DANUBE, EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF THE. 



271 



and rendered navigable, it might not be pos- 

 sible to deflect the waters of the Danube into 

 this channel and diminish the outflow of the 

 Sulina mouth, so as to destroy the works of 

 the Danubian Commission and give Russia 

 entire control of the navigation of the Dan- 

 ube. If, on the other hand, the flow of the 

 water is determined by the conformation of 

 the beds at Ismail Chatal, where the river bi- 

 furcates, and can be regulated only there, then 

 the opening of a second navigable outlet would 

 be an advantage to international commerce. 

 When M. Giors visited Vienna he secured the 

 acquiescence of Austria in this demand, and 

 accepted the views of the latter in regard to 

 the claims of Roumania. 



London Conference. It was necessary that the 

 divergent views of the powers should be har- 

 monized in some fashion before March, 1883, 

 in which month the mandate of the European 

 Commission would lapse by expiration of its 

 term. For the settlement of the terms of the 

 new treaty, Great Britain invited the signatory 

 powers to a conference at London, to begin 

 February 5th. The diplomatic representatives 

 of the powers at the court of St. James repre- 

 sented them in the conference. As the cabi- 

 nets had not yet come to an agreement as to 

 the basis on which some of the matters in con- 

 troversy were to be arranged, the conference 

 did not meet until three days after the date 

 set, and did not close until March 10th, three 

 days before the duration of the European Com- 

 mission ended. Count Karolyi represented 

 Austria ; Count von Munster, Germany ; M. 

 Tissot and M. Barrere, of the European Com- 

 mission, France; Earl Granville and Lord Ed- 

 mund Fitzmaurice, Great Britain ; Count Ni- 

 gra, Italy; Baron Mohrenheim, Russia; and 

 Musurus Pasha, Turkey. M. Ghika was pres- 

 ent to claim a seat as the representative of 

 Roumania. A seat on the European Commis- 

 sion was accorded to Roumania by the Berlin 

 Treaty, because Galatz was by the treaty in- 

 cluded in Roumanian territory, and the inter- 

 ests of that state in the navigation were large- 

 ly increased. Great Britain was willing to 

 accord Roumania an equal voice in the con- 

 ference, but the motion was negatived, on the 

 ground that the Berlir Treaty stipulated that 

 the signatory powers were to decide as to the 

 prolongation of the commission and the other 

 questions which came before the conference. 

 It was voted that Roumania and Servia should 

 have a seat and a consultative voice, but no 

 vote, in the deliberations. The Servian repre- 

 sentative availed himself of this permission, 

 but the Roumanian delegate declined to take 

 part in the conference on those terms. Bul- 

 garia, under the Treaty of Berlin, was to be 

 represented by the Turkish plenipotentiary. 

 The Bulgarian representatives who were pres- 

 ent were allowed to listen to the proceedings, 

 and a stipulation was made that the Turkish 

 embassador should lay before the conference 

 any communication they might wish to convey. 



London Convention. The new Danubian Con- 

 vention, which was signed at London, March 10, 

 1883, by the plenipotentiaries of the powers, 

 embraced the following provisions: 



I. The jurisdiction of the European Commission is 

 extended from Galatz to Braila. 



II. The powers of the European Commission are 

 prolonged tor a period of twenty-one years, dating 

 from April '24, 1883. 



At the expiration of this period the powers of the 

 said commission will be renewed by tacit reinvest- 

 ment every three years, except in the case when one 

 of the high contracting parties gives notice, one year 

 prior to the expiration of one of these triennial periods, 

 of the intention of proposing modifications in its con- 

 stitution or in its powers. 



III. The European Commission shall exercise no 

 effective control over those parts of the Kilia branch 

 of which both banks belong to one of the riparian 

 states on that branch. 



IV. As to the portion of the Kilia branch which 

 flows between Kussian and Roumanian territory, and 

 for the purpose of insuring uniformity of authority in 

 the lower Danube, the regulations in force in the Su- 

 lina branch shall apply, under the supervision of the 

 delegates of Kussia and Roumania, to the European 

 Commission. 



V. In case Russia or Roumania undertake works, 

 whether in the mixed arm, or between the two 

 banks which belong to them respectively, the compe- 

 tent authority shall give information to the European 

 Commission of the plans of these works, for the sole 

 purpose of determining that _ they will have no effect 

 on the condition of navigability of the other arms. 



The works which have already been executed at the 

 Chatal of Ismail will remain in the charge and under 

 the control of the European Commission of the Dan- 

 ube. 



In case of divergence of opinion between Russia or 

 Roumania and the European Commission with regard 

 to the plans of works to be undertaken in the Kilia 

 branch, or of divergence of opinion among the mem- 

 bers of the commission Avith regard to the proper 

 limits of the extension of the works at the Chatal of 

 Ismail, the matter will be submitted directly to the 

 powers. 



VI. It is understood that no restriction shall be 

 made which will deprive Russia of the right to levy 

 tolls destined to cover the expenses of works under- 

 taken by her. 



At the same time, with the view of safeguarding 

 the reciprocal interests of navigation in the Sulina 

 branch and the Kilia branch, the Russian Govern- 

 ment, for the purpose of insuring an understanding 

 on this subject, is to acquaint the governments repre- 

 sented in the European Commission of the toll regula- 

 tions it judges proper to introduce. 



VII. The regulations for navigation, river police, 

 and supervision, elaborated June 2, 1882, by the Eu- 

 ropean Commission of the Danube, with the assistance 

 of delegates of Servia and Bulgaria, are adopted and 

 incorporated in the present treaty and declared appli- 

 cable to the part of the Danube between the Iron Gate 

 and Braila. 



VIII. All treaties, conventions, acts, and arrange- 

 ments relative to the Danube and its mouths are 

 maintained in all of their provisions which are not 

 abrogated or modified in the foregoing stipulations. 



IX. The present treaty will he ratified and the rati- 

 fications will he exchanged at London, within the 

 space of six months, or sooner, if practicable. 



The following explanatory resolutions were 

 embodied in a protocol at the final sitting, 

 with the understanding that they have equal 

 effect with the provisions of the treaty : 



1. It is agreed that the agents of the European Com- 

 mission can, for purposes of information, circulate in 

 the Kilia branch and its mouths. 



