[Luxemburg and Limburg.] the King of Italy, wishing to conclude a Treaty with a view to that object, 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 Edward Stanley, commonly called Lord Stanley, a Member of Her Britannic Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, a Member of Parliament, her Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia, the Sieur Rudolph Count Apponyi, Chamberlain and Privy Councillor of His Imperial Royal and Apostolic Majesty, his Ambassador Extraordinary to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; His Majesty the King of the Belgians, the Sieur Sylvain Van de Weyer, Minister of State, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; His Majesty the Emperor of the French, the Sieur Godfrey Bernard Henry Alphonse, Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne Lauraguais, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Her Britannic Majesty, &c. ; His Majesty the King of Italy, the Sieur Emmanuel Taparelli de Lagnasco, Marquis d'Azeglio, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxemburg, the Sieur Adolphus Baron Bentinck, his Chamberlain and Minister of State, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; the Baron Victor de Tornaco, Minister of State, President of the Government of the Grand Duchy, his Honorary Chamberlain, &c.; and the Sieur Emanuel Servais, Vice-President of the Council of State and of the Superior Court of Justice, formerly Member of the Government, &c.; His Majesty the King of Prussia, the Sieur Albert Count de Bernstorff-Stintenburg, his Minister of State and Chamberlain, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Her Britannic Majesty, &c. ; And His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias, the Sieur Philip Baron de Brunnow, his Actual Privy Councillor, 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 : [Neutrality of Belgium.] No. 428.-TREATY between Great Britain and France, relative to the Independence and Neutrality of Belgium. Signed at London, 11th August, 1870.* Preamble. Reference to Treaties of 19th April, 1839. 1. Co-operation of Great Britain with France in case of violation of Neutrality of Belgium by Prussia. Great Britain not engaged to take part in War between France and North German Confederation, except as regards violation of Belgian Neutrality. 2. Co-operation of France with Great Britain in case of violation of Neutrality of Belgium by Prussia. 3. Treaty to be binding until conclusion of a Trenty of Peace between France and Prussia. 4. Ratifications. (English Version.) Reference to Treaties of 19th April, 1839. HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the Emperor of the French, being desirous at the present time of recording in a solemn Act their fixed determination to maintain the Independence and Neutrality of Belgium, as provided by Article VII of the Treaty signed at London on the 19th April, 1839 (No. 184), between Belgium and the Netherlands, which Article was declared by the Quintuple Treaty of 1839 (No. 183) to be considered as having the same force and value as if textually inserted in the said Quintuple Treaty, their said Majesties have determined to conclude between themselves a Separate Treaty, which, without impairing or invalidating the conditions of the said Quintuple Treaty, shall be subsidiary and accessory to it; and they have accordingly named as their Plenipotentiaries for that purpose, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Granville George Earl Granville, Lord Leveson, Her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, &c.; And His Majesty the Emperor of the French, his Excellency * See also Treaty between Great Britain and Prussia of 9th August, 1870. [Luxemburg and Limburg.] Evacuation of Fortress of Luxemburg by Prussian Troops. ART. IV. In conformity with the stipulations contained in Articles II and III, His Majesty the King of Prussia declares that his troops actually in garrison in the Fortress of Luxemburg shall receive orders to proceed to the Evacuation of that place immediately after the exchange of the Ratifications of the present Treaty. The withdrawal of the artillery, munitions, and every object which forms part of the equipment of the said Fortress shall commence simultaneously. During that operation there shall remain in it no more than the number of troops necessary to provide for the safety of the material of war, and to effect the dispatch thereof, which shall be completed within the shortest time possible. Demolition of Fortress of Luxemburg by the Netherlands. ART. V. His Majesty the King Grand Duke, in virtue of the rights of Sovereignty which he exercises over the City and Fortress of Luxemburg, engages, on his part, to take the necessary measures for converting the said Fortress into an open city by means of a demolition which His Majesty shall deem sufficient to fulfil the intentions of the High Contracting Parties expressed in Article III of the present Treaty. The works requisite for that purpose shall be commenced immediately after the withdrawal of the garrison. They shall be carried out with all the attention required for the interests of the inhabitants of the city. Fortifications not to be restored. His Majesty the King Grand Duke promises, moreover, that the Fortifications of the city of Luxemburg shall not be restored in future, and that no Military Establishment shall be there maintained or created. Duchy of Limburg to form an integral part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ART. VI. The Powers signing Parties to the present Treaty recognise that the Dissolution of the Germanic Confederation (No. 388) having equally produced the Dissolution of the ties which united the Duchy of Limburg, collectively with the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, to the said Confederation, it results therefrom that the relations, of which mention is made in Articles III, IV, [Luxemburg and Limburg.] and V of the Treaty of the 19th April, 1839 (No. 183), between the Grand Duchy and certain Territories belonging to the Duchy of Limburg, have ceased to exist, the said Territories continuing to form an integral part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Ratifications.* ART. VII. The present Treaty shall be ratified, and the Ratifications shall be exchanged at London within the space of 4 weeks, or sooner if possible. In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the Seals of their Arms. Done at London, the 11th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, 1867. (L.S.) STANLEY. (L.S.) APPONYI. (L.S.) VAN DE WEYER. (L.S.) LA TOUR D'AUVERGNE. (L.S.) D'AZEGLIO. (L.S.) BENTINCK. (L.S.) TORNACO. (L.S.) E. SERVAIS. (L.S.) BRUNNOW. [During the War between France and Prussia in 1870, 1871, those Powers mutually engaged to respect the Neutrality of Luxemburg (No. 421).] * Ratifications exchanged at London, 31st May, 1867. [Black Sea.] No. 429.--RUSSIAN NOTE denouncing the Stipulations of the General Treaty of 30th March, 1856, and the Separate Convention with Turkey of the same date, relative to the Limitation of their Naval Forces in the Black Sea. 31st October, 1870.* Prince Gortchakoff to Baron Brunnow. (Communicated to Earl Granville by Baron Brunnow, 9th November, 1870.) M. le Baron, (Translation as laid before Parliament.) Tzarskoé Sélo, 19th October, 1870. 31st THE successive alterations which the transactions considered as the foundation of the European Balance of Power have undergone during late years, have rendered it necessary for the Imperial Cabinet to inquire how far their results affect the political position of Russia. Among these transactions, that which interests Russia most directly is the Treaty of 18th March, 1856 (No. 264). The special Convention between the two States bordering on the Black Sea, which forms an Appendix to this Treaty (No. 266), contains an engagement on the part of Russia to limit her Naval Forces to a minimum. In return this Treaty established the principle of the Neutralisation of that Sea. By laying down this principle the signatory Powers intended to remove any possibility of a conflict between the Powers bordering on the Black Sea, or between them and the Maritime Powers. It was intended to increase the number of the Territories which have been accorded the benefit of Neutrality by the unanimous consent of Europe, and thus protect Russia herself from all danger of attack. A 15 years' experience has proved that this principle, on which the safety of the whole extent of the Russian Frontiers in this direction exclusively depends, is no more than a theory. In reality, while Russia was disarming in the Black Sea, and, by a Declaration contained in the Protocols of the Conference, likewise loyally deprived herself of the possibility of taking measures for an effectual Maritime Defence in the adjoining Seas and Ports, Turkey preserved her privilege of maintaining unlimited Naval Forces in the Archipelago and the Straits; France and A similar Note was addressed to the other Powers Parties to the Treaty of Paris of 30th March, 1856. See also further Note, of 1st November, 1870, and Declaration, of 17th January, 1871. |