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to their future destiny. If those wishes, deliberately expressed, should be in favor of a union with Greece, Her Majesty's Government would propose that, with a view to considering the future condition of the Ionian Islands, a Conference should be assembled, to consist of the Representatives of the Powers who signed the Treaty of November, 1815, and of the protecting Powers, who in 1827 and 1832, signed the Treaties by which the Kingdom of Greece was constituted. I am, &c.,

Lord Bloomfield.

RUSSELL.

P.S.-You are desired to read and give a copy of this despatch to Count Rechberg.

Treaty between Great Britain, France and Russia, on the One Part, and Denmark, on the Other Part, relative to the Accession of Prince William of Denmark to the Throne of Greece. Signed at London, July 13, 1863 1

Au nom de la Très Sainte et Indivisible Trinité.

Leurs Majestés la Reine du Royaume Uni de la Grande Bretagne et d'Irlande, l'Empereur des Français, et l'Empereur de toutes les Russies, désirant aplanir les difficultés survenues dans le Royaume de Grèce, placé sous leur commune garantie, ont jugé nécessaire de s'entendre sur les arrangements à prendre, afin de réaliser les vœux de la nation Grecque qui appelent le Prince Guillaume de Danemark au trône Hellénique.

De son côté, Sa Majesté le Roi de Danemark, se rendant à l'invitation de leurs dites Majestés, a consenti à leur prêter son concours en vue de ce résultat, conforme aux intérêts de la paix générale.

In the name of the Most Holy and Indivisible Trinity.

Their Majesties the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Emperor of the French, and the Emperor of all the Russias, being anxious to smooth the difficulties which have occurred in the kingdom of Greece, placed under their common guarantee, have judged it necessary to come to an understanding with regard to the arrangements to be taken in order to give effect to the wish of the Greek nation, which calls Prince William of Denmark to the Hellenic Throne.

His Majesty the King of Denmark, on his part, responding to the invitation of their said Majesties, has consented to afford them his co-operation with a view to that result, conformable to the interests of the general

peace.

1 Brit. St. Pap., vol. 53, p. 28. Ratifications exchanged at London, August 3, 1863. Translation from British Parliamentary Papers, 1864, vol. 66 [3246], p. 4.

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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 Parlia mentary 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.

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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,

"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.

"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.

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