temporale della Chiesa, si avesse ad assicurare l'independenza dell'autorità spirituale del Sommo Pontifice;

Sulla proposta del Consiglio dei Ministri,

Abbiamo decretato e decretiamo: ART. 1. Roma e le provincie romane fanno parte integrante del Regno d'Italia.

ART. 2. Il Sommo Pontefice conserva la dignità, la inviolabilità e tutte le prerogative personali di Sovrano.

ART. 3. Con apposita legge verranno sancite le condizioni atte a garantire, anche con franchigie territoriali, l'indipendenza del Sommo Pontefice e il libero esercizio dell'autorità spirituale della Santa Sede.

ART. 4. L'articolo 82 dello Statuto sarà applicabile alle provincie romane sino a che le provincie medesime non siano rappresentate nel Parlamento Nazionale.

ART. 5. Il presente decreto sarà presentato al Parlamento per essere convertito in legge.

Ordiniamo che il presente decreto, munito del sigillo dello Stato, sia inserto

nella Raccolta ufficiale delle leggi e dei decreti del Regno d'Italia, mandando a chiunque spetti di osservarlo e di farlo osservare.

Dato a Firenze addì 9 ottobre 1870.

the principle that, the temporal dominion of the Church having ceased, it was right to secure the independence of the spiritual authority of the Sovereign Pontiff;

On the proposal of the Council of the Ministers,

We have decreed and do decree: ARTICLE 1. Rome and the Roman Provinces form an integral part of the Kingdom of Italy.

ART. 2. The Sovereign Pontiff preserves the dignity, inviolability, and all the personal prerogatives of a Sovereign.

ART. 3. A special law shall sanction the conditions for the guarantee, even by territorial immunities of the independence of the Sovereign Pontiff and the free exercise of the spiritual authority of the Holy See.

ART. 4. Article 82 of the Constitution shall be applied to the Roman Provinces until they are represented in the National Parliament.

ART. 5. The present decree shall be presented in Parliament to be made into law.

We order that the present decree, sealed with the seal of State, shall be inserted in the official collection of the laws and decrees of the Kingdom of Italy, commanding all whom it concerns to observe it and cause it to be observed.

Given at Florence this 9th day of October, 1870.

[Here follow signatures.]

Dans le but de préciser le sens que leurs Gouvernements attribuent à chacun des principes contenus dans les 4 Articles, et se réservant d'ailleurs comme ils ont toujours fait, la faculté de poser telles conditions particulières qui leur paraîtraient exigées en sus des 4 garanties par l'intérêt général de l'Europe pour prévenir le retour des dernières complications, les Représentants de l'Autriche, de la France, et de la Grande Bretagne déclarent:

1. Que leurs Gouvernements, en jugeant de commun accord qu'il était nécessaire d'abolir le Protectorat exclusif exercé par la Russie sur la Moldavie, la Valachie et la Serbie, et de placer dorénavant sous la garantie collective des 5 Puissances les privilèges reconnus par les Sultans à ces Principautés dépendantes de leur Empire, ont entendu et entendent qu'aucune des stipulations des anciens Traités de la Russie avec la Porte concernant les dites Provinces ne pourrait être remise en vigueur à la paix, et que les arrangements à conclure à leur sujet seraient ultérieurement combinés de

In order to define the meaning attributed by their Governments to each of the principles contained in the 4 Articles and, moreover, reserving as has always been the custom, the right to propose such special conditions as appear to them to be necessitated, in addition to the 4 guarantees, by the general interests of Europe, in order to prevent the return of the recent complications, the Representatives of Austria, France, and Great Britain declare:

1. That their Governments, judging by common accord that it was necessary to abolish the exclusive Protectorate exercised by Russia over Moldavia, Wallachia and Serbia, and to place, henceforth, under the collective guarantee of the 5 Powers the privileges recognized by the Sultans as possessed by these Principalities, dependent on their Empire, have determined and determine that none of the stipulations of the former Treaties of Russia with the Porte concerning the said provinces shall be again in force after peace is concluded, and that the measures to be concluded con

façon à donner une pleine et entière satisfaction aux droits de la Puissance Suzeraine, à ceux des 3 Principautés, et aux intérêts généraux de l'Europe.

cerning them shall be arranged later in such a manner as to give full and entire satisfaction to the rights of the Suzerain Power, to those of the 3 Principalities and to the general interests of Europe.

1. Les Principautés Danubiennes de Moldavie, Valachie, et Serbie continueront à relever de la Sublime Porte en vertu des anciennes capitulations et Hats Impériaux 2 en vigueur. Aucune protection exclusive ne sera exercée dorénavant sur ces Provinces.

2. La Sublime Porte, dans la plénitude de son pouvoir suzerain, conservera intacte aux dites Principautés leur administration indépendante et nationale, et par conséquent la pleine liberté de culte, de législation, de commerce, et de navigation. Toutes les clauses qui ont pour objet la prosperité du pays, contenues dans les Hats Impériaux, sont maintenues et seront, selon les circonstances, soigneusements developpées.

3. La Sublime Porte, considérant

1. The Danubian Principalities of Moldavia, Wallachia and Serbia shall continue to be held of the Sublime Porte by virtue of the ancient capitulations and Imperial Hats 2 in force. No exclusive protection shall henceforth be exercised over these Provinces.

2. The Sublime Porte, in the fullness of its Suzerain power, shall preserve intact to the said Principalities their independent and national administration, and, in consequence, full freedom of worship, of legislation, of commerce and of navigation. All the clauses contained in the Imperial Hats, which have as their object the prosperity of the country, are maintained, and shall be carefully developed according to circumstances.

3. The Sublime Porte, considering

2 Imperial decrees.

dans sa sagesse que la position politique des 3 Principautés touche de très près les intérêts généraux de l'Europe, s'entendra dans la voie la plus amicale avec les Puissances ses amies, sur le contenu d'un Hat solennel, comprenant l'ensemble des stipulations relatives aux droits et immunités des dites Principautés; elle en fera communication aux Puissances Contractantes, qui de leur côté, après examen, assumeront la garantie.

in its wisdom that the political position of the 3 Principalities closely touches the general interests of Europe, will arrive at its determination by the most amicable method, with the Powers, its friends, as to the contents of the solemn Hat, comprising the whole body of stipulations relating to the rights and immunities of the said Principalities; it will communicate this to the contracting Powers who on their part, after examination, will assume the guarantee.

Par une garantie collective des 5 Puissances, ces immunitées acquéreraient le caractère universel du droit public Européen.

The immunities enjoyed by these Provinces, assured to them by the formal Hatti-scherifs 2 may be summarized in the following terms:

Freedom of worship.

Independent National administration, organized in accordance with the legally established institutions of the country.

Entire freedom of commerce. Election of the Hospodars by the Assembly of the Divans.

Pour arriver à ce résultat, il s'agirait sans nul doute de régulariser quelques points de détail, et dans l'examen de ces questions le Statut Organique qui régit aujourd'hui les Principautés pourra devenir matière à délibération.

Sous ce rapport, je pourrais pour le moment me borner à faire 2 observations:

I. Le Statut a été le résultat de delibérations sérieuses, où les vœux et l'opinion et l'expérience locale des notables des pays ont été dûment pris en considération. S'il s'agit d'y apporter des modifications de manière à ne point compromettre les intérêts réels du pays, il conviendra de procéder à cette révision avec maturité et avec le concours légal d'organes choisis dans son sein.

II. Nul doute que ce travail, par sa nature, ne soit compliqué. Il exigera du temps. Les Plénipotentiaries des 5 Puissances pourront y apporter des vues divergentes. Vouloir achever cette œuvre dans les Conférences actuelles serait ou lui imprimer une hâte qui rendrait incomplète ou prolonger la durée de ces Conférences outre mesure au détriment du but élevé qu'il s'agit d'atteindre.

Ne pourrait-il pas suffire de réserver ces difficultés à un examen subséquent et de commencer par statuer dans le Traité de Paix certains principes généraux :

1. Conservation des privilèges as

To achieve this result, it is doubtless a question of regulating various details and in the examination of those questions the Organic Act which is today in force in the Principalities might become a matter for deliberation.

Under this heading, I would limit. myself for the moment to making 2 observations.

I. The Act has been the result of serious deliberations, in which the wishes and the local experience of the notables of the countries have been duly taken into consideration. If there is a question of modifying

it in such a manner as not to compromise the real interests of the country, it would be expedient to proceed to this revision with mature consideration and with the legal assembling of organs chosen in the country.

II. There is no doubt that this work will, from its very nature, be complicated. Time will be necessary. The Plenipotentiaries of the 5 Powers may bring to it divergent views. To endeavor to finish this work in the Conferences themselves would result either in impressing on it a character of haste which would render it incomplete, or in prolonging the duration of the Conferences beyond measure, to the detriment of the object which it is desired to attain. Would it not be sufficient to reserve these difficulties for subsequent examination and to begin by stating in the Treaty of Peace certain general principles:

1. Preservation of the privileges