The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-13 00:00:00

VIENNA CONFERENCES.

The gapers respecting the Austrian proposals for a
settlement of the Eastern question have now been laid
before Parliament.

The stibjaned despatch from. Count Buol to the Aug-
trian Minister at London is that which bears more im-
mediately on the subject,:—

COUNT BUOI; TO COUNT COLLOREDO.—(COMMUNICATED TO THE
EARL Or CLARENDON BY COUNT COLLOREDO.)
Vienna, May 20, 1855.

M. le Comte—Lord Westmoreland has obeyed the orders
of his Court in ,reading to me a despatch which Lord Claren-
don addressed to him en the Bth instant, and in which was
enclosed another despatch that his lordship had written to
Tford Cowley, dated the sth inst.
It is with a feeling of sincere regret that we have observed
from these documents, of the contents of which your Excel-
lency's report of the Bth instant had already made us cogni-
sant, that the Government of her Britannic Majesty has not
thought it possible to agree to our final propositions, whose
aim was to obtain the development of the third guarantee.
Lord Olarendon having made the remark that the details of
these pro Positions, as fully explained in my despatch of the
13th of April, and which your Excellency read to his lord-
ship, had never reached him in a formal shape, we bold to
proving that M. Drouyn de l'Huys, who, on his arrival hero,
after having had an interview with the Ministers of her
Britannic Majesty, was the interpreter to us of the opi-
nion cmnmon to both-Cabinets, undertook also when he
left us to explain both to his own Government and to that
of Great Britain our project of an ultimatum, the' result,
moreover, of confidential deliberations, in which that states.
man, as well as Lord J. Russell, bad constantly taken p art.
With the view of not anticipating the report of this
Minister of her Britannic Majesty, nor the overtures which
we knew were to reach London from Paris, We refrained
from communicating directly to the Cabinet of St. James's
the definitive summary of our propositions, copies of which
I transmit herewith. These propositions, of which the fire t
comprises five Articles, and the second six, would have bee:a
presented under the form- of an ultimatum for the choice.
of Russia. You will also find herewith enclosed a copy of a
project of treaty between Austria, France, and Great
Britain, which was intended to serve as a complement to
our plan, and which fixed as a casus belli every aggresion on
the part of Russia of such a nature as to endanger the inde-
pendence and territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire,
as well as the excessive increase of the naval forces of Russia
in the Euxine.

Lord Clarendon does not attach much practical value to
this latter stip4lation, since ho says Austria has already de-
clared that she could not, admit that the question of peace
or war should turn upon eight or ten ships. But we
may be permitted to remind his lordship of the immense
difference that exists between our attitude in the actual
state of affaairs, while we are still free to determine as to
the question of war, and the contrary position in which
we should be placed were the case of war once clearly defined
and stipulated by treaty. In this contingency no ono can
doubt that Austria would scrupulously act up to the engage-
ments she contracted.

Lord Clarendon is Of opinion that the time has arrived for
Great Britain and France to invite Austria to concert with
them, in pursuance of her engagements, upon the measures
forgiving-effect to the treaty of the 2d December.
Here, however, and first in order, the question presents
itself, what is the object of the alliance 1 It is none other
than the re-establishment of peace upon the basis of the four
common principles. The first two of these principles have
already obtained a compiete development in the Peace Con-
ferences. As to the third, we have proposed to our allies, at
the same time binding ourselves, in case of need, to support
it by force of arms, a solution which it is our firm conviction
would be effectual, complete, and agreeable to European in-
terests.

I cannot do better, M. le Comte, in order to make you ac-
quainted with all the reason that we have to bring forward
to strengthen this view of the question, than to transmit to
you herewith copies of the communications which I have
made to Baron. Hubner uponthis matter, and which you will
have the goodness also to place before Lord Clarendon.
If Russia, being placed in a position to agree to one or
other of these propositions of the ultimatum, had rejected
both of them,' we should then have had proof that she
will decidedly not give her assistance to the complete
realisation of the third guarantee, iu so far as its object
is to put an end to Russian preponderance in the Black Sea.
It being impossible, therefore, to do else than consider as ex-
hausted the means of conciliation for bringing about such a
peace as the interests of 'Europe, and our own in particular,
require, the Epperor, our august master, decided to havo re-
course to arms as a means of obtaining this peace, the want
of which is so generally felt, and which would miscarry
under the resistance of one Power alone. On the other hand,
so long as an absence of assistance ou the part of our allies
puts obstacles in the way of this last and decisive proof, our
impartial tstimation does not allow us to make the responsi-
bility of the failure of the negotiations exclusively upon
Russia,

We are most anxious that the nmarks mado in this and

file Minsk:a desiiatoll she t.:4 be ui a tAiiil4 AAtilidded
impression-that-our plan in- the first -instance has
upon the Government of her Britannic Majesty.
If, however, despite-our wishes, such were not the cas".cil
could only earnestly desire that the chances of war, to Wil!ue
our allies have determined to leave the task of effectin;i'
cessation of Russian preponderance in the Black Sea' thilt
soon take such a turn as to attain this cud in a Manuertbao
would appear to them more on a par with their sacrifices
the solution that we have proposed to them. os
To insist upou an international engagement, ,030, Der
upon Russia terms for the permanent limitation Ino
naval forces in the Black Sea, is—and we are far front o,
recognizing it—a right that belongs to the belligerents, „1„
they have especially reserved to themselves the power %Dr
posing, over and above the four guarantees, such Pail ye
conditions as the continuance of hostilities might rendert...,
cessary. But we maintain that this mode of solue
brought forward absolutely and to the exclusion of 'll4
other method, were it equally efficacious, cannot au,th,,,° of
out allies to appeal, as regards us, to the stiPulatitded
treaty of the 2d of December, and can only be
among such conditions of peace as are alluded to alg
and which the protocol of the 28th of DeceTaber,-os
defining the third guarantee, makes expressly to depen
the events of the war.
Faithful to our engagements, and attaching, raore...,,aepro'
the greatest value to the ties that unite us to Englan,,ro
shall firmly maintain our present policy, and await the
re,
that events may take, and the propitious moment for Jet
newing negotiations for peace, in which we will not, Ow
any circumstances, take part, except with an unchaneai
determination that they shall lead to-a positive and alio"—
development of the four guarantees. ypdThe language which we propose to hold to Rues.; s, the
which, whn held, we will faithfully make known t°
Government of her Britannic Majesty, will be conceived '
the same spirit. 1, sell
tte.

Your Excellency is instructed to read this despa'L Of
its annexes to Lord Clarendon, and to give, him a ec'ril
them.

Receive, dze,
BVOi,

PROPOSIT:ONS.
FIRST PROPOSITION.
Article 1. The High Contracting Parties being desireasf the
the Sublime Porte should participate in the advantage.,s
goofl understanding established by the Law of l'etre,
among the various States of Europe, severally engage nor
spec:, the independence and territorial integi ity of the `"to
man Empire, guarantee in common the strict observance d
engagement, and will in consequence consider every act $
every event which would be of a nature to endanger it Tio
question of European interest. If a difference should !bo
between the Porte and one of. the Contracting Powers, ityr
two States, before resorting to arms, should place the °,,io
Powers in a position to obviate this contingency b3r Pa
means. lb°
Art. 2. The Russian Plenipotentiaries and those of
Sublime Porte will propose in common to the Confer:o
ce
0$
the equal effective force of the naval armaments which
two sea-bordering Powers will maintain in the Black Sea, re,
which must not exceed the amount of Russian vessels at „
sent afloat in that sea.
The arrangement which they shall have made in this
spsct shall form an integral part of the General Treaty. res
There shall also be inserted in the Treaty the raees:l,
which the said Plenipotentiaries shall have agreed to, 0,1 ty
view to enforce the precise and constant observance 0'
stipulations of the present Article. of
Art. 3. The rule respecting the closing of the Stroll.' ti
the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, established by the Ti;e.go
of July 13, 1841, shall remain in force, with the eiaeP'i
specified in the following Articles.
Art. 4. Each of the Contractinc, Powers which 110%0
tablishment in the Black Sea will°be authorised by a Pr-4so
from his Highness to send into and station in that sea
frigates or vessels of smaller force.
Art. 5. In the event (which God forbid I) of the ctilt
he
s°
being menaced with aggression, he reserves to !Anise'', hje
right of opening the Straits to all the naval forces e`
allies.

SECOND PROPOSITION.
Article 1. The High Contracting Powers being desl.l. 0,30
00
that the Sublime Porte should participate in the advantA,E
of the good understanding established by the Law °' 'sge
tions among the various States of Europe, severally Co
to respect the independence and territorial integrity °
Ottoman Empire, guarantee in common the strict obscro4
of this engagement, and will, in consequence, consider ev,
act and every event which would be of a nature to Woe
ger it as a question. of European interest. If a differeiipf,
should arise between the Porte and one of the ContrAoool,l
Powers, those two States, before resorting to arras, 6b„titr
place the other Powers in a position to obviate this c°'
gency by pac.fic means. of
A, 9 itrait's

__rt. 2. The rule respecting the closing of the Stz• ats
the Bosphoius and the Dardanelles, established by the 11.c.00
of July 13, 1841, shall continue in force, with the except'
specified in the following Articles : 00
Art. 3. Each of the Contracting Powers which t
t
'ln it:
establishment in the Black Sea, will be authorized by' P glO
man from his his Highness to send into the station in j 'Agit
frigates or vessels of smaller force, in order to protect
commerce, and to exercise the necessary inspection. 04
Art, 4. If Russia should increase the amount of her 04
forces at present, afloat, as duly defined, the contraPp
Powers who do not possess au establishment in the.l3l4l,tg*
would be authorised by a firman of his Highness, by
thsl
previous warning of five days, to send respectivelTiOw
sea an additional number of vessels of the same class, eq.-
to one-half of the naval forces of Russia,
Art. 5. At no time will ships of war of foreign natio°,ll;
allowed to anchor in the Golden Horn, with the excePhe
of the small vessels hitherto admitted belonging t°f the
Embassies; and in time of peace the number of shiPs,°,o
line of the Contracting Powers which have no establislinforo
in the Black Sea, must never exceed four at a time, tye
Constantinople, on their way from the Dardanelles 1°
Black Sea, and from the Black Sea to the Dardanelle_g'saitso
Art. 6. In the event (which God forbid I) of tho the
being menaced with aggression, he reserves to hiniss°of the
right of opening the Straits to all the naval Wee

Allies_
the Bus'lan
After the reading of the six that, 011-
Plenipotentiaries would bo confidentially informed Lao
sidering the reservation made by them in the luterpre'7A,eo
of the first article, which declines the engagement to cow:
the observance of the independence and trritorial iutegriti
of the Ottoman Empire ; considering, moreover, their I'a;
fusal to agree to any limitation of the Russian forces in
Black Sea ; Austria, France, and Great Britain, whil'44;
specting the sovereign rights of Russia, will avail theresogi
of the same rights by agreeing among themselves by a f°l--
document— lishe"
Ist. To enforce the observance of the principle estab
•
in the Ist article, in the event of the violation of the al bi
peudence and territorial integrity of the Ottoman EmPire
Russia.
2dly. To consider as a casus belli the increase oftbe;
amount, or strength of the Russian naval force in the 13',,,'
Sea as regards its effective force at the beginning of the °net,
If Russia should herself engage not to exceed that nal°the
the three Powers would consent not to give publicity to
Convention.

PROJECT Or TREATY. Of
Their Majesties the Emperor of Austria, the EDlPet,rfok

ro•
the French, and the Queen of the United kingdom of 6acis
Britain and Ireland, desirous of securing the indepeol,e jag
anal territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire, "(1;000
respectively desirous of carrying into effect the eng3g—ii
stipulated in the article of the treaty conclude 0
the between have nallW•
their Plenipotentiaries, &c., who having ol3rallo°%
their full powers have agreed upon the foil°
articles:— of
Art. 1. The High Contracting Parties engaged, in c3-etlid
need, to employ their armies and fleets in order to attain
object above specified.
tl'a
Art. 2. If, therefore, one of the Powers which sign6,oo
said treaty of the were to commit an aggre--ber
on the Ottoman Empire of a nature to endanger one or 0 re.
of the two principles established in the preamble of the 11 of
sent treaty, the high contracting parties, on the aPP'9ll'
the Sultan, would proportionally join in defending that ,oki
pire in a manner to be mutually determined and or

upon.
Art. 3. An excessive increase of the naval forces in rt —o
in the Euxine would be considered as an act of aggres"4
calling for the application of Articles 1 and 2.
Art. 4. Ratifications.