New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-25

assembled IN Conference at Psis, win, By oomnsa
AGREEMENT, pAovide for the faithful execution Of sl
.toustions Of thu treaty which have remained ospers-
tive up 10 this day. Il have the honor to Be. &c.
lssaAt BRUN0w
To His Excellency Count v ALs"sxi &C.
Stssen<ss Of the Coxrse prrsned By tie CsSisa If
Ru.sia 10 carry into ezeest.os articles % and q
ofthe Treaty Of tie lak-3oh March, 1856:
Protocol No. q Of the 4th Of Apn, decides ii shsn
be the duty of the Commissioners wLo, in pursuance
Of article 2Oh Of the treaty Of pesce win have to pre-
coed in the demarcatioa of the new frontier OF Bes-
sarabia, to meet at Gaiatx on tho 9Th Of Nay, and
scquit themselves without delay Of the miAson In
trusted to them At the same sitting, the Penhroten-
ares Of Russia declared that this operation
shall have been performed, the Russian authorities
will surrender to the Moldavian authorities that portion
Of the territory which, in virtue Of the new limitation,
viii have to be annexed to Moldavis.
Article 20 defines new frontier. II shall begin at
the Black Sea, on klometer or mstrca French mile
equal to 8, 80 French feet-equal to nearly five Bn-
glish furopgs-equa to quarter Of league Of three
miles to the league of the old standard east Of Lake
Bourua Sola, strike perpendicularly the highway
Alderman, follow said highway up to the vde
Frajan; then pass south of Bolgrsd, run along YAH
poukh River up to Sarstska, and then terminate ct
Katamon on the Pruth. Up that stream from the
point the old frontier between the two empires shah
suffer no modification. In virtue Of the article,
the deputies Of the contracting powers were called on
TO Law down this outline in its details. II requires but
an attentive re-perusal of the wording of those spua
tons to convince the mind that they relate to the main
land limitation but that they do not apply the state Of
possession of an island situated in the high This
reflection refers to discussion which has been
started in respect to the Island Of Sapent or Snake
Island This difficulty did not issue from the text
of the treaty. It has grown out Of it, silence.
Indeed no express stipulation Of the treaty has either
annexed to Moldsvia or adjudged to Turkey this set
possession, which was PROFESSIONALLY in the hands Of
Russia previous to the rupture. Now in matter Of
right if the question turn upon the transfer of any ter
ritory Whatsoever from one holder to another, the
treaty of peace must authorize the change by some
cleary.expressed stipulation. Nero silence legaizes
neither abandonment on one part nor acquisition On the
other Viewing the question from this standpoint the
Russian Cabinet, upon the return ofpeace, deemed It
not only its right but its duty also to again set up the
lighthouse kept up before the at its expense,
ard in the general interest Of navigation and internal
commerce. In order that this administrative measure
might be carried out with perfect regularity the Rus
sian envoy at Paris received an order to inquire
whether the Island Of Serpents was still occupied,
either by France or by England. The fact Of this
previous information sought in the month OF June at
the hands of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Of France
and the ambassador of Great Britain, evidences the
good faith with which the Imperial Government ap-
ped itself to the restoration of the statu quo which
nothing could, up to that moment justify in looking
upon as liable to controversy. After ascertaining that
during the operations of war; and at the time OF the
signing of the treaty of peace the island had continued
unoccuped the Russian authorities were preparing to
reinstate the lighthouse, when they were informed
that Turkish detachment had taken actual possession
of the island about the middle Of June without the
least formaty. This incident occurred even before
the delegates of the contracting powers had terminated
the boundary operations taken up in execution
of articles twentieth Iand twentyrst Of tho treaty.
Even though the construction those articles might
have given rise to variance opinion, still the doubt
.hould have been resolved by q common agreement
between contracting powers. One Of them could not
by any sefconstituted auhortity decide the contro-
vtrsy raised in reference to any stipulation constituting
a part Of the European Compromise Of which all the
Cabinets were eigners, witnesses, gusrantors and
Judges. The conammation Of peace being the result
Of their joint efforts mutual concurrence was equally
requisite to secure faithful execution Under III. III.
conviction, the Imperial Cabinet did not hesitate
cir gle moment in declaring the necessity of reservng
for Conference to be called together at Paris the
animation and settlement of the controversy which
upervened at the close of July last In reference
TO the Island of Serpent, Instructions sd-
dressed to Baron Brunow on the 4th Of August, by
order Of the Emperor enoined upon that Minister the
duty of proposing to the French Cabinet an immediate
call of the Conference in order to decide to whom the
possession Of the Isle of Sepents shall nure. BY de-
voving the ttlement Of this controversy the Pow
ers which s.ned the treaty, the Imperial Cabinet
implied that the island in the eyes of Russia, stripped
of every political or military value, commanded no
other importance than that which results from the
keeping up of lighthouse, the regular services of
which are Independently necessary TO commerce, and
especially to that of Odessa that onesded possession,
taken up wthsut the appreciation Of the last possessor
cannot work legal title In view Of the absolute silence
of the treaty; and lastly that in order to supply this
deficiency It beloved to call together the represents
tives of the contracting powers, leaving for their
decision the question which had not passed into the
condition of res udcaa by the acts Of the Congress-
At that period the expediency Of a common delbera-
ton seemed equally to meet with the approval of the
courts of Vienna and London. While this measure
was made the subject of confidential communications
exchanged among the various Cabinets, a new Incl
dent came up to chow the necessity for recurring TO an
immediate meeting of their Representatives. That
incident grew out of divergence of opinion which
divided the Commissioners Of the contracting powers
charged with the duty Of laying off the boundary
of Beessrabia IT. up to that time their abo promised
speedy and satisfactory conclusion 1t is but just to
advert to the share which the Imperial Cabinet Of
Russ;e contributed IN ths reault Whenevev kbo