Constantinople entre les trois Cours et la Porte Ottomane le 21 Jullet 1832, recevront une extension par la réunion des Iles Ioniennes au Royaume Hellénique, à l'époque où cette réunion, proposée par le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté Britannique, aura été trouvée d'accord avec les vœux du Parlement Ionien, et où elle aura obtenu l'assentiment des Cours d'Autriche, de France, de Prusse, et de Russie. cluded at Constantinople between the three Courts and the Ottoman Porte on the 21st of July, 1832, shall receive an extension by the union of the Ionian Islands with the Hellenic Kingdom, when such union, proposed by the Government of Her Britannic Majesty, shall have been found to be in accordance with the wishes of the Ionian Parliament, and shall have obtained the assent of the Courts of Austria, France, Prussia, and Russia. Protocol of the Conference Held in London by Plenipotentiaries of Austria, France, Great Britain, Prussia and Russia. August 1, 1863 1 Présents: les Plénipotentiaires de l'Autriche, de la France, de la GrandeBretagne, de la Prusse et de la Russie. Le principal secrétaire d'Etat de Sa Majesté Britannique pour les Affaires étrangères a exposé les raisons qui déterminent le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté à s'entendre avec les Cours d'Autriche, de France, de Prusse et de Russie sur la révision du Traité du 5 novembre 1815, en vertu duquel les Iles Ioniennes ont été placées sous la protection immédiate et exclusive de la Grande-Bretagne. Animé du désir de consolider par de nouveaux arrangements le bien-être des populations confiées jusqu'ici à sa sollicitude, le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté Britannique considérerait la réunion des Iles Ioniennes au Royaume hellénique comme la solution la plus con Present: The Plenipotentiaries of Austria, France, Great Britain, Prussia and Russia. The Principal Secretary of State of Her Britannic Majesty explained the reasons which induce the Government of Her Majesty to come to an understanding with the Courts of Austria, France, Prussia, and Russia as to the revision of the Treaty of the 5th of November, 1815, in virtue of which the Ionian Islands were placed under the immediate and exclusive protection of Great Britain. Animated by the desire to consolidate by new arrangements the welfare of the people hitherto confided to its care, the Government of Her Britannic Majesty would consider the union of the Ionian Islands to the Hellenic Kingdom as the solution most con 1 Martens, N. R. G., vol. 18, p. 53. Translation from "Ionian Islands," British Parliamentary Papers, 1864, vol. 66 [3247], p. 7. forme aux intérêts mutuels des deux pays, liés entre eux par une communauté d'origine et de croyance religieuse. Les représentants d'Autriche, de France, de Prusse et de Russie ont déclaré: Que leurs Cours reconnaissent unanimement au Gouvernement de Sa Majesté Britannique le droit de renoncer à l'exercice du protectorat exclusif établi par le Traité du 5 novembre 1815; Qu'elles sont disposées à accorder leur assentiment et à prêter leur concours à la réunion des Iles Ioniennes au Royaume hellénique, si les vœux du Parlement ionien se prononcent en faveur de ce plan; Qu'elles réservent au Gouvernement de Sa Majesté Britannique de consulter à ce sujet les représentants de l'Etat Septinsulaire : Qu'après avoir acquis la certitude de l'adhésion de cette assemblée, les Cours d'Autriche, de France, de Prusse et de Russie se déclareront prêtes à se concerter avec le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté Britannique sur la rédaction définitive du Traité destiné à placer l'arrangement proposé sous la sanction d'un acte européen. formable to the mutual interests of the two countries, connected with each other by community of origin and of religious belief. The Representatives of Austria, France, Prussia, and Russia declared: That their Courts unanimously acknowledged the right of the Government of Her Britannic Majesty to renounce the exercise of the exclusive Protectorate established by the Treaty of the 5th of November, 1815: That they are disposed to grant their assent and to lend their support to the union of the Ionian Islands to the Hellenic Kingdom, if the wish of the Ionian Parliament should be pronounced in favour of that plan: That they reserve to the Government of Her Britannic Majesty to consult the Representatives of the Septinsular State on this subject: That after having obtained certain knowledge of the assent of that Assembly, the Courts of Austria, France, Prussia and Russia will declare themselves ready to come to an agreement with the Government of her Britannic Majesty with regard to the definitive terms of the Treaty destined to place the proposed arrangement under the sanction of a European Act. [Here follow signatures.] Address of the Lord High Commissioner of the United States of the Ionian Islands, to the Legislative Assembly of the Said States, Convoked for the Purpose of Voting on the Question of Union 1 "MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN, 1 "You have already learnt from my proclamation the reasons which induced the Protecting Sovereign to dissolve the late Ionian Parliament. Her Majesty the Queen, ever desirious of testifying her friendship and good will towards the Greek nation, has, with a view to increase the territory and to consolidate the strength of the Greek Kingdom, intimated to the Powers of Europe her readiness to relinquish the Protectorate hitherto held by her over these States in virtue of the treaty of 1815. Mindful of her solemn obligations, the Queen has been desirous of ascertaining from the Ionian people their wishes in regard to their national future. Her Majesty, therefore, under the powers reserved by the constitution, has convened a new Parliament as the legal and authentic method of ascertaining these wishes. By means of the provisions stipulated by the constitution, a full cognizance of the condition of public affairs has been acquired by the Ionian people, and free and unbiased elections have given them the opportunity of deliberately forming and expressing their opinion on a question so intimately connected with the national interests. They have availed themselves of this opportunity by electing the present Assembly, and I now call upon you, Gentlemen, to inform me in the usual address, with a delay as short as you may consider proper, whether it is or is not the desire of the people by whom you have been chosen, and whose representatives you are, that the Protectorate of her Majesty the Queen, my august Sovereign, over these States should cease, with the intent that the Ionian Islands should form henceforth a portion of the kingdom of Greece under his Majesty King George and his successors. 66 6 In case your answer should be in favor of annexation to Greece, it will be my duty to lay before you, by message, certain detailed arrangements which are requisite for the completion of this measure: "1. It will be necessary that you should pass a resolution in the usual constitutional form, by which, after the cessation of the British Protectorate, and until the establishment of the new constitution, his Majesty the King of the Hellenes shall be enabled to exercise in these States his rights of soveignty, including those privileges and functions heretofore exercised by the protecting Sovereign, the Lord High Commissioner, and the most illustrious the Senate. 1 Corfu Gazette, October 3, 1863; Viscount Kirkwall, Four Years in the Ionian Islands, vol. I, p. 300. "2. I shall propose to you, in the name of her Majesty, that, on the cessation of the payment of the sums heretofore reserved as the contribution for military protection, and as the Civil List of the Lord High Commissioner, there shall be reserved, as the first charge on the Ionian revenue, the sum of 10,000l. yearly in augmentation of the Civil List of his Majesty King George.1 "3. I shall call upon you to recognize all contracts and engagements entered into by or on behalf of the Ionian Government up to this time, and all equitable claims on the same. "4. I shall also invite you to make provision for the preservation and safeguard of the British cemeteries in this and the other islands. 6 “‘5. I shall have to inform you of the terms on which her Majesty's Government is prepared to come to a settlement of the debt of 90,2891.5s.7d. due to Great Britain for arrears of military contribution.2 "Should your vote be in favour of the cessation of the Protectorate, and of the proposed union with Greece, it will be necessary that her Majesty the Queen should invite the Powers parties to the treaty of November, 1815, to revise that treaty, and, in conjunction with France, one of the Protecting Powers of Greece, to make such arrangements as may tend to the future welfare of these States and the permanent interests of Europe.3 "I now leave you to your deliberations, and in so doing will merely echo the wish expressed by her Majesty, that you may be guided to a wise decision, and that the national happiness and prosperity of the Ionian people may, by your suffrages, be secured on a solid foundation." Decree of the Ionian Assembly for Union with the Kingdom of Greece. September 23, 1863 4 66 The Ionian Assembly, elected on the invitation of the protecting Powers, and convoked in view of pronouncing on the subject of the restoration of the Ionian people, manifesting faithfully their ardent desire and constant will, and conforming itself to the declarations and votes passed on several preceding occasions by the free Ionian Assemblies, "Decrees, That the islands of Corfu, Cephalonia, Zante, St. Maura, Ithaca, Cerigo, and Paxo, as well as their dependencies, shall be united to the 1 This clause, as a compulsory measure, was objected to by the Assembly. 2 This debt was remitted by the British Government. 8 This was the only clause that might be interpreted as alluding to the destruction of the fortifications. But surely the intention should have been more boldly and frankly expressed. 4 Quoted from Corfu Gazette, October 5, 1852, by Kirkwall, in Four Years in the Ionian Islands, vol. I, p. 303. |