requirements; but if, contrary to every expectation, violence was offered to that Neutrality, she would energetically repulse every aggression, convinced as she would be of the justice of her cause. With reference to the parts of Savoy which, according to the terms of the Declaration of the Great Powers of 29th March 1815 (No. 10), of the Final Act of Vienna, 9th June, 1815 (No. 27), of the Treaty of Paris, 20th November, 1815 (No. 40), Article III, and of the Act recognising and guaranteeing Swiss Neutrality, bearing the same date (No. 43), are to enjoy a Neutrality similar to that of Switzerland, an arrangement which France and Sardinia have confirmed by Article II of the Treaty of Turin, cited above, of the 24th March, 1860 (No. 313), the