[Wounded in War.]

Captured Military Hospital Ships and their Stores.

ART. IX. The Military Hospital Ships remain under martial law, in all that concerns their Stores; they become the property of the Captor, but the latter must not divert them from their special appropriation during the continuance of the War.

Neutrality of Hospital Ships and their Staff during the War.

The Vessels not equipped for fighting which, during Peace, the Government shall have officially declared to be intended to serve as floating Hospital Ships, shall, however, enjoy during the War complete Neutrality, both as regards Stores, and also as regards their Staff, provided their equipment is exclusively appropriated to the special service on which they are employed.

Neutrality of Merchantmen with Sick and Wounded on Board.

ART. X. Any Merchantman, to whatever nation she may belong, charged exclusively with the removal of Sick and Wounded, is protected by Neutrality, but the mere fact, noted on the Ship's Books of the Vessel having been visited by an enemy's Cruiser, renders the Sick and Wounded incapable of serving during the continuance of the War. The Cruiser shall even have the right of putting on board an officer in order to accompany the convoy, and thus verify the good faith of the operation.

Cargo to enjoy Neutrality of the Merchantman if not Contraband of War.

If the merchant ship also carries a Cargo, her Neutrality will still protect it, provided that such Cargo is not of a nature to be confiscated by the Belligerent.

Interdiction to Neutralized Vessels,

The Belligerents retain the right to interdict Neutralized Vessels from all communication, and from any course which they may deem prejudicial to the secresy of their operations.

Special Conventions for removal of Sick and Wounded. In urgent cases, special Conventions may be entered into between Commanders-in-Chief, in order to Neutralize temporarily and in a special manner, the Vessels intended for the removal of the Sick and Wounded.

[Peace. Treaty of Prague.]

both sides, from the third day after the Ratification, at the regular rates for hospital attendance in both armies.

6. For the accomplishment of the Evacuation of the Imperial Royal Austrian territories which is to be effected within 3 weeks after the Ratification of this Treaty, the tract south of the line of Napagedl, Brünn, Iglau, Tabor (exclusive of those places), will be evacuated on the Royal Prussian side on the 7th day, and all the country lying south of the Pilsen-Prague-Littau railway line, and beyond a straight line from Littau to the mouth of the Oppa in the Oder, on the 15th day after the Ratification.

For all possible acceleration of this Evacuation the time between the signing and the Ratification of this Treaty will be employed on the Royal Prussian side in preparatory measures.

7. The Imperial Royal Austrian troops during the time of evacuation, will, in re-occupying the country, keep themselves at a distance of 3 miles from the rear of the Royal Prussian columns. The times of retreating on each line of march are therefore left to the arrangement of the Commanders on both sides.

8. On the Imperial Austrian side the use of the railway line leading by Pilsen to the Kingdom of Bavaria, will be allowed for the Royal Prussian military transports for the purpose of evacuating Bohemia.

9. During the time of evacuation the Royal Prussian army will retain the unrestricted control over the railway lines within the ranges which it occupies, for sending back troops and war materials, under application of the Convention dated Brünn, the 1st August, 1866, and definitively concluded on the 17th August. It is settled as a rule that even during the evacuation there shall be a train in each direction for public traffic every day on all the railways; only unforeseen interruptions of the military transports can justify any departure from this rule for the particular day.

10. From the day following the Ratification the Royal Prussian Government undertakes all the expenses of maintenance for the Royal Prussian troops, which however are to have free quarters without maintenance in the territories which they occupy. The local authorities are bound to provide the relays required by the Royal Prussian troops, for which the troops are to pay immediately in ready money according to the Imperial Royal Austrian Tariff for relays now in force. That tariff is in the possession of the national and local authorities.

[Peace. Treaty of Prague.]

11. The sick of the Royal Prussian army who cannot be removed are to remain in the military hospitals or local infirmaries, under the superintendence and treatment, so far as necessary, of the Royal Prussian military physicians. The Imperial Royal Austrian Government promises to make arrangements for the most careful treatment of those left behind, and for complying as far as possible with the necessary requisitions of the physicians for the treatment of the sick.

12. Before the evacuation the Royal Prussian Commanders will send in to the Imperial Royal Lieutenancies of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, through the Royal Prussian General Governments at Prague and Brünn, a list of the sick who are to be left behind, with a statement of the place where they lie.

13. For the delivery of the Hospitals at Brünn, Prague, Pardubitz, and Königinhoff, Commissioners of the respective Armies will meet at the places named, on the day of the evacuation of those towns, to complete the delivery and draw up a Protocol.

14. The expenses of attending on the sick will be paid by the Royal Prussian Government immediately after liquidation, according to the established regulations for the Imperial Royal Austrian troops.

Prague, 23rd August, 1866.

WERTHER.
BRENNER.

[Oldenburg formally withdrew from the Germanic Confederation on the 20th June, 1866, and renounced its Rights over the Duchies of Holstein and Schleswig in favour of Prussia on the 27th September, 1866.]

[Peace.]

No. 389.-TREATY OF PEACE between Prussia and Hesse-Darmstadt. Signed at Berlin, 3rd September, 1866.

2. War Indemnity to be paid to Prussia by Hesse-Darmstadt.

3. Guarantee for Payment of Indemnity.

4. Discount in case of Prepayment.

5. Withdrawal of Prussian Troops from Hesse-Darmstadt. Maintenance of Troops during Retreat.

6. Special Agreement to regulate Property-Relations.

7. Future Negotiations to regulate Zollverein Affairs. Renewal of Zollverein Treaty of 16th May, 1865.

8. Renewal of Treaties and Conventions.

9. Railway Traffic.

10. Suppression of Tour and Taxis Post. Postal arrangements to pass over

to Prussia.

11. Telegraph Station at Mentz. Right of Prussia to use of all Telegraph

Lines, &c.

12. Abolition of Navigation Dues on the Rhine.

Dues on the Maine.

Abolition of Navigation

13. Accession of Hesse-Darmstadt to Preliminary Treaty of 26th July, 1866. 14. Cessions by Hesse-Darmstadt to Prussia. Entrance of part of HesseDarmstadt into the North-German Confederation.

15. Cessions by Prussia to Hesse-Darmstadt.

16. Commissioners to regulate Cessions of Territory, &c.

17. Libraries and Museum to be placed at Disposal of Prussia. Commissioners to settle Ownership.

18. Continuation of Contracts of Bathing Houses at Kreuznach and Salt Works.

19. Ratifications.

Appendix to Article XV.

Description of the Boundaries of Territories and portions of Territory to be ceded by His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, Sovereign Landgrave of Hesse, &c., to His Majesty the King of Prussia.

(Translation.)

His Majesty the King of Prussia and His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, Sovereign Landgrave of Hesse, &c., animated by the wish to secure to their people the blessings of Peace, have determined to agree upon the stipulations of a Treaty of Peace to be concluded between them, and have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

[Peace.]

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

His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, &c., Baron Reinhard von Dalwigk zu Lichtenfels, President of the Grand Ducal Ministry, Minister of the. Grand Ducal House, and of Foreign and Home Affairs; and Charles Hofmann, Chief Councillor in the Grand Ducal Ministry of the Grand Ducal House and of Foreign Affairs, and Privy Councillor of Legation;

Who, after exchanging their Full Powers, which were found in good order, have agreed upon the following Stipulations :

Peace and Friendship.

ART. I. There shall henceforth be Peace and Friendship for ever between His Majesty the King of Prussia and His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, &c., their Heirs and Successors, their States and subjects.

War Indemnity to be paid to Prussia by Hesse-Darmstadt.

ART. II. His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, &c., undertakes to pay to His Majesty the King of Prussia, within two months, the sum of 3,000,000 florins to cover part of the expenses which Prussia has been put to by the War. By payment of that sum His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, &c., relieves himself of the indemnification-obligations incurred by Article VIII of the Treaty of Armistice dated Eisingen, near Wurtzburg, 1st August, 1866.

Guarantee for Payment of Indemnity.

ART. III. His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, &c., guarantees the payment of the said sum by the deposit of bonds of the Grand Ducal Hessian State Loan, the 4 per cent. bonds to be taken at the rate of 80, and the 3 per cent. at the rate of 70.

Discount in case of Prepayment.

ART. IV. His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, &c., has the right of paying the above Indemnification wholly or in part before the appointed time, with the deduction of a discount of 5 per cent. per annum.