The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-21 00:00:00

THE lONIAN ISLANDS.

The following protest has been addressed by the
lonian Legislative Assembly to the Lord High
Commissioner of the lonian Islands:—
"FIRST SESSION OF THE TWELFTH PARLIAMENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF THE lONIAN ISLANDS.
" PROIEST AGAINST THE PROTECTORATE.
" Whereas the sth article of the Treaty of Paris of the
sth of November, 1815, imposed, simply for the fulfilment
of duties intrusted to the Protectorate, that ' Her Britannic
Majesty shall have the right to occupy the fortresses and
places of these States, and to maintain garrisons in the
same;' and whereas by the 6th article it was provided in
what manner everything which may relate to the mainte-
nance of the fortresses already existing shall be regulated,
which was done by the 12th article of the 2d section, chap.
vii., of the Constitution of 1817;

"Whereas, independently of various other large
expended by the lonian States for the maintenanceansdunis
re-
pair of the existing fortresses, the sum of £164,000 was
paid to the Protectorate, in virtue of the 24th Act of the 2d
Parliament, dated the 19th of March, 1825, to restore and
complete the fortifications of Corfu and Vido ;' and by the
resolution of the Ist of June, 1833, of the 4th Parliament,
the sum of £15,000 in addition was granted for the same
purpose, under the condition, however, that as regarded the
entire sure of £179,000 in the first Session of the Assembly
'there sh uld be submitted to it the accounts showing the
application of the sums so voted, and the uses made of them
in order to judge of their legitimate application; which it
would appear has never been done by the Protectorate;
"Whereas, by the resolution of the sth Parliament of the
14th of January, 1836, which was substituted for ar icle 12,
section 2, chapter vii., of the Constitution of the year 1817,
the annual sum of £35,000 was fixed for the ' maintenance
of the existing fortresses ;'
" Whereas, by the 28th article of the resolution of the Bth
Parliament of the 6th (18th) of December, 1849, this sum,
destined in part for the maintenance of the existing for-
tresses, was reduced to the annual sum of £25,000, which is
now paid ;

" Whereas the Protectorate, in violation of the duties
assumed by it for the preservation of the fortresses, has de-
stroyed fortresses which existed, has constructed new forts,
has undertaken, and continues to undertake, many other
works entirely contrary to the spirit and letter of the Treaty
of Paris, without the authority of the lonian Assembly;

" Theretore,—

" The Septinsular Assembly protests against the Protee-
torte e for all that it has done, does, or may do in this
matter.

" The present shall be officially communicated to the
Lord High Commissioner as the representative of the Pro-
tecterate, in order that through him it may be sent to the
gracious Queen of Great Britain, reserving the exercise of
all other rights.
" Corfu, 17th (29th) April, 1862.

" ELIA ZERO JACOBATO, President.
"N. Lusi,
"G. DUSMANI, Secretaries."
The following is the reply of the Lord High Com-
missioner :

"The Most Noble the Legislative Assembly has trans-
mitted to the Lord High Commissioner a document styled
a' Protest of the Twelfth Assembly against the Protecto-
rate,' in order ' that his Excellency, as representative of the
Protectorate, may transmit the same to her Majesty the
Queen of Great Britain.'
"The Lord High Commissioner declines to receive this
document from the Legislative Assembly. It is not within
the competency of the Legislative Assembly to address a
protest to her Majesty the Queen.

" The only constitutional and legal course for the Legis-
lative Assembly to pursue in approaching the protecting
Sovereign is laid down in chap. vii., sec. 7, art. 8 of the
Constitutional Charter.
" The Legislative Assembly exists in virtue of the Con-
stitution alone, and must regulate itself according to the
provisions of the Charter.

" The Lord High Commissioner therefore returns to the
Most Noble the Legislative Assembly the paper transmitted
to his Excellency by the most Illustrious the President.
" Palace of St. Michael and St. George, Corfu, May 10.
"By his Excellency's command,
" E. F. BARR, Acting Secretary to the
Lord High Commissioner."