[Union of Ionian Islands to Greece.] the Sovereignty of His Majesty King George, and under the Guarantee of the 3 Courts. Perpetual Neutrality of Ionian Islands.* ART. II. The Courts of Great Britain, France, and Russia, in their character of Guaranteeing Powers of Greece, declare, with. the assent of the Courts of Austria and Prussia, that the Islands of Corfu and Paxo, as well as their Dependencies, shall, after their Union to the Hellenic Kingdom, enjoy the advantages of perpetual Neutrality. Greece to maintain the Neutrality. His Majesty the King of the Hellenes engages, on his part, to maintain such Neutrality. Treaties, &c., of Commerce and Navigation between Great Britain and Foreign Powers relative to Ionian Islands to remain in force until conclusion of New Treaty.† ART. III. The Union of the Ionian Islands to the Hellenic Kingdom shall not involve any change as to the advantages conceded to Foreign Commerce and Navigation in virtue of Treaties and Conventions concluded by Foreign Powers with Her Britannic Majesty, in her character of Protector of the Ionian Islands. All the engagements which result from the said transactions, as well as from the regulations actually in force in relation thereto, shall be maintained and strictly observed, as hitherto. In consequence, it is expressly understood that Foreign Vessels and Commerce in Ionian ports, as well as the Navigation between Ionian ports and the ports of Greece, shall continue to be subject to the same treatment, and placed under the same conditions as before the Union of the Ionian Islands to Greece, until the conclusion of new formal Conventions, or of arrangements destined to regulate between the parties concerned, questions of Commerce and Navigation, as well as questions relating to the regular service of communication by post. Terms within which new Commercial Treaties are to be concluded. Such new Conventions shall be concluded in 15 years, or sooner, if possible.† * A Protocol on this Subject was also signed between the 5 Powers on the 25th January, 1864. See Table, page 1601. † The Austrian and Prussian Governments assented to this Arrangement. [Union of Ionian Islands to Greece.] Freedom of Worship and Religious Toleration. ART. IV. The Union of the United States of the Ionian Islands to the Kingdom of Greece shall in no wise invalidate the principles established by the existing legislation of those Islands with regard to Freedom of Worship and Religious Toleration; accordingly the Rights and Immunities established in matters of Religion by Chapters I and V of the Constitutional Charter of the United States of the Ionian Islands, and specifically the recognition of the Orthodox Greek Church as the Dominant Religion in those Islands; the entire Liberty of Worship granted to the Established Church of the Protecting Power; and the perfect Toleration promised to other Christian communions shall, after the Union, be maintained in their full force and effect. * The special Protection guaranteed to the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the advantages of which that Church is actually in possession, shall be equally maintained; and the subjects belonging to that communion shall enjoy in the Ionian Islands the same Freedom of Worship which is recognised in their favour by the Protocol of the 3rd February, 1830 (No. 149). The principle of entire Civil and Political Equality between subjects belonging to different Creeds, established in Greece by the same Protocol, shall be likewise in force in the Ionian Islands. Provision of Ionian Islands towards the Civil List of the King of the Hellenes. ART. V. The Legislative Assembly of the United States of the Ionian Islands has decreed by a Resolution passed on the th October, 1863 (No. 354), that the sum of £10,000 sterling a year shall be appropriated, in monthly payments, to the augmentation of the Civil List of His Majesty the King of the Hellenes, so as to constitute the first charge upon the revenue of the Ionian Islands, unless provision be made for such payment, according to the constitutional forms, out of the revenues of the Kingdom of Greece.† In consequence, His Majesty the King of the Hellenes engages to carry that Decree duly into execution. Relinquishment by Protecting Powers of portion of the Annual ART. VI. Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of † See Note, page 1445. [Union of Ionian Islands to Greece.] Great Britain and Ireland, His Majesty the Emperor of the French, and His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias, agree to relinquish in favour of His Majesty King George I, each £4,000 sterling a year, out of the sums which the Greek Treasury has engaged to pay annually to each of them, in virtue of the arrangement concluded at Athens by the Greek Government, with the concurrence of the Greek Chambers, in the month of June, 1860 (No. 318). Amounts relinquished to form Personal Dotation of King of Greece. It is expressly understood that these 3 sums, forming a total of £12,000 sterling annually, shall be destined to constitute a Personal Dotation of His Majesty King George I, in addition to the Civil List fixed by the law of the State. The Accession of His Majesty to the Hellenic Throne shall not otherwise involve any change in the financial engagements which Greece has contracted by Article XII of the Convention of 7th May, 1832 (No. 159), towards the Powers Guarantees of the Loan, nor in the execution of the engagement taken by the Hellenic Government in the month of June, 1860 (No. 318), upon the representation of the 3 Courts.* Contracts between Ionian Islands and Foreign Powers to be maintained by King of the Hellenes. ART. VII. His Majesty the King of the Hellenes engages to take upon himself all the Engagements and Contracts lawfully concluded by the Government of the United States of the Ionian Islands, or in their name, by the Protecting Power of those Islands, conformably to the Constitution of the Ionian Islands, whether with Foreign Governments, with Companies and Associations, or with Private Individuals; and promises to fulfil the said Engagements and Contracts fully and completely, as if they had been concluded by His Majesty or by the Hellenic Government. Under this head are specially included: the Public Debt of the Ionian Islands; the Privileges conceded to the Ionian Bank, to the Navigation Company known under the name of the Austrian Lloyds, in conformity with the Postal Convention of the 1st December, 1853, and to the Malta and Mediterranean Gas Company. * An Act of Parliament was passed on the 14th July, 1864 (27 and 28 Vict., cap. 40), to give effect to this Arrangement. See also Note, page 1445. [Union of Ionian Islands to Greece.] Pensions, &c., to British and Ionian Subjects to be Paid by Greece. ART. VIII. His Majesty the King of the Hellenes promises to take upon himself, 1. The Pensions granted to British Subjects by the Ionian Government, in conformity with the rules established in the Ionian Islands respecting Pensions. 2. The Compensation Allowances due to certain individuals actually in the service of the Ionian Government, who will lose their employments in consequence of the Union of the Islands to Greece. 3. The Pensions which several Ionian Subjects are in the enjoyment of, in remuneration of services rendered to the Ionian Government. Special Convention to regulate Amounts. A Special Convention to be concluded between Her Britannic Majesty and His Majesty the King of the Hellenes shall determine the amounts of these different heads, and shall regulate the mode of their payment.* Withdrawal of British Forces from the Ionian Islands. ART. IX. The Civil authorities and the Military Forces of Her Britannic Majesty shall be withdrawn from the Territory of the United States of the Ionian Islands in 3 months, or sooner, if possible, after the Ratification of the present Treaty.† Ratifications. ART. X. The present Treaty shall be ratified and the Ratifications shall be exchanged at London in 6 weeks, or sooner, if possible. In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the Seal of their Arms. Done at London, the 29th of March, in the year of Our Lord, 1864. (L.S.) RUSSELL. (L.S.) LA TOUR D'AUVERGNE. (L.S.) BRUNNOW. (L.S.) CH. TRICOUPI. * See Convention of same date, next page. + See Protocol of 28th May, 1864. Ratifications exchanged at London, 25th April, 1864. [British Claims, &c. Ionian Islands.] No. 358. Авт. CONVENTION between Great Britain and Greece, respecting the Claims of British Subjects and others for Services in the Ionian Islands. Signed at London, 29th March, 1864. Preamble. TABLE. 1. Pensions to be paid by Greece to British Subjects. Compensation Allowances to be paid by Greece. Date of Payment of Pensions and Allowances. Pensions to Ionian Subjects to be paid by Greece. 2. Yearly List to be made of Persons entitled to Pensions and Compensations. 3. Ratifications. (English Version.*) HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the King of the Hellenes, being desirous to make arrangements with regard to the Claims of British subjects and other individuals in respect of Services rendered to the Government of the United States of the Ionian Islands while those States were under the Protection of Her Britannic Majesty, have agreed to conclude a Convention for that purpose, and have named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable John Earl Russell, her Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, &c.; And His Majesty the King of the Hellenes, the Sieur Charilaus S. Tricoupi ; Who, after having communicated to each other their respective Full Powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles : Pensions to be paid by Greece to British Subjects. ART. I. Whereas Pensions have been granted at various times to British subjects by the Ionian Government, or are at the present moment about to be granted, in pursuance of the established rules in force in the Ionian Islands on the subject of Pensions; and whereas the amount of such Pensions is £7,403 8s. 4d. sterling For French version, see "State Papers," vol. liv, p. 5. |