(Extract.) No. 18. Earl Granville to Lord Lyons.* Foreign Office, November 17, 1870. MUSURUS PASHA called upon me yesterday. His Excellency renewed the complaints he had previously made of the unjustifiable pretension of the Russian Government to abjure any of the obligations of the Treaty of 1856; and he asked my advice as to the course which the Turkish Government should pursue. I told him the character of the answer which Her Majesty's Government had returned to the Russian communication, and I said it appeared to me that Turkey might adopt a somewhat similar answer. M. Musurus believes that Turkey would take no step without communicating and consulting with England. (Extract.) No. 19. Earl Granville to Lord Lyons.† Foreign Office, November 17, 1870. M. DE CADORNA informed me yesterday that M. Visconti Venosta reserved the expression of his opinion on the Russian Circular, being ignorant of the impressions which it had produced on the Turkish Government, the party principally interested, and being unwilling, from a sentiment of equity, to make any premature statement in this serious question, in which Italy only looked to the maintenance of peace and of the equilibrium in the East. If it were shown that the revision of certain clauses in the Treaty of Paris was seasonable and necessary for the further confirmation of its fundamental basis, Italy would not refuse to examine them in concert with other Powers. The Cabinet of Vienna was urgent that, in concert with England, the measure taken by Russia should be declared inadmissible. M. Visconti Venosta desired, before pronouncing himself on the substance of the affair, to ascertain the real dispositions of England, and, if possible, the result of Mr. Odo Russell's mission. 1 observed that I had already told M. Cadorna the substance of the answer Her Majesty's Government had sent; that I had no further information to give him. I added that I would not fail to give the Italian Government full and confidential information. M. de Cadorna pointed out that M. de Venosta had reserved to himself complete liberty of action, and was only anxious not to commit his Government before he was well acquainted with the views of the other parties to the Treaty. No. 20. Earl Granville to Lord Lyons. (Extract.) Foreign Office, November 17, 1870. M. TISSOT informed me to-day that up to the 14th instant M. de Chaudordy had received no communication from the Russian Chargé d'Affaires on the subject of the declaration recently made by Prince Gortchakoff, and that he had consequently pointed out to your Excellency that it was impossible for him to express a decided opinion until the Delegation of the Government of National Defence at Tours had taken cognizance of the document which would probably be delivered to it by order of the Russian Chancellor. M. de Chaudordy added that the French Government being engrossed beyond everything with such serious questions connected with the destiny of the country, considered it more natural that England and the other Powers who signed the Treaty of 1856 should examine the Russian declaration, and thereupon make known to it their impression. The French Government would then be fully prepared to consider in common the duties imposed upon them by this new state of affairs. M. Tissot said that he was instructed to express himself to me in this sense, and to state the extreme interest which the Government of National Defence would feel in being made acquainted with the resolutions which the Cabinet of London might adopt. * A similar despatch was addressed to Sir H. Elliot. My Lord, No. 21. Sir A. Paget to Earl Granville.--(Received November 19.) Florence, November 15, 1870. ON Friday last, the 11th instant, the Russian Minister called upon M. Visconti Venosta and read a despatch to his Excellency from Prince Gortchakoff, of which he also left him a copy, in which the Russian Chancellor, after referring to the various modifications which have been introduced into the provisions of the Treaty of Paris of 1856, concludes by announcing the intention of His Majesty the Emperor of Russia to denounce the Special Convention between Russia and Turkey by which the amount of the naval forces to be maintained by each Power in the Black Sea is limited. M. Visconti Venosta did not conceal from Baron Uxküll the painful impression and the surprise produced upon him by this communication. His Excellency told Baron Uxküll that the only reply he could then give him was that, faithful to the traditional policy of Italy in regard to Eastern affairs, the Italian Government must look for a solution of the present unexpected complication in an accord with the other Powers signataries of the Treaty of Paris. M. Visconti Venosta, whom I saw immediately after his interview with Baron Uxküll, expressed to me his utmost anxiety to be made acquainted as promptly as possible with the views of Her Majesty's Government. Yesterday Baron Uxküll called again upon M. Visconti Venosta, in the expectation that his Excellency would have had time to communicate with other Governments and be in a position to give him some more positive answer as to the course intended to be pursued by the Italian Govermnent. M. Visconti Venosta informed me to day that he limited his reply yesterday nearly to the same terms as those he had employed on the first occasion. He told the Russian Minister that he felt it due to the Power principally interested (Turkey) not to say more until he became acquainted with the views of the Ottoman Government. His Excellency states, however, that he added that if the other Powers should come to an agreement that it was desirable to modify some of the stipulations of the Treaty of Paris, the Italian Government would not refuse to co-operate in this work, on the understanding, of course, that the main object of the Treaty-the integrity, stability, and independence of the Turkish Empire-were maintained. He said this to prove to the Russian Minister that the Italian Government was always animated by conciliatory sentiments, and also because if other Governments were of opinion that alterations in the Treaty could be agreed to without inconvenience or danger, it did not appear to him that it behoved Italy by itself to be an obstacle to such arrangements. His Excellency, however, begged Baron Uxküll to understand that he reserved, until he should be in possession of the views of other Governments, the formal reply of the Cabinet of Florence to Prince Gortchakoff's communication. I am enabled to state that it is M. Visconti Venosta's desire to shape as far as possible the policy of the Italian Government in the present grave conjuncture in accordance with that which will be followed by Her Majesty's Government and Austria. I have, &c. (Signed) A. PAGET. No. 22. (Extract.) Lord Lyons to Earl Granville.-(Received November 19.) Tours, November 17, 1870. I HAD this morning the honour to receive your Lordship's telegram, informing me that your answer to the Russian communication respecting the Treaties of 1856 would be delivered to Prince Gortchakoff on that day; and accordingly, I allowed Comte de Chaudordy to read your Lordship's despatch to Sir Andrew Buchanan of the 10th instant, in which it is contained and at his request I promised to let him have a copy of that despatch. M. de Chaudordy told me that, not a little to his surprise, Prince Gortchakoff's Circular had not yet been communicated to the Government here by the Russian Chargé d'Affaires. The Government had, however, not failed to take the subject into serious consideration. (Extract.) No. 18. Earl Granville to Lord Lyons.* Foreign Office, November 17, 1870. MUSURUS PASHA called upon me yesterday. His Excellency renewed the complaints he had previously made of the unjustifiable pretension of the Russian Government to abjure any of the obligations of the Treaty of 1856; and he asked my advice as to the course which the Turkish Government should pursue. I told him the character of the answer which Her Majesty's Government had returned to the Russian communication, and I said it appeared to me that Turkey might adopt a somewhat similar answer. M. Musurus believes that Turkey would take no step without communicating and consulting with England. (Extract.) No. 19. Earl Granville to Lord Lyons.t Foreign Office, November 17, 1870. M. DE CADORNA informed me yesterday that M. Visconti Venosta reserved the expression of his opinion on the Russian Circular, being ignorant of the impressions which it had produced on the Turkish Government, the party principally interested, and being unwilling, from a sentiment of equity, to make any premature statement in this serious question, in which Italy only looked to the maintenance of peace and of the equilibrium in the East. If it were shown that the revision of certain clauses in the Treaty of Paris was seasonable and necessary for the further confirmation of its fundamental basis, Italy would not refuse to examine them in concert with other Powers. The Cabinet of Vienna was urgent that, in concert with England, the measure taken Russia should be declared inadmissible. M. Visconti Venosta desired, before pronouncing himself on the substance of the affair, to ascertain the real dispositions of England, and, if possible, the result of Mr. Odo Russell's mission. 1 observed that I had already told M. Cadorna the substance of the answer Her Majesty's Government had sent; that I had no further information to give him. I added that I would not fail to give the Italian Government full and confidential information. M. de Cadorna pointed out that M. de Venosta had reserved to himself complete liberty of action, and was only anxious not to commit his Government before he was well acquainted with the views of the other parties to the Treaty. No. 20. Earl Granville to Lord Lyons. (Extract.) Foreign Office, November 17, 1870. M. TISSOT informed me to-day that up to the 14th instant M. de Chaudordy had received no communication from the Russian Chargé d'Affaires on the subject of the declaration recently made by Prince Gortchakoff, and that he had consequently pointed out to your Excellency that it was impossible for him to express a decided opinion until the Delegation of the Government of National Defence at Tours had taken cognizance of the document which would probably be delivered to it by order of the Russian Chancellor. M. de Chaudordy added that the French Government being engrossed beyond everything with such serious questions connected with the destiny of the country, considered it more natural that England and the other Powers who signed the Treaty of 1856 should examine the Russian declaration, and thereupon make known to it their impression. The French Government would then be fully prepared to consider in common the duties imposed upon them by this new state of affairs. M. Tissot said that he was instructed to express himself to me in this sense, and to state the extreme interest which the Government of National Defence would feel in being made acquainted with the resolutions which the Cabinet of London might adopt. * A similar despatch was addressed to Sir H. Elliot. My Lord, No. 21. Sir A. Paget to Earl Granville.--(Received November 19.) Florence, November 15, 1870. ON Friday last, the 11th instant, the Russian Minister called upon M. Visconti Venosta and read a despatch to his Excellency from Prince Gortchakoff, of which he also left him a copy, in which the Russian Chancellor, after referring to the various modifications which have been introduced into the provisions of the Treaty of Paris of 1856, concludes by announcing the intention of His Majesty the Emperor of Russia to denounce the Special Convention between Russia and Turkey by which the amount of the naval forces to be maintained by each Power in the Black Sea is limited. M. Visconti Venosta did not conceal from Baron Uxküll the painful impression and the surprise produced upon him by this communication. His Excellency told Baron Uxküll that the only reply he could then give him was that, faithful to the traditional policy of Italy in regard to Eastern affairs, the Italian Government must look for a solution of the present unexpected complication in an accord with the other Powers signataries of the Treaty of Paris. M. Visconti Venosta, whom I saw immediately after his interview with Baron Uxküll, expressed to me his utmost anxiety to be made acquainted as promptly as possible with the views of Her Majesty's Government. Yesterday Baron Uxküll called again upon M. Visconti Venosta, in the expectation that his Excellency would have had time to communicate with other Governments and be in a position to give him some more positive answer as to the course intended to be pursued by the Italian Govermnent. M. Visconti Venosta informed me to day that he limited his reply yesterday nearly to the same terms as those he had employed on the first occasion. He told the Russian Minister that he felt it due to the Power principally interested (Turkey) not to say more until he became acquainted with the views of the Ottoman Government. His Excellency states, however, that he added that if the other Powers should come to an agreement that it was desirable to modify some of the stipulations of the Treaty of Paris, the Italian Government would not refuse to co-operate in this work, on the understanding, of course, that the main object of the Treaty-the integrity, stability, and independence of the Turkish Empire-were maintained. He said this to prove to the Russian Minister that the Italian Government was always animated by conciliatory sentiments, and also because if other Governments were of opinion that alterations in the Treaty could be agreed to without inconvenience or danger, it did not appear to him that it behoved Italy by itself to be an obstacle to such arrangements. His Excellency, however, begged Baron Uxküll to understand that he reserved, until he should be in possession of the views of other Governments, the formal reply of the Cabinet of Florence to Prince Gortchakoff's communication. I am enabled to state that it is M. Visconti Venosta's desire to shape as far as possible the policy of the Italian Government in the present grave conjuncture in accordance with that which will be followed by Her Majesty's Government and Austria. No. 22. I have, &c. (Signed) A. PAGET. (Extract.) Lord Lyons to Earl Granville.-(Received November 19.) Tours, November 17, 1870. I HAD this morning the honour to receive your Lordship's telegram, informing me that your answer to the Russian communication respecting the Treaties of 1856 would be delivered to Prince Gortchakoff on that day; and accordingly, I allowed Comte de Chaudordy to read your Lordship's despatch to Sir Andrew Buchanan of the 10th instant, in which it is contained and at his request I promised to let him have a copy of that despatch. M. de Chaudordy told me that, not a little to his surprise, Prince Gortchakoff's Circular had not yet been communicated to the Government here by the Russian Chargé d'Affaires. The Government had, however, not failed to take the subject into serious consideration. No. 23. (Extract.) Sir A. Buchanan to Earl Granville.-(Received November 21.) St. Petersburgh, November 13, 1870. ALTHOUGH the declaration addressed to the Great Powers relative to the Black Sea is generally known here, no newspaper has yet referred to it, nor has any Russian spoken of it to myself, or to any member of Her Majesty's Embassy. No. 24. (Extract.) Sir A. Buchanan to Earl Granville.-(Received November 21.) St. Petersburgh, November 15, 1870. YOUR Lordship's despatches of the 9th and 10th instant were delivered to me this evening by Queen's messenger Ball, and I shall proceed to-morrow morning to Czarskoe Seloe to deliver a copy of that dated the 10th instant to Prince Gortchakoff. In the meanwhile I have the honour to inform your Lordship that the Russian despatch, to which it replies, was published in the "Official Messenger" of this day. My Lord, No. 25. Sir A. Buchanan to Earl Granville.-(Received November 21.) St. Petersburgh, November 16, 1870. I CALLED upon Prince Gortchakoff this morning at Czarskoe Seloe, and read to him your Lordship's despatch of the 10th instant, having previously acquainted him with your language to Baron Brunnow, when he delivered to you Prince Gortchakoff's despatches of the 31st October and 1st November, as reported in your Lordship's despatch of the 9th instant. Prince Gortchakoff said he would reply to your Lordship's observations calmly; but, in the meanwhile, he requested me to assure you that the Government of the Emperor, in the steps which they had taken, had no motives but to remove a stain on the honour of Russia, and at the same time to establish more securely the amicable relations of Turkey and Russia. He then went on to recapitulate and develop the arguments in his despatch on which he bases the right of Russia to denounce certain Articles of the Treaty of 1856; and I said his observations were entirely irrelevant, as your Lordship objected, in limine, to any Power arrogating to itself the right to terminate a Treaty without the assent of the other Parties to it. It was, not, therefore, I said, to the question of the revision of the Treaty, but to the form in which it had been presented to them, that Her Majesty's Government objected; and I intimated that it appeared to me the Emperor's unwillingness to submit any longer to what he considered a humiliation might have been put forward just as strongly without enumerating the untenable doctrines of the Russian declaration. His Excellency said he could not discuss that point with me, as the Emperor's decision was irrevocable, and that Turkey would consult her best interests by assenting to it, as she would then secure the future goodwill of Russia: but if she followed another course, either spontaneously or by the advice of other Powers, she would expose herself to the most serious dangers; for though the policy of Russia was so entirely pacific that she had not added a soldier to her army in raising this question, there could be no doubt that the Christian populations in the Ottoman Empire, whose past tranquillity was greatly to be attributed to the influence of Russia, would rise in arms against the Sultan on the first misunderstanding between the two Governments. I answered that it was unnecessary for me to enter into any discussion with him on the subject, as your Lordship's despatch had explained fully the views of Her Majesty's Government upon it, and that I hoped he would find in them reasons for endeavouring to remove the difficulty which now stands in the way of the consideration of the question. Before the close of our conversation, however, he said he was surprised at the sentiments at present expressed by Her Majesty's Government as to the abrogation of Treaties, as they had accepted without remonstrance the changes which had taken place in Germany in 1866 by the extinction of the German Confederation and the Kingdom of Hanover. I have, &c. (Signed) ANDREW BUCHANAN. |