THE VIENNA. CONFERENCE PAPERS.

The Papers relating to the negotiations at Vienna on the Eastern Question have been delivered. They comprise the Memorandum of the Allies to the Russian Ambassador on the 28th of December, and thirteen Protocols, re- cording the discussions as well as the proceedings of as many conferences. This memorandum developed the four points with more fulness and pre- cision. Its substance was presented in an abridged but still in a very clear form, by Count Buol, in opening the Conferences on the 11th of March; when the Count invoked the Divine auspices in the endeavour to establish peace.

1. The protectorate exercised by Russia over Moldavia and Wallachia shall cease ; and the Privileges conferred by the Sultans on those Principalities, as well as on Servia. shall henceforward be placed under the collective guarantee of the con- tracting Powers. " 2. The freedom of the navigation of the Danube shall be completely secured by effectual means, and under the control of a permanent syndical authority. "3. The treaty of July 13, 1841, shall be revised, with the double object of con- necting more completely the existence of the Ottoman Empire with the European equilibrium, and of putting an end to the preponderance of Russia in the Black Sea.

4. Russia abandons the principle of covering with an official protectorate the Christian subjects of the Sultan of the Oriental ritual ; but the Christian Powers will lend each other their mutual assistance in order to obtain from the initiative of. the Ottoman Government the confirmation and the observance of the religious lights of the Christian communities subject to the Porte, without distinction of ritual."

Prince Gortchakoff gave his adhesion to the common design with great

solemnity; " We are here as serious men, met together to work on a serious matter, the most arduous which has occurred in our times; and we must all heartily endeavour to avoid generalities, in order to arrive at a practical ap- plication of the principles which we have adopted, and consequently to enter without further delay upon the development of the details of each question." Four conferences, from the 19th to the 23d of March, were devoted to the first two points ; the Russian Plenipotentiaries conspicuously defending the local immunities and privileges of the inhabitants of the Principalities, and professing the greatest desire for the unobstructed navigation of the Danube.

At the conference of the 235 of March the third point came under discus- sion ; and the Allies offered that Russia should take the initiative in pro- posing a plan to develop this point. With many professions of rejoicing at the sentiments of courtesy and conciliation that he had heard, Prince Gort- chakoff asked leave to refer this question to his own Government. This was agreed to.

A proposal was thrown out to proceed with the discussion of the fourth point; to which, Prince Gortchakoff remarked that he attached no political idea, though he manifested no unwillingness to consider it, and he reverted to it at subsequent conferences on the 29th of March and 2d April.

On the 17th April, Prince Gortchakoff announced that Russia declined to take the initiative. M. Drouyn de Lhuys, who had joined the conference on the 9th, expressed his deep regret that after a delay of eighteen days Russia threw back the initiative on the other Powers. "He put the question, whe- ther Russia would consider her rights of sovereignty infringed if she deprived herself of the liberty of building an unlimited number of ships of war in the Black Sea. Prince Gortchakoff replied, that Russia would not consent to the strength of her navy being restricted to any fixed number, either by treaty or in other manner."

Lord John Russell could not disguise his surprise at Russia's declining the initiative ; the surrender of which was to give her the opportunity of making

of St. Peters-

burg consistent with her honour "Since the Court burg had declined to take the initiative on this subject, the chances of suc- cess attending the negotiations for peace appeared in his eyes much di- minished." The other Allied Plenipotentiaries joined in the opinions ex- pressed by the English and French Plenipotentiaries. The conference broke off without result. At the next conference, Prince Gortchakoff asked whe- ther Austria considered that the limitations of Russian forces in the Black Sea were, in case Russia refused, to be accomplished by means of coercion ? Austria, replied Count Buol, recommended the adoption of the project by Russia; but the Emperor of Austria reserved full means for supporting the proposition hereafter. Subsequently, M. de Titoff, catching at something that M. Drouyn de Lhuys had let fall, said that the best mode of settling the question would consist in facilitating direct explanations between Russia and Turkey. This was scouted. At the next conference, on the 21st of April, Prince Gortchakoff read a long memorandum, representing that in former times Russia had been invited to defend Turkey, and that other powers might menace her ; and then he proposed a project on the third point for opening the Dardanelles to war-ships of all nations. Baron Prokesch objected to the project, as against the unanimous opinion of the four Powers. At the close of this conference, Lord John Russell and M. Drouyn de Lhuys declared their instructions to be exhausted.

A further conference, however, was held on the 26th of April, at which Russia made a new proposition ; deemed by Count Buol to admit of discus- sion, and to contain elements" ifor an understanding, though in its rough state not a solution nor even a basis for a solution ; and Baron Prokeech marked it with his strong disapprobation. At the close of this conference, Prince Gortchakoff declared that the Plenipotentiaries`of Russia had amply redeemed their word by proposing several plans of solution.

We subjoin the projects beforethe, Conference on the Third Point.

Proposition of the Allies.

" Article 1. The high contracting parties wishing that the Sublime Porte should participate in the advantages of the system established by public law between the different states of Europe, engage themselves severally to respect the independence and territorial integrity of the Ottoman empire, guarantee together the strict ob- servance of this engagement, and will in consequence consider every act or event which should be of a nature to infringe on it as a question of European interest.

"Article 2. If a misunderstanding should arise between the Porte and one of the contracting parties, these two States, before having recourse to the employment of force, should place the other Powers in a position to anticipate this extreme course by pacific means.

"Article 3. His Majesty the Emperor of All the Hussies, and his Highness the Sultan, wishing reciprocally. to give a proof of their confidence, and to anticipate the misgivings which might arise from the excessive development of their naval forces in the Euxine, engage respectively not to have in that sea more than four ships, four frigates, with a proportionate number of light vessels and of unarmed vessels exclu- sively adapted to the transport of troops. " Article 4. The rule of the closing of the Straits of the Bosphorus and of the Der- danelles, laid down by the treaty of July 13, 1841, shall remain in force, with the exceptions specified in the following articles. "Article 5. Each of the contracting Powers who have not an establishment in the Black Sea shall be authorized by a finnan of his Highness, on notifying it five days beforehand, to bring into that sea a number of vessels equal to half the naval forces which each of the two Powers bordering on the sea shall maintain there in conform- ity with article 2. Article 6. At no time shall ships of war of foreign nations, with the exception 9f light vessels belonging to the Embassies admitted heretofore, be able to anchor at the Golden Horn; Sand in time of peace the number of vessels of the line of the con- t acting Powers who have no establishment in the Black Sea shall not be allowed to be more than four at the same time before Constantinople, in their passage from the Dardanelles to the Black Sea, and from the Black Sea to the Dardanelles.

" Article 7. In case (which God forbid I) the Sylvan should be menaced by an ag- gression. he reserves to himself the right to open the passages to all the maritime forces of his allies.

"Article B. The two Powers bordering on the Black Sea, in order to testify to the other high contracting parties their desire to maintain with them the most friendly relations, engage to admit in all the ports situated in the Black Sea the C‘msula which the latter may consider it useful to establish there.

"Article 9. His Majesty the Emperor of All the Hussies and his Highness the Sultan, wishing to give a proof of the generous sentiments with which they are animated, promise a full and entire amnesty to all inhabitants and officers of the provinces which have been the theatre of war. none of them shall be molested or prosecuted for his opinions, for his acts, or for the conduct he may have held dur- ing the war, or during the temporary occupation of the provinces by the respective troops of the belligerent parties. The inhabitants of the Islands of Aland are ad- mitted to the benefit of this provision.

" Article 10. His Majesty the King of Sardinia is comprised in the present peace. Commercial and other relations are reestablished between that kingdom and the empire of all the Russias, on the same footing as they were before the declaration of war."

Turkish Interpretation of Article 1.

" The high contracting parties, impressed with the importance to the mainte- nance of the general equilibrium of seeing the Sublime Porte participating in the advantages of the union established by public law between the different European • States, declare that they will henceforth consider her as an integral part of this union; engage each on its own part to respect the independence and the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire ; guarantee in common the strict observance of this engagement; and will in consequence consider every act, 8to."

First Russian Project.

" Article 1. The high contracting Courts being desirous of putting an end to the anxieties which may arise from the inequality of the naval forces of the two border- ing Powers in the basin of the Black Sea, his Highness the Sultan, by a spontaneous act of his sovereign will, consents to modify the rule of the closing of the Straits of the Dardanelles and of the Bosphorus, as provided for by the treaty of 1-13 July, 1841, and to grant henceforth, without distinction, to the flags of war of all nations, the free passage through these Straits to proceed from the Archipelago into the Black Sea, and vice vereS.

•• Article 2. The arrangements for regulating the passage of ships of war through these Straits, and laying down the positions and the duration of the anchorages, shall'firmi the subject of a special regulation, which the Sublime Porte shall pro- mulgate, according as it may think necessary for its security.

• 'Article 3. The regulation mentioned in the preceding article shall be ideutic for the flags of war of all nations in a state of peace with the Sublime Porte ; who, called upon to enjoy it on a footing of perfect equality, shall engage scrupulously

to observe it.

"Article 4. His Highness the Sultan, however, reserves to himself, with a view, to particular circumstances, to introduce into the provisions of that regulation in favour of any flag he pleases, exceptional and temporary modifications, destined to- extend the privileges for a limited time.

" Article 5. In case (which God forbid!) the Sublime Porte should herself be in a state of war, or should see her security compromised by hostilities which might break out between other Powers, his Highness the Sultan reserves to himself' the power to suspend the free passage through the Straits either entirely or partially, until the cessation of the circumstances which may have required such a measure."

Second Russian Project.

Article 1. The principle of the closing of the Straits of the and the Dardanelles in time of peace, sanctioned by the ancient. legislation of the Sublime Porte, and by the treaty of July 1-13, 1841, remains in lull force.

"Article 2. His Highness the Sultan reserves to himself the power to open, by way of temporary exception, the Straits of the Dardanelles and of the Bosphorus to the fleets of foreign powers which the Sublime Porte should think it necessary to sum- mon whenever she should consider her security menaced."