The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-14 00:00:00

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE CLoSING
OF THE CONFERENCES AT VIENNA.

PRESENT.

For Austria—Count Buol-Schauenstein and Baron Pro-
kesch-Osten.
1 For France—Baron Bonrqueney.
For Great Britain—The Earl of Westmorland.
For Russia—Prince Gortsehakoff, and 11. do_ Titoff.
For Turkey--Aali Pasha, and Aarif Effendi.
Count Buol opened the meeting by the following words
"In the twelfth Conference I had the honour to express
the opinion that the modes of solution calculated to carry
completely into effect the third guarantee were not ex-
hausted, and I claimed especially for Austria the task of
looking for means of accommodation.
"We have devoted ourselves to the accomplishment of
this task with a zeal proportioned to the importance of the
interests at stake. I have drawn from our p weding deli-
berations the elements of the solution of which I am about
to submit to the consideration of the Conference. In re-
flecting upon those deliberations, I was convinced that
various principles, admitted on all sides, might be con-
sidered as beyond discussion. Those principles are—
"l. To connect more completely the existence of the
Ottoman Empire with the European equilibrium.
"2. To establish a just balance of the naval forces of
the two States bordering on the Black Sea.
1 "3. To give a new confirmation to the :tilt of closing
the Strai ts ; reserving always to the Sublime PorTe the right 1
of calling for the fleets of her allies, whenever she might 1
m consider herself menaced.
" These bases being obtained from the negotiation, w hat
is the obstacle which has prevented a perfect agreement on
the whole of the third guarantee ?
"The principal difficulty, I should say the only one, rests
in the refusal of Russia to impose upon herself by Treaty,a
one-sided limitation of her naval forces in the Black Sea.
But while declaring such an engagement to be an infringe-
ment on the rights of Sovereignty of the Emperor, the
Plenipotentiaries of Russia have not beforehand declined
to examine every proposition relating to the principle of
limitation, and they concurred that a stipulation of this
nature would not be an infringement upon honour, from
the moment that it became the result of a mutual agree-
ment between the contracting parties.
" With the view of removing this difficulty, one of the
French Plenipotentiaries, who no longer assists at our de-
liberations, has pointed out a scheme which I am happy to
reproduce, because it records the sentiments of modera-
tion which stamped his instructions.
" A mutual agreement between the Plenipotentiaries of
Russia and the Sublime Porte on the basis of a balance of
their respective forces and the subsequent annexation to
the general treaty of an arrangement signed by them on
this subject, were proposed by M. Dronyn de Lhuys as a
proper means of conciliating all interests and all require-
ments.
" This course, dictated as it appears to us by an idea
eminently conciliatory, seemed at the same time to be the
practical application of a happy expression of the British
Plenipotentiary, who also is no longer with us.
"In the eyes of England (so he expressed himself) the
best conditions, and the only ones which were admissible,
would be those which, while being the most conformable
to the honour of Russia, should, at the same time be suffi-
cient for the security ofEurope, and for preventing a re-
turn of such complications as that which it is now a ques-
tion of putting an end to.
" It is, therefore, this idea (the honour of which belongs
to the French Cabinet) which has served as a basis to the
project that I am about to read, and which, while it is
perfectly honourable for all parties, unites, in our eyes, all
the elements of a satisfactory solution of the third gua-
rantee."
After this preface he read the project, of which a copy is
hereto annexed. Having finished reading it, he concluded
by thus expressing himself :
"Austria, I am authorised to declare, would see in the
acceptance of this outline the complete bases of an effec-
tual and honourable solution for all parties. Always faith-
ful to the engagements which she has contracted with her
allies, faithful to the principles which she has laid down, but
being in a position apart from the hostile action which sepa-
rates the otherparties represented here, she has considered it a
sacred duty imposed upon herby herexceptional position, to
exhaust all means for obtaining a triumph of those princi-
ples, at the same time putting an end, if possible, to the
calamities of a war which has already cost so many noble
victims. It is with these feelings that Austria presents
this proposition, and recommends it to the serious and
friendly consideration as well of her allies as of the Court
of Russia."

I Baron Bonrqueney said that as Count Buol's proposition
had for its basis a principle so repeatedly and peremp-
torily rejected by the Plenipotentiaries of Russia, it was
for them to speak first on this subject. _
The Earl of Westmoreland stated that he came to the
Conference in pursuance of the invitation of the Austrian
Minister for Foreign Affairs, but that he finds himself in
the same position in which he was placed at the last
meeting when he declared that his instructions were ex-
hausted.
Prince Gortschakoff, whilst contesting the opinion of
Baron Bourqueney that the proposition of Count ,Buol
rests on a principle which has been categorically rejected
by the Russian Plenipotentiaries, begs the Plenipotentiary
of France to be so good as to speak first.
Baron Bourqueney then stated, that as he is pressed to
express his opinion, he finds himself compelled to recur to
the peremptory and reiterated refusal of the Plenipotene
tiaries of Russia to agree to the reduction of their naval
forces by treaty, ox on a basis discussed in Conference.
This refusal had of course left traces and exercised a de-
cided iefluence on the instructions with which his Govern.
ment supplied him wit& reference to the Conference which
would be called by tbe Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Austria, for the purpos3 of making known the means
of reconciliation to which he had declared he would devote
himself. As the project proposed by Count Buol does not
completely fulfil the cond3Lons which his former instruc-
tions point out, he mast for his own part declare that the
mission of the Conference i exhausted.
Prince Gortschakoff state,i, that after the declarations
which he has just heard, the Conferences for peace have de
facto ceased. He would, thentfore, have a right to remain
perfectly silent, since to enter into particulars would only
be to discuss bases which in t lie opinion of Austria are
complete, whilst the Allies consider them insufficient.
But he does not wish to take ad vantage of this right. As
the Austrian propositions have already been considered by
the Cabinets of Paris and Londe] 1, he will also make his
Court acquainted with them, roser ving for his Court a free
and full estimation of them.
Nevertheless, he will express his personal opinion, as a
mark of respect for the Cabinet whi chi has taken so much
pains in preparing the project in question.
In analysing it he asserted, in the first place, that this
project does not rest on the principle as 'Bich the Plenipoten-
tiaries of Russia have invariably reject 'ad, and will always
reject. Proceeding then to the differe lit articles, he had
nothing to object to in the principle 'mkt\ flown in the first.
As to the second, the gist of it lies in the direct under-
standing between the Plenipotentiaries rf Russia and the
Sublime Porte, with regard to the cou, aterpoise of their
respective naval forces.
He does not reject such a combination', maintaining,
however, that fixing the number of those for reo regards the
two Powers directly interested, and that the rights of sove-
reignty of either would be infringed if other D'o'wers wishsel
to dictate to them on this subject. He agrees* .to article 3.
He finds that articles 4 and 5 are based upon ; article 2 of
the Russian counter-project, which left his 1 tiy,liness the
Sultan sovereign judge of the question of dee uding whe-
ther it would be, or not, compatible with his iederests ex-
ceptionally to open the straits.
In conclusion, he finds in the general principles' of Count
Buol's project, the bases of a possible solution of t lee third
guarantee.
M. do Titoff participates in the opinion of his cce'league ;
and without having anything to add to
,the perm sal con-
siderations put forward by the letter, he associate him-
self fully with his official declaration of his wish to ; submit
the plan of arrangement proposed by the Austrian M mister
for Foreign Affairs to the examination and decision of his
Court.
Ash Pasha declares that the project of a direct wider-
standing between the Sublime Porteand Russia was based,
as were all the other systems discussed within the Confer-
ence, upon the principle of limitation. The reiterated
and categorical rejection of this principle on the part of
the Plenipotentiaries of Russia having led to the abandon-
ment of every plan of this nature, his colleague and himself
did not consider that they should call for instructions of
their Court on this same project; and they aro, conse-
quently, in the same position as the Plenipotentiaries of
France and Great Britain.
Aarif Effendi concurred in this view.
Baron Prokesch maintains that the Plenipotentiaries of
Russia do not absolutely reject the principle of limitation
—that their objections apply rather to the form under
which it could be applied. The Plenipotentiaries of Rus-
sia having declared themselves ready to submit the Aus-
trian proposition to their Court, he expresses the b ope that
the Plenipotentiaries of France and Great Britain will do
as much on their side.
The Plenipotentiaries of France and Great Britain de-
cline to bind themselves on this subject.
Count Buol, while seeing with satisfaction that the
Plenipotentiaries of Russia will submit his proposition to
their Courts, thinks he need not answer the observations
made upon it by Prince Gortschakoff, since he himself only
attached to them the value of personal impressions. He
adds that he is, moreover, too just not to acknowledge that
the declarations of the Plenipotentiaries of France and. Great
Britain rendered it in fact difficult for Prince Gortschakoff
to enter into a deeper discussion. He finally declares that the
Plenipotentiaries of the maritime Powers having them-
selves declared the Conferences to bo closed, have relieved
him from a painful duty, the accomplishment of which
would have been imposed on him by his position. Whilst
thanking the Plenipotentiaries for having assembled at his
invitation to bring the Conferences to a suitable conclu-
sion, he declares that Austria has no further proposition to
make ; that she will, nevertheless, be al ways ready, espe-
cially if it were in the interest of peace, to transmit to the
belligerent Powers the overtures which one or the other of
them might have occasion to address to him.
Baron Bourqueney again resumes, in order to define
the respective positions. He maintains that after all
that had passed in the Conferences, his Government had
perfectly the right of considering every project founded on
the principle oflimitation as decidedlyrejected by the Pleni-
potentiaries of Russia ; it could not,consequently,introduce
a contrary proviso in the instructions with which it had
furnished its Plenipotentiaries for a closing Conference. It
has been confirmed in this conviction by the circular of
Count Nesselrode, giving an opinion on the whole bearing
of the Conferences, and authorising from that moment the
belief that the Cabinet of St. Petersburg itself consider
them as closed. He finally observes to Prince Gortschakoff
that the Austrian project is founded on the principle of li-
mitation in its strictest expression.
The Earl of Westmoreland declares that after the catego-
rical rejection of the principle of limitation, his Government
no longer saw any advantage in continuing the delibera-
tions. It considered the preceding Conferences as closed.
His full powers being exhausted, he had nothing more to
say, except that he will submit to the consideration of his
Government the protocol of this day's Conference.
Prince Gortschakoff, in ans wor to M. deßourqueney, again
maintains that both in and out of the Conferences, and at all
times when the question was mooted, he had constantly
declared that all limitation of forces which might be
sought to be imposed on Russia would be regarded by her
Plenipotentiaries as an infringement on the sovereign
rights of their master, and an insurmountable obstacle to
peace.; that he had invariably remained faithful to this
principle, and that he again establishes it in this closing
Conference ; that, moreover, he challenges the members of
the Conference who have the protocols in their hands,
and more particularly the plenipotentiaryof France, to find
in those acts a single princip'e or a single word which is
not in accordance with that which he now affirms; that
Count Buol having said in his introductory discourse that
the Cabinet of Vienna had applied itself to find a solution
equally honourable for all parties, be has only gathered
and admitted from the second Article the idea which alone
is of a nature to offer a basis of negotiation for Powers
who respect themselves, that is to say, the combination to