The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-01 00:00:00

PROTOCOL No. 20.—MEETING or APRIL 2, 1856.

Present. The Plenipotentiaries of Austria, France,
Great Britain, Prussia, Russia, Sardinia, and Turkey.
In conformity with the decision which had been taken,
the Congress applies itself to the question whether the
blockades can be raised before the exchange of the ratifica-
tions of the Treaty of Peace.
Count Walewski states that
the precedents established
that, generally, blockades have not been raised until the
time of the exchange of the ratifications, in virtue of the
principle that a war is not terminated until the time when
the stipulations which are to put an end to it have
that the spirit of
re-
ceived the sanctions of the Sovereigns ;
liberality which exercises, in our days, so happy an infla-
once over international law, and over the relations
admits
that Franca and
the different Powers maintain among themselves'
nevertheless of a departure from this rule ;
Great Britain, who have imposed the existing bloFkades,
which
have agreed between themselves to manifest on this occa-
sion their solicitude for commerce in genT
consequently, it only now remains to devise tefi_
the proper
means for bestowing upon Europe this fresh
The Earl of Clarendon, in concert with the firtiPsElieeneiPb°v"
tentiary of France, proposes to conclude an
sea. This measure, in his opinion, would cans
ing blockades to be immediately raised.
Count Walewski adds that this arrangement avetnildrea(olf-
a'o—the--e-Xisi-
mit of captures made subsequently to the signa;;;,,,„--
Peace, being considered void, and of the ships and --,-_,7-1..-
the Pleni-
potentiaries being restored • that commerce would th;r",,,-
authorised to resume, without further delay, all its -..,11;
sactions, if Russia, on her side, were to revoke, from ted-
time, the exceptional measures which she has adop '
nwt
ihnigc ht
ot took placewish
edsur
expresseding peace.
by
during the war, for interdicting, in her ports, the -s, commer
c i aEI operations„ceriy asse
patentiaries of Fiance and Great Britain, the Plenipoten
tiaries of Russia reply that the proposition subroittei
to the Congress will probably be accepted with extreme
favour by their Government ; that they hasten, conse-
quently, to assent to it from the same motives which have
suggested it to the Plenipotentiaries who have taken the
initiative in regard to it, but that they feel themselves
obliged tl
emselves
obliged to reserve the approval of their Court.
The Plenipotentiaries of the other Powers declare that
this measure will be received with a feeling of lively grati-
tude by the neutral States. _ _

It is decided that if, in the next sitting,
the Plenipotentiaries of Russia, as they presume, are autho-
rised to state that their Government has revoked the pro-
hibitions imposed, during the war, upon commerce of im-
portation and of exportation, in the ports and on the fron-
tiers of the Russian Empire, there shall be concluded be-
tween France, Great Britain, Sardinia, and Turkey, on
the one part, and Russia, on the other, an armistice by sea,
which shall reckon from the date of the signature of the
Peace, and shall have for its effect the raising of all block-
ades. Consequently, prizes made subsequently to the
date of the 30th of March last will be restored.
The Consular acts and formalities required by seafaring
persons and by merchants will be provisionally performed
by the Agents of the Powers who have consented during
the war to take care, unofficially, of the interests of the
subjects of the belligerent Powers.

( Le signatures follow.)

PROTOCOL No. 21.—SITTING or APRIL 4, 1856.

Present..—The Plenipotentiaries of Austria, France,
Great Britain, Prussia, Russia, Sardinia, and Turkey.
The Protocol of the preceding sitting is road and ap-
proved._ _ _ _

The Plonipotontiaries of Russia announce that they are
authorised to state that the prohibitive measures adapted
during the war for closing the B,uspian ports to commerce
of exportation, are about. to be revoked.
In consequence of this declaration, and in conformity
with the resolution which it adopted at its preceding sit-
ting, the Congress determines that an armistice by sea is
concluded between France, Great Britian Sardinia, and
Turkey, on the one part, and Russia, one the other, and
that prizes made subsequently to the signature of Peace
shall be restored.

It is consequently agreed that orders shall be given for
the immediate raising of the existing blockades, and that
the measures adopted in Russia during the war, against the
export of Russian produce, and especially of grain, shall
be revoked without delay.
After having proposed to the Congress to take up the
question of the evacuation of the Russian and Ottoman
territories, Count Walewski says that, as regards the allies,
it is their intention, as they have already given an assur-
ance, to recall their troops without delay, and to give
orders that this movement shall commence immediately
after the exchange of ratifications. Ho thinks, and he be-
lieves that he may give an assurance, that the Russian ter-
ritories will be totally evacuated within a peri.gl of six
months. He acids that the Allied armies will quit, within
the same term, the positions which they occupy in Turkey.
The Plenipotentiaries of Russia give an assurance, on
their side, that measures shall be taken for the Russian
troops which are now in Kars and in its environs with-
drawing, as promptly as possible, within the Russian terri-
tory. They engage to communicate to the Congress, at
one of its ensuing meetings, the term which shall be consi-
dered necessary for the prompt execution of this operation.
They express the desire that the Allied armies which are
in the Crime). shall commence their withdrawal by Kertch
and Jenikale, in order that the Sea of Azoff may, as soon
as possible, be opened to navigation and commerce.
Count Buol expresses his gratification at the eagerness
shown by the belligerent Powers to recall their armies, and
thus to execute without delay one iof the most important
stipulations of the Treaty of Peace. He says that Austria,
on her side, will take care to withdraw within her territory
such of her troops as occupy the Principalities. He adds
that as this operation is not subject to the same difficulties
as the embarkation of the armies in the Crimea and their
material, it can be accomplished more promptly, and that
the Austrian troops will have evacuated the Principalities
before the belligerent armies will have been able, on their
side, to complete the evacuation of the Ottoman empire.
After these explanations, it is unanimously agreed that
all the belligerent or Allied armies shall commence their
withd-pwal immediately after the exchange of the ratifica-
tions of the Treaty of Peace, and that they shall continue
it without interruption. It is equally agreed that the
armies of France, of Great Britain, and of Sardinia, shall
have a period of six months to effect the total evacuation of
the territories which they occupy in Russia and in the
Ottoman: empire ; that this evacuation shall commence, as
far as possible, by Kertch, Senikale, Kinburn, and Eupa-
toria.

The Treaties concluded at Constantinople on March 12,
1851, and March 15, 1855, between France, Great Britain,
Sardinia, and Turkey, stipulating that on the conclusion of
peace the territory of the Ottoman Empire shall be evacu-
ated within the space of forty days, and the execution of
this engagement having become physically impossible in
consequence of the development assumed by the war, it is
agreed that instructions and powers shall be sent to the
Representatives of France, Great Britain, and Sardinia,
at Constantinople, to conclude a Convention with the Porte,
for the purpose of fixing a new term, which shall not exceed
six months.

The Congress then decides that the Commissioners who,
by the terms of Article XX of the Treaty of Peace, will
have to undertake the demarkation of the new frontier in
Bessarabia, shall meet at Galata on the 6th of May next,
and shall execute without delay the mission which will be
intrusted to them.

" The Plenipotentiaries of Russia declare that the Rus-
sian authorities, as soon as this operation shall be concluded,
will make over to the Moldavian authorities the portion of
territory which, in pursuance of the fresh detnarkation,
will have to be annexed to Moldavia. It is understood
that this cession takes place in exchange for, an.l shall co-
incide with, the evacuation of the Russian territories by
the allied armies.
The Earl of Clarendon remarks that in order to hasten
the evacuation of the Crimea, it would be advantageous
that vessels of the allied Powers should have the power of
freely entering the harbour of Sebastopol ; this facility, in
the opinion of the first Plenipotentiary of Great Britain,
would accelerate the embarkation of men and material by
several weeks.
The Plenipotentiaries of Russia reply that they will take
the orders of their Court in this respect.
Count Walewski says that it is proper to take up the
question of the instructions intended for the Commis-
sioners who will be required to repair to the Principalities
to investigate, according to the provisions of Article XXIII
of the Treaty of Peace, the present state of those Provinces,
and to propose the bases of their future organisation. He
states that those instructions might be drawn up in general
terms ; that in fixing the object of the mission of the Com-
missioners, such as it had been defined by the Treaty itself,
they must leave them the latitude necessary for obtaining
information and for qualifying themselves to perform in a
complete and satisfactory manner the task which will be
intrusted to them. It seems to him that this opinion may
the more readily be adopted by the Congress, inasmuch as the
Orman ordaining the convocation of the Divans ad hoc, is,
according to Protocol No. 14, to be concerted with the Re-
presentatives of the Contracting Powers at Constantinople,
and drawn up in such a manner as to provide for the entire
execution of the Article of the Treaty which determines
the composition of those bodies. He is finally of opinion
that the drawing up of thsse instructions, which could not
be prepared by the Congress, should be intrusted to a Com-
mission selected from among its members.
The Congress agrees, and the Commission is composed of
the first Plenipotentiary of Turkey, and of the second Ple-
nipotentiaries of France and of Great Britain.
The Congress, after a further examination, and consi-
dering that it would be advantageous to modify the deci-
sion which it had taken on this same subject in the sitting
of March 30, adopts the following resolutions :--
In the ratifications of the General Treaty, that Treaty
shall be followed word for word, and in extenso by the Ad-
ditional Article and the throe Conventions annexed ; but
the ratification shall apply to the General Treaty and the
Additional Article, in the following terms: " We, gr,c.
having seen and examined the said Treaty, and the said
Additional and Transitory Article, have approved and do
approve them in all and each of the provisions contained in
them," &c. These ratifications shall be exchanged in six
copies for each Contractim; Powers.
The Convention respecting the light vessels shall be rati-
fied between the Porte and Russia.
The Convention respecting the Straits shall be ratified
between the Porte, on the one part, which shall present
six copies, and the other Powers on the other part, who,
not having to exchange ratifications between themselves,
will simply have to ratify with the Porte, and consequently
to present a single copy
The Convention respecting Aland shall be ratified be-
tween France and England, on the one part, who shall
produce each one copy intended for Russia, and Russia on
the other part, who will have to produce two copies.
(The signatures follow.)