The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-30 00:00:00

PROTOCOLS OF CONFERENCES

HELD AT
PARIS RELATIVE TO THE GENERAL

TREATY OF PEACE.

PROTOCOL No. 1.

Prezent.—For Austria : Count de Buol Schattenstein,
&c., and Baron de Hubner, &c. For France : Count
Colonnia Walewaki, and Baron de Bourqueney, &c.
For Great Britain : The Earl of Clarendon, &c., and
Lord Cowley, &c. For Russia : Count Orloff, tte„ and
Baron Brunnow, &c. Fur Sardinia : Count de Cavour,
&c., and the Marquis de Villamarina, &c. For Tur-
key : Aali Pasha, &c., and Mehemmel Djemil Bey.
The Plenipotentiaries of Austria, of France, of Great
Britain, of Russia, of Sardinia, and of Turkey, met to-
day in Conference at the Hotel of the Ministry for Fo-
reign Affairs.

count Buol speaks, and proposes that the presidency-
of the labours of the Conference should be confided to
Count Walewski. "This is notonly," he observes, " d
custom sanctioned by precedents and recently observeo-
at Vienna; it is at the same time an act of homage at,
the Sovereign whose hospitality the Representatives of
Europe are at this moment enjoying." Count Buol en-
tertains no doubt of the unanimous assent with which
this selection, which ensures, in all respects, the best di-i
rection being given to the labours of the Conference will
be received.

The Plenipotentiaries unanimously agree to this pro-
posal, and Count Walewski, having assumed the Presi-
dency, thanks the Conference in these terms :
" Gentlemen,—l thank you for the honour yon have
the goodness to do me in choosing me as your organ ;
and though I esteem myself very unworthy of that ho-
nour, I cannot, I ought not to hesitate to accept it, for
it is afresh evidence of the sentiments which have in-
duced our allies, as well as our adversaries, to demand
that Paris should be the seat of the negociations now
about to be opened.
"The unanimity manifested on this point augurs well
for the final result of our efforts.
"As far as concerns me personally, I shall endeavour
to justify your confidence, by conscientiously fulfilling the
duties which you have imposed on me ; it shall be my
care to prevent useless prolixity ; but, while having spe-
cially in ♦iew the prompt attainment of this object, I
shall, nevertheless, not forget that too much precipita-
tion may keep us from it.
"Moreover, Gentlemen, being. all animated with an
equally conciliatory spirit, and disposed to evince mu-
tual goodwill by avoiding irritating discussions, we shall
be able to accomplish scrupulously, and with all the
completeness which it admits of, the great task which is
imposed on us, without losing sight of the jest impa-
tience of Europe, the eyes of which are fixed upon us,
and which anxiously awaits the results of our delibera-
tions."

Upon the proposal of Count Walewski, the Confer-
encedecides to intrust the drawing up of the Protocols
to M. Benedetti, Director of Political Affairs in the
office for Foreign Affairs, who is introduced.
The Plenipotentiaries then proceed to the verification
of their respective powers, which, having been found in
good and due form, are deposited among the Acts of the
Conference.

Count Walewski proposes, and the Plenipotentiaries
agree, mutually to engage to observe complete secresy
respecting everything which shall pass in the Confer-
ence.

Sardinia not having taken part in the signature of the
Protocol agreed upon at Vienna on the Ist of February
last, the Sardinian Plenipotentiaries declare that they
fully assent to the said Protocol and the document an-
nexed to it.

Count Walewski, after having explained the order of
tite labours with which the Conference would have to oc-
cupy itself, proposes to declare that the Protocol signed
M Vienna ou the let of February should serve as Pre-
liminaries of Peace.

The Plenipotentiaries, after having exchanged their
ideas on this point, considering that the Protocol signed
at Vienna on the let of February by the Representatives
of Austria, France, Great Britain, Russia, and Turkey,
record the adhesion of their Courts to the bases of nego-
Cations laid down in the document annexed to the said
Protocol, and that its provisions fulfil the object which
would be obtained by an Act designated to settle the
Preliminaries of Peace, agree that that same Protocol
and its Annex, a copy of which shall be marked with
their initials and annexed to the present Protocol, shall
have the value of formal Preliminaries of Peace.

The Plenipotentiaries being thus agreed respecting the
Preliminaries of Peace, Count Walewski proposes to pro-
ceed to the conclusion of an armistice. The duration and
nature thereof having been discussed, the Pienipot‘m-
Caries of the belligerent Powers, considering that it is
necessary to take steps for a suspension of hostilities
between the armies in the field during the presumed
continuance of the negotiations, resolve that an armis-
tice shall be concluded by the Commanders in-Chief,
which shall cease absolutely on the 31st of March
next, inclusively, if before that period it is not renewed
by common consent.

During the suspension of hostilities the troops shall
retain the respective pQsitions which they occupy, ab-
staining from any act of aggression.
In consequence, the pre.ent decision shall be trans-
raitted without delay, and, as far as possible, by the
telegraph, to the Commanders-►n-ohief, in order that
they may conform to it as soon as the orlers of their Go-
vernments shall reach them.

The Plenipotentiaries further resolve that the asmis-
tice shall not aff'ct the blockade established or to be
established ; but the Commanders of the naval forces
shall receive orders to abstain, during the oont'.nuance of
the armistice, from any act of hostility against the terri-
tories of the belligerents.

This being settied, the Plenipotentiaries agree that
they will meet on the day after to-morrow, the 27th of
February, in order to proceed to the negotiation of the
Definitive Treaty,

Done at Paris, the twenty-fitfh of February, one thou,
sand eight hundred and fifty-six.
(Signed) BUOL-SCHA.UENSTEIN. COUNT ORLOFF.
HUBNER. BRUNNOW,
WALEwsKr. CAVOUR.
BOURQUENEY.
CLARENDON. AALI,
COWLEY. MECIEIIMED DJEMII,