258 



EASTERN QUESTION. 



they shall not have been modified by a common 

 agreement between the principality and the inter- 

 ested parties. 



ART. 50. Until the conclusion of a treaty regulat- 

 ing the privileges and powers of consuls between 

 Turkey and Koumania, the Koumanian subjects trav- 

 eling or residing in the Ottoman Empire, and the 

 Ottoman subjects traveling or residing in Koumania, 

 shall enjoy the rights granted to the subjects of the 

 other European Powers. 



ART. 51. In all that relates to the working of the 

 public works and matters of a like nature, Koumania 

 will be substituted with respect to the rights and 

 obligations of the Sublime Porte in regard to the 

 ceded territory. 



ART. 52. In order to strengthen the guarantees 

 necessary to insure the liberty of navigation of the 

 Danube, which is recognized to be of European in- 

 terest, the high contracting Powers decide that all 

 the fortresses and fortifications which are to be found 

 in the course of the river from the Iron Gates to its 

 mouths shall be razed, and that they shall not be re- 

 constructed. No ship of war shall be permitted to 

 navigate the Danube downward from the Iron Gates, 

 except light vessels in the service of the river police 

 and of the custom-house officers. The guardships 

 of the Powers at the mouths of the Danube shall, 

 however, be permitted to ascend the river as far as 

 Galatz. 



ART. 53. The European Commission of the Dan- 

 ube, at which Koumania and Servia are represented, 

 is maintained in its functions, and will exercise them 

 henceforth as far as Galatz with complete indepen- 

 dence of the territorial authority. All the treaties, 

 arrangements, acts, and decisions relative to its 

 rights, privileges, prerogatives, and obligations are 

 confirmed. 



ABT. 54. One year before the expiration of the 

 term assigned for the duration of the European Com- 

 mission, the Powers shall agree on the prolongation 

 of their authority, or as to the modifications which 

 they shall consider necessary to be introduced. 



ART. 55. The regulations of the navigation of the 

 river police, and of the surveillance between the Iron 

 Gates and Galatz, shall be framed by the European 

 Commission, assisted by delegates from the riparian 

 states, and made in harmony with those which have 

 been, or shall be, decreed for the course of the river 

 below Galatz. 



ART. 56. The European Commission of the Dan- 

 ube shall come to an arrangement with the proper 

 part as for maintaining the lighthouse on the isle of 

 Serpents. 



ART. 57. The execution of the works for the re- 

 moval of the obstacles which the Iron Gates and 

 the Cataracts cause to the navigation is intrusted to 

 Austro-Hungary. The states on the banks of this 

 side of the river shall afford every facility which 

 may be necessary. 



ART. 58. The Porte cedes to the Kussian Empire 

 in Asia the territories of Ardahan, Ears, and Batoum, 

 and with the last-named port also the territories 

 comprised between the former Kusso-Turkish fron- 

 tier and the following boundary, namely : a line from 

 Makrialos on the Black Sea to Gadapia, thence fol- 

 lowing the stream to Artvin ; from Artvin, through 

 Khorda, whence, making a slight curve, it runs on 

 the west side of Olti, passing thence to Nariman, 

 .bardus, Ardost, and south of Kagisman, to the for- 

 mer Kussian frontier. 



ART.^59. His Majesty the Emperor of Kussia de- 

 clares it to be his intention to make Batoum a free 

 and essentially commercial port. 



ART. 60. The valley of Alashgerd and the town of 

 ^ azi ' ceded to Russia by Article 19 of the treaty 

 pi ban Stefano, are given back to Turkey. The Sub- 

 lime Porte cedes to Persia the town and district of 

 Kootoor; and it is provided that the boundaries 

 shall be fixed by an Anglo-Russian Commission. 



ART. 61. The Sublime Porte engages to realize 



without delay those ameliorations and reforms which 

 local needs require in the provinces inhabited by the 

 Armenians, and guarantees their security against 

 the Circassians and the Kurds. It undertakes to 

 make known, from time to time, the measures taken 

 with this object to the Powers, who will watch over 

 their application. 



ART. 62. The Sublime Porte having expressed its 

 willingness to maintain the principle of religious lib- 

 erty ? and to give it the widest sphere, the contracting 

 parties take cognizance of this spontaneous declara- 

 tion. In every part of the Ottoman Empire differ- 

 ence of religion should not be held as a motive of 

 exclusion or unfitness in anything that relates to 

 the use of civil and political rights*, admission to 

 public offices, duties, and honors, and the exercise 

 of all professions and industries in whatever locality 

 it may be. All should be admitted, without distinc- 

 tion of religion, to give evidence before the tribu- 

 nals, the exercise and external practice of all reli- 

 gions should be entirely free, and no impediment 

 should be offered either to the hierarchical organiza- 

 tion of the different communions or to their spiritual 

 chiefs ; ecclesiastics, pilgrims, and monks of all na- 

 tionalities traveling in European and Asiatic Turkey 

 shall enjoy the same rights, advantages, and privi- 

 leges. The right of official protection is accorded to 

 the diplomatic and consular agents of the Powers in 

 Turkey, no less with regard to the persons above 

 mentioned, with their religious and charitable estab- 

 lishments, than to others in the Holy Places and 

 elsewhere. The rights conceded to France are ex- 

 pressly reserved, it being well understood that the 

 status quo with respect to the Holy Places shall not 

 be seriously affected in any way. The monks of 

 Mount Athos, whatever their nationality, shall be 

 maintained in possession of their posse'esions and 

 previous advantages, and shall enjoy without excep- 

 tion full equality of rights and prerogatives. 



ART. 63. The treaty of Paris of March 30, 1856, 

 as well as the treaty of London of March 13, 1871, 

 are maintained in all those dispositions which are 

 not abrogated or modified by the preceding stipula- 

 tions. 



ART. 64. The present treaty shall be ratified, and 

 the ratifications exchanged, within a period of three 

 weeks, or sooner if possible. In witness whereof the 

 plenipotentaries affix their signatures. 



Just before the close of the Congress, the 

 British Government published the text of a 

 treaty of defensive alliance which it had con- 

 cluded on June 4th with the Porte. This treaty 

 was as follows : 



ARTICLE I. If Batoum, Ardahan, Kars, or any of 

 them shall be retained by Kussia, and if any attempt 

 shall be made at any future time by Kussia to take 

 possession of any further territories of his Imperial 

 Majesty the Sultan in Asia, as fixed by the definitive 

 treaty of peace, England engages to join his Imperial 

 Majesty the Sultan in defending them by force of 

 arms. 



In return, his Imperial Majesty the Sultan prom- 

 ises to England to introduce necessary reforms, to 

 be agreed upon later between the two Powers, into 

 the government, and for the protection of the Chris- 

 tian and other subjects of the Porte in these territo- 

 ries ; and in order to enable England to make neces- 

 sary provision for executing her engagement, his Im- 

 perial Majesty the Sultan further consents to assign 

 the island of Cyprus to be occupied and adminis- 

 tered by England. 



ART. II. The present convention shall be ratified, 

 and the ratifications thereof shall be exchanged, with- 

 in the space of one month, or sooner if possible. 



In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries 

 have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the 

 seal of their arms. 



Done at Constantinople, the fourth day of June, in 



