principal cause of agitation, which being propagated in Belgium and the neighbouring countries, keeps Europe in a state of suspense, and deprives her of the advantages she was led to expect from a general disarmament.

"In consequence, therefore, of these considerations, the plenipotentiaries of the five Courts declare, that if on the 15th of the present month the citadel of Antwerp, the points adjacent, and other places forming part of the Belgian territory as defined in the treaty of the 15th of November, be not evacuated by the Dutch troops, they will recognize on the part of Belgium the right of deducting, for every week the evacuation shall be delayed, one million of florins from the arrears of the debt due from her up to the 1st of January, 1832, and lastly from the capital portion of the debt considered to be her share; expecting in the mean time that the evacuation above-mentioned will take place as soon as possible, Belgium will on her part evacuate Venloo and the other places occupied by her, which are not comprised in the territory which has been assigned to her."

The plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majesty declares that he entirely approves of the proposition coming from the French plenipotentiary, and that he finds it perfectly conformable with the suggestion he has himself made at the last meeting of the Conference.

In reply to the plan of determination proposed by the Plenipotentiaries of France and Great Britain, the plenipotentiaries of Austria, Prussia, and Russia declare

1st. That they highly disapprove of the final determinations of the government of the Nether

lands, as referring to propositions which the Conference of London had judged inadmissible; as rejecting the explanations which confidential communications had demonstrated to be indispensable, and on the subject of which a complete understanding seemed to have been already established with the plenipotentiary of the Netherlands himself; as insisting on stipulations evidently of an illusory nature; and, finally, as proving, by the answers of the plenipotentiary of the Netherlands to the questions addressed to him, that he does not possess either the real powers or sufficient instructions to resolve the difficulties which prevent the settlement of the negotiations of the Conference.

2dly. Because on these grounds the plenipotentiaries of Austria, Prussia, and Russia, are ready to unite with the plenipotentiaries of his majesty the king of the French and his Britannic majesty, in order to free Belgium from the payment of the arrears which it owes to Holland since the 1st of January, 1832, so as to date the effect of this decision from the 15th of October next, in order that Holland may still have time to estimate the consequences and adopt a line of conduct likely to realize the peaceable intentions, in the spirit of which the Conference of London has assembled.

3dly. Because at this moment the plenipotentiaries of the Courts of Austria, Prussia, and Russia, do not possess powers which would authorize them either to demand from the government of the Netherlands the partial execution of a treaty to which it has not yet acceded, in demanding the aforesaid evacuation of the citadel of Antwerp, or to consent to the

weekly defalcation proposed with reference to Holland by the plenipotentiaries of France and Great Britain.

4thly. Because in case coercive measures should be put in execution by the French government and the English government, the plenipotentiaries of Austria, Prussia, and Russia cannot take part in them; and they reserve to themselves respectively the explanation of the motives of this determination of their Courts.

5thly. Because in their opinions the step which, according to the indications of experience, would seem most likely to lead, with the greatest degree of certainty, to the object of the Conference, and to convince the Court of the Hague of its true position, the dangers which surround it, and the firm desire of Austria, Prussia, and Russia, to arrive as soon as possible at such a conclusion as may satisfy the views of France and Great Britain, as well as the just interests of Belgium would consistIn putting before the eyes of the courts of Vienna, Berlin, and St. Petersburgh, the actual state of things, engaging them on the one side to use, for the last time, their influence with his majesty the king of the Netherlands, in order to obtain his immediate assent to an equitable arrangement; and on the other to adopt, if these new efforts should prove unavailing, all the financial measures pointed out by the plenipotentiaries of France and Great Britain, measures which would be so far more efficacious, inasmuch as their unanimous sanction by the five Powers themselves would leave to the cabinet of the Hague neither doubt nor hope.

"Considering, nevertheless, that

the distances which separate Vienna and St. Petersburgh from London might cause too long a delay at this critical moment, the plenipotentiaries of Austria, Prussia, and Russia declare, that it would appear to them sufficient to consult the court of Berlin, and invite it to pronounce, first, a decision by which it may make known to the cabinet of the Hague the absolute necessity in which it is placed either to propose within a given time a project of a definitive treaty between Holland and Belgium, which may settle in the affirmative, in a manner clear and completely satisfactory, all the questions, without a single exception, which have been addressed in the last instance by the Conference of London to the plenipotentiary of the Netherlands, or to give in its adherence to the 24 articles of the 14th of October, 1831; secondly, to declare the obligation which a rejection of one or the other of these demands would impose on Austria, Prussia, and Russia, first to free Belgium from the arrears which it owes to Holland since the 1st of January, 1832, and then to cut off (defalquer) a million of florins per week of the debt of Belgium to Holland, in case that at the lapse of a given time the stoppage of the arrears since the 1st of January, 1832, did not produce the effect anticipated from it; and this without prejudice to the special measures France and England may judge indispensable as far as they are concerned, should the weekly defalcation remain without result.

which

"The plenipotentiaries of Austria and Russia observed, that looking at the urgency of the moment, they consent to conform themselves to the decisions which the Court of

Berlin will make known.

"The plenipotentiaries of the three Powers add, that these decisions may be made known in London in the space of ten or twelve days, and that they offer in their eyes two advantages of the highest importance;-they would present the last means of terminating the negotiations by a pacific arrangement, which would reconcile all the interests and wishes of all the parties; and even should this chance not be finally realized, the cabinet of the Hague, seeing perfect agreement between the five Powers themselves on the pecuniary measures adopted with respect to Holland, could not hesitate to adopt the resolutions which the good of Holland and the good of Europe demand. The questions which occupy the Conference would thus be resolved without interruption or risk to the general peace.

"In order to obtain with more celerity answers from Berlin, and to make felt there the importance of these communications, the Prussian plenipotentiary announces that he charges with it the first secretary of the Prussian Legation, who will set out for Berlin this day on board a Hamburgh steamer.

"The British plenipotentiary expresses his regret that he is not able to give his assent to the proposition made by the plenipotentiaries of Austria, Prussia, and Russia; he is deeply convinced of the advantages which would result from unanimity of action on the part of the five Powers, if it were possible to obtain it; and he flatters himself that he has given a proof of the importance which he attaches to this unanimity by the manner in which he suggested, at a former meeting of the Conference, the idea of resorting in the first instance to pecuniary measures in

preference to measures of a more vigorous character, an idea which he had hoped would have obtained the active concurrence of the Conference.

"But the British plenipotentiary is convinced that in the present state of the negotiations it is necessary for the maintenance of the peace of Europe that some decisive measures should be adopted by the Powers which have ratified the treaty of November, and have guaranteed the execution of the dispositions of that Act; and he regrets that he does not see in the proposition made by the plenipotentiaries of the three Courts any measure which meets the urgency of the case. The tendency of this proposition is to renew negotiations, which the experience of many months, and the avowal of the Conference itself, have proved to be without result-to renew them, not with the united weight of the five Courts represented in the Conference, but by the separate action of some of those Courts, and that, after the experience had by those Courts themselves of the inefficacy of their efforts to produce by the influence of their counsels the determination of the cabinet of the Hague.

The British plenipotentiary cannot, consequently, consent to a proposition the only certain result of which would seem to be a new delay; and in reserving to the government of his Britannic majesty the decision which it may deem it advisable to take in execution of the engagements contracted by his majesty, he limits himself for the present to the expression of his regret that the plenipotentiaries of Austria, Prussia, and Russia, are not prepared to concur in effective measures, with the view of putting

in execution a treaty which since so many months has been ratified by their Courts, and the prolonged accomplishment of which exposes the peace of Europe to continual and increasing dangers.

"The plenipotentiary of his majesty the king of the French, adhering in all points to the declaration just made by the plenipotentiary of his Britannic majesty, expresses with him his regret at not being able to accept the proposition of the plenipotentiaries of Austria, Prussia, and Russia; and persisting in that which he has himself presented to the Conference, reserves to his government besides, the full power of acting for the execution of the treaty concluded with Belgium, as well as the right resulting from it, and following that which the tenour of the engagements and the interest of France may demand. (Signed)

"WESSENBerg.
"MAREUIL.
"PALMERSTON.
"BULOW.

"LIEVEN.
"NEUMANN.
"MATUSZEWICZ."

NOTE ADDRESSED by the BELGIAN MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS to the MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF FRANCE. "Brussels, October 5. "The undersigned minister for foreign affairs of his majesty the king of the Belgians having laid before his sovereign an account of the state of the negotiations opened at London, and principally as to the new acts which had intervened since the Belgian plenipotentiary was furnished with the necessary powers for entering directly into communication with the plenipoVOL. LXXIV.

tentiary of the Netherlands, has received orders to make the following declaration to his excellency the minister of his majesty the king of the French for the foreign department.

The government of his majesty the king of the Belgians having addressed, under the dates of the 12th and 13th of June, the cabinets of the Tuileries and St. James's, claiming the execution of the engagements contracted by the treaty of November 15, received for answer that the Conference would occupy itself with the means for insuring this result without delay.

66

Relying upon this assurance, and the approbation signified by the note of the Conference of June 11, of the line of conduct which it had traced out for itself, the Belgian government was expecting an immediate termination of the difficulties which had already too long existed, when Holland suddenly gave a new and unexpected direction to the negotiations.

"The cabinet of the Hague, while appearing to offer to negociate an arrangement directly with that of Belgium, had given rise to a belief that pacific means remained to be used; and by thus arresting the proceedings of the Conference, at length succeeded in throwing upon Belgium the responsibility of delay.

"This it was that induced the king of the Belgians to depart for a moment from the resolution formed by his government not to take part in any negotiation till after the evacuation of the Belgian territory; and consequently measures were adopted by his majesty to open a direct negotiation, in order to ascertain in a positive manner if it were possible to obtain

2 A

an amicable arrangement with Holland.

"The Belgian minister plenipotentiary at London was, on September 18, furnished with full powers to negociate, conclude, and sign, a treaty direct with the plenipotentiary of his majesty the king of the Netherlands; the Belgian plenipotentiary, on acquainting the Conference with his new mission, declared by a note, dated September 20, that the king of the Belgians did not intend to suffer any encroachment upon or prejudice to his rights, but reserved to himself, in case this direct negotiation should remain without result, to claim the execution of theengagements contracted by cach of the five powers.

"The government of his majesty the king of the Belgians became ere long acquainted with the note addressed to the Conference by the Dutch plenipotentiary, under date of September 20, as well as with the result of the labours of the plenipotentiaries of the five courts in their meetings of the 24th, 25th, and 26th of the same month. From these documents it obtained the conviction that the Dutch government could not be led by the ordinary course of negotiation to a direct approximation to Belgium, and that all hope of conciliation having become illusive, the Belgian question could no longer be regarded under any other point of view.

"In such a state of things, the French government will undoubtedly admit that it is the duty of the undersigned to protest, in the name of his sovereign, against any measure which might leave an opening for negotiation, the sterility of which has been demonstrated by long experience, whether it has

been attempted by the simultaneous and combined action of the five Courts represented in the Conference, or by the separate action of some of them. They can no longer deceive themselves upon their influence with the cabinet of the Hague, especially after the check experienced by count Orloff in the pacific mission with which he had been charged by the court of Russia. New efforts would remain ineffectual, as they have hitherto done, and would evidently have no other result than to create delays, injurious not only to Belgium, but to all Europe, whom they keep in suspense; the general disarmament being as it were connected with the solution of the Belgian question.

The time has therefore come to carry into execution a treaty invested five months ago with the common sanction of the five Courts, the non-fulfilment of which exposes the peace of Europe to increasing and continual dangers. Since the last refusal of the Dutch government, there is no other means to accomplish this result but the employment of material force; for it cannot be supposed that the powers will allow an indefinite postponement, which would be highly injurious to the public order of Europe, and that, after laborious negotiations for two years, a treaty solemnly ratified should remain without being executed.

"In consequence, the undersigned has received the positive commands of his sovereign to claim of the government of his majesty the king of the French the execution of the guarantee stipulated by the 25th article of the treaty of November 15, 1831, concluded with Belgium. Circumstances re