The Press.
London, England, 1857-11-07 00:00:00

TURKEY AND THE PRINCIPALITIES.

A further change of Ministry, it is reported, is not
improbable at Constantinople.
'the details of the recent proceedings of the Divans
ad hoc convoked in Moldavia and Wallachia to ex-
press the wishes of the people upon the future
government of these countries, have reached us.
In Moldavia, on the 19th of October, the Assembly
met. The following is the official account of the
result of their proceedings. The Divan assembled
in full costume :

This 19th day of October the Assembly of Moldavia,
instituted by the Treaty of Paris, for the purpose of ex-
pressing the wishes of the country relative to the future
organisation of the Principalities, impressed with the
feeling that the first desire of a people is to exist; that that
existence must be assured as one of the great family of
nations ; that such has been the aim of our nation for the
last five centuries ; that the Principalities have always
preserved their political and national existence by treaties
concluded between their princes and the Kings of Poland,
Hungary, ttc.; that the preservation of their droilx de
souverainele was the main feature of their treaties in 1393,
1460, 1511, and 11134.
Tuat they have never abdicated their autonomy and
right to independent government; that these treaties have
not been annulled by any subsequent public act, but have,
on the contrary, been consecrated, formerly as well as
latterly, by various acts of the great powers, viz.:—
Treaty of Adrianople—Conferences of Vienna—Cir-
cular of Ministry of Emperor Napoleon, 23rd May, 1853
—by the Ottoman Porte itself, in the headings of various
State papers—as also in the Conferences, 11th February,
1856, where " elle continue de nouveau les privileges et
immunites dont les dites Principautes ont join depuis les
capitulations qui leer ont etc accordees par lea Sultans
Bajazet et Mahomet II."
Considering that these treaties recognise and confirm,
not only privileges and immunities, but also a right to an
independent and national government, as specified in
Art IV. of Treaty of 1511—." Moldavia shall be governed

1081

by its own laws and institutions, without the Porte being'
allowed to interfere in any way :"
Considering that the Treaty of Paris has not only sti-
pulated nothing against our ancient treaties, but has recog•
nisei' and confirmed an independent national adminis-
tration to the Principalities, liberty of legislation, an armed
national force and a line of frontier defence, and pro-
mised them for the future an organisation in accordance
with the rights and wishes of the nation, placing them at
the same time under the collective guarantee of the Euro-
pean powers:
Considering that the Treaty of Paris, as well as our
own capitulations, only limits the extent of our organisa-
tion by the condition of not infringing the rights of the
Sublime Porte, as laid down in our treaties, rights which
the Roumans have always respected, and will always re-
spect, in their entire integrity :
Considering that it is indispensable to give full force to
the necessities and wishes of the nation, in order to end
the sufferings, abuses, and internal discords that have
paralysed the development of the country, and in order to
establish peace and prosperity :
Considering that the most important and most general
wish, the desire born among past generations, inspiring
the present, and which, if granted, will constitute the
prosperity of the future, is the union of the Principalities
into a single State, a union indispensable, legal, natural ;
for we form but one people in Wallachia and Moldavia,
homogeneous, identical, more than any other nation of the
same origin, name, language, religion, history, civilisation,
institutions, laws, manners, fears and hopes, interests sus
necessities, the same frontiers to guard, and the same
mission to fulfil:
Considering that we desire this union, not for the pur-
pose of attacking rights or threatening the peace of others,
but in order solely to assure our own ; that this union
will be a voucher for peace to the Sublime Porte as well
as to the neighbouring States :
Considering that the union is inscribed in our " Regle-
ment Organique," Art. 425, c. ix.; considering that it is
necessary, in order that the union produce the expected
results, to establish a Government powerful and stable, re-
spected at home as well as supported abroad by the great
family of reigning houses, and that a similar Government
cannot be obtained by the vicious system of elective and
deposable princes who, according to every historical proof,
have only produced anarchy by the rivalries and ambitions
of the frequent and numerous candidates, only feebleness
and corruption by their abuses and nepotism, and, above
all, only occupations and wars, by the fact of the separation
of the two countries, and of the subjection of the princes
to foreign pressure :
Considering that the Principalities require equality in
point of national dignity and position, and that they ought
to return to their primary institution of an hereditary sove-
reign, as in the palmy days of the Radon Negrou and
Bogdan Dragosch families, and place at their head a
foreign prince, chosen frein among the reigning dynasties
of Europe, to the exclusion of neighbouring States, so as
to avoid extraneous influences :
Considering that, in order to obtain this principle,
which is to put an end to past evils and open a new era to
our country, the Roumans renounce the rights that they
possess by virtue of their treaties to elect their own chief,
and delegate the nomination of a foreign prince to those
illustrious sovereigns who have taken in hand the destinies
of the Principalities :
Considering that, in order to unite as soon as possible
the new dynasty with the Roman people, it is necessary
to educate the successors of the sovereign in the dogmas
of our holy Eastern Church; considering that the prince
must be surrounded by all possible guarantees of peace,
one of the principal of which is the neutrality of the Prin-
cipalities, recognised already by Art. 20 and 27 of the
Treaty of Paris ; that a General Assembly, representing
more or less perfectly our country, has always been cus-
tomary therein ; that, in short, the rights of the Principali-
ties, as contained in the treaties, their union under a
foreign hereditary prince, guaranteed by the neutrality of
our territory, sustained by a legislative power composed of
all the vital elements of society, can only be available when
those principles have been placed under the salutary and
all-powerful guarantee of the great European powers :
The Assembly ad hoc of Moldavia, following the route
indicated by the Treaty of Paris, that is, the expression of
the wishes of the country before God and man, and in fall
security of conscience, only regarding the rights and in-
terests of the Rouman nation, declares the first and
greatest wishes of the country to be-1. Respect of the
rights of the Principalities, and particularly of their auto-
nomy, according to the tenor of their ancient treaties with
the Sublime Porte in 1393, 14(10, 1511, and 1031. '2. Tte
union of the Principalities into a single State under the
name of Roumania. 3. A foreign hereditary prince, elected
from among the ruling dynasties of Europe, whose suc-
cessors are to be educated in the religion of the country.
4. The neutrality of the territory of the Principalities. 5.
The legislative power to be confided to a general As-
sembly, where all the interests of the nation shall be
represented.
All these rights under the collective guarantee of the
powers, parties to the Treaty of Paris.
These points were carried by a majority of 12
against 2; the minority were represented by M.
Balsch and the Vicar of Rouman.
In Wallachia, after the election of the presidents
of the various classes, M. Constantin Crezzulesco,
on the '2oth of October, requested permission to
make a " proposition of urgency." He said :
That the Rottman nation, impeded in its development by
the existing despotism and predominant. illegality, felt the
necessity of a radical reform in its constitution, as well as
the urgency of the seven European powers guaranteeing
the autonomy assured to this country in their treaties ab
mallow. This guarantee would only be efficacious when
the country obtained at the same time an organisation polo

•-•

Curt Atte ,fagion.

Her Majesty the Queen and Royal Family continue
at Windsor Castle.
Lord and Lady Palmerston and Earl Granville
have been among the guests of the week.

The Right Hon. the Earl of Aberdeen, we are
happy to hear, is convalescent.
The Earl of Malmesbury will arrive in town this

day.
Lord Henry Lennox, M.P., has arrived in town
from Gordon Castle.
The Bishop of London has returned to town, and
will receive the clergy as usual at London-house
from eleven to two o'clock on Tuesdays.
The Right Hon. B. Disraeli and Mrs. Disraeli have
left Hughenden Manor for Torquay.
IT is with regret that we hear that Mr. R. C.
Hildyard, M.P. for Whitehaven, lies seriously indis-
posed at his house in town. Dr. Budd is in constant
attendance upon the hon. member.