The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-29 00:00:00

391

the most perfect manner, so as to completely reassure
the inhabitants. Turkish women and children often
mingle with the soldiers in the streets. It seems that it
was only the Ureek women who conceived some ap-
prehensions of the French soldiers ; and that, in con-
sequence of a frightful picture which their bishop
thought fit to make to them of the morals and cha-
racter of the French, this zealous pastor, who was
formerly a monk, has received orders to quit the
town.

Some years since (says the Pre am) the Emperor
Nicholas, acting himself as cicerone, conducted an
English admiral over the fortifications of Cronstadt,
when the following conversation took place :—" You
will admit, admiral, that this is a magnificent fortress
and as impregnable as Gibraltar?' " Oh, sire, no
fort but Gibraltar is impregnable." " What, then, is
your opinion of Cronstadt ?" "Itis a good fortress,
and one difficult to take." " Yes, doubtless, difficult."
"It could not be done with fifteen ships." "Could it
be done with twenty ?" " Not easily." " With twenty-
five r "It would take a fortnight." " With thirty-
five r " Oh, your Majestyren hours."

THE CONVENTION BETWEEN ENGLAND
AND FRANCE.
THE text of the treaty of alliance just concluded be-
tween England and France is promulgated by the
Moniteur, prefaced by an imperial decree to this ef-
fect:—

"Napoleon, by the grace of God and the national will, Em-
peror of the French.
"To all present and to come, greeting:—On the report of our
Minister Secretary of State to the Department of Foreign Af-

fairs,
"We have decreed and do decree as follows:
" Art. I. A treaty of alliance having been signed at London
on the 10th of the present month of April, between France and
England, with the view of sustaining the Ottoman empire against
the aggression of the empire of Russia; this convention having
been ratified by the two contracting Governments, and the re.
spective acts of ratification having been exchanged on the 16th
of the same month of April, the said treaty will receive its full
and entire execution."
The terms of the convention are as follows
" Their Majesties the Queen of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, and the Emperor of the French,
having resolved to afford their support to his Majesty the
Sultan Abdul Medjid, Emperor of the Ottomans, in the
war which he is now maintaining against the aggressions
of Russia, and being moreover compelled, notwithstanding
their sincere and persevering efforts to preserve the peace,
to become themselves belligerent parties in a war which,
without their active intervention, would have endangered
the existence of the European balance of power, and the
interests of their own States, have, in consequence, resolved
to conclude a convention intended to mark out the object of
their alliance, and also the means to be employed in unison
to accomplish it. And have for this purpose named as
their plenipotentiaries:
" Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Right Honourable George William Frederick, Earl of
Clarendon, dtc., her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary
of State for the Fo:•eigil Department. And his Majesty
the Emperor of the French, Le Sieur Alexandre Calonna.
Count Walewski, his Ambassador to her Britannic, Ma-
jesty,
" Which plenipotentiaries, having reciprocally commu-
nicated and authenticated their full powers, have agreed to
and signed the following articles
" Art. 1. The high contracting patties bind themselves to
do their utmost to effect the re-establishment of peace be-
tween Russia and the Sublime Porte upon a solid and
durable basis, and to secure Europe against the recurrence
of the lamentable complications which have just now so
unhappily disturbed the general peace.
" Art. 2. The integrity of the Ottoman empire being
violated by the occupation of the provinces of Moldavia
and of Wallachia, and by other movements of Russian
troops, their Majesties the Queen of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland and the Emperor of the French
have concerted and will concert upon the means the most
proper to free the territory of the Sultan from foreign in-
vasion, and to attain the object specified in Art. 1., and
they engage to maintain for this purpose, according to the
necessities of the war, to be judged of by common consent,
military and naval forces sufficient to meet the emergency,
and of which subsequent arrangements will determine, if
there be occasion, the quality, number, and destination.
" Art. 3. Whatever event may arise in consequence of
the execution of this convention, the high contracting par-
ties bind themselves lint to accept any overture or any
proposition for the cessation of hostilities, and not to en-
ter into any engagement with the Imperial Court of Rus-
sia without having previously deliberated in common.
" Art. 4. Animated with the desire to preserve the Euro-
pean balance of power, and seeking no self-interested ob-
ject, the high contracting parties renounce beforehand the
acquisition of any special advantage from the events which
may occur.
" Art 5. Their Majesties the Queen of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Emperor of the
French will receive with readiness into their alliance, to co-
operate for the proposed object, the other powers of Europe
who may be willing to join it.
" Art. . The present convention shall be ratified, and
the ratifications exchanged at London, within eight days.
"In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries
have signed the same and affixed their seals.
" Done at London, the lath of April, 1854.
" CLAUNDOII.
" Wst.rwsitt."

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