1880

Les Plénipotentiaires ont résolu de leur expédier, au sujet de cette Note, l'Instruction ci- annexée. (B.) Le Plénipotentiaire de Sa Majesté le Roi des Pays-Bas a fait en même tems connoitre à ceux des 5 Puissances, l'entière adhésion du Roi son Maitre à leur Protocole du 17 Novembre, 1830.

ESTERHAZY, TALLEYRAND. FALCK. LIEVEN. WESSENBERG. PALMERSTON. BULOW. MATUSZEWIC

Pièces annexées au protocole de la conférence de Londres du 30 Novembre 1830.

A.

Note adressée par le gouvernement belge à M. M Cartwright et Bresson, Commissaires de la confé rence de Londres. (Note Verbale.)

Bruxelles, le 23 Novembre 1830.

Dans le Protocole de la Conférence tenue à Londres le 17 Novembre, 1830, au Foreign Office, les Plénipotentiaires des Cours d'Autriche, de France, de la Grande Bretagne, de Prusse, et de Russie, après avoir déclaré qu'ils acceptent la réponse du Gouver nement Provisoire de la Belgique aux propositions d'Armistice, dont les bases avaient été indiquées par M. M. Cartwright et Bresson, émettent l'opinion que cet Armistice convenu constitue un engagement pris envers les 5 Puissances par le Gouvernement Belge.

Le Gouvernement Provisoire de la Belgique n'a pu considérer l'intervention des 5 Puissances que comme une démarche amicale de médiateurs, animés d'un esprit de concorde et de paix, qui offrent leurs bons offices aux Parties Belligérantes, et cherchent à concilier les differends, de l'aveu et, du libre consentement de leurs Alliés ou voisins engagés dans une Guerre Mais en s'empressant d'accueillir des propositions qui tendaient à faire cesser les hostilités, et à fixer les limites derrière lesquelles doivent se retirer les Troupes Belges et Hollandaises, le Gouvernement de là Belgique n'a pas entendu s'obliger envers les Puissances par un engagement dont aucune circonstance ne pût le délier. Il a voulu répondre aux intentions conciliatrices des 5 Puissances, arrêter l'effusion du sang,

1

et se montrer disposé à l'adoption de toutes les mesu- 1830 res que réclament la justice et l'humanité: il n'a point supposé que ces dispositions pacifiques dussent être envisagées dans le sens que semble leur donner le Protocole.

Au surplus, le Gouvernement Belge croit devoir demander, quelle signification précise attachent les Plénipotentiaires à l'engagement que constituerait de sa part, envers les 5 Puissances, l'Armistice convenu.

B.

Instruction adressée par la conférence de Londres à ses commissaires à Bruxelles, en date du 30 Novembre 1830.

Nous avons examiné avec attention la note verbale que vous nous avez transmise, et où se trouve exprimé le désir de connaitre la signification de l'engagement d'armistice que les cinq cours ont déclaré, par leur protocole du 17 Novembre, avoir été contracté envers elles.

Le motif de cet engagement est, qu'animés du désir d'éteindre tout sentiment d'inimitié entre les populations que divise en ce moment une lutte déplorable, et non d'en faire prévoir le retour, les Puissances ont jugé utile de rendre l'armistice entre la Hollande et la Belgique indéfinie, et le considèrent comme un engagement pris envers elles-mêmes, et à l'exécution duquel il leur appartient desormais de veiller.

En conséquence, celle des deux parties qui romprait cet engagement se trouverait en opposition ouverté avec les intentions salutaires qui ont dicté les démarches faites par les cinq Puissances pour arrêter l'effusion du sang.

Nous croyons de notre devoir d'observer, que s'il ne résultait de l'armistice cette sécurité complète, sous la garantie des Puissances, les Plénipotentiaires n'auraient pas consenti à proposer à S. M. le Roi des Pays-Bas l'évacuation de la citadelle d'Anvers, et à changer ainsi sa position dans le cas d'une reprise d'hostilités.

Vous êtes autorisés à puiser dans la teneur de cette Dépêche, la matière d'une Note verbale que

1830 Vous remettrez en réponse à celle qui vous a été communiquée.

Agréez, etc.

XV.

Lettre du Vicomte Palmerston, Ministre des relations extérieures à Londres, à Lord Ponsonby, du 1 Décembre 1830.

My Lord,

London, Foreign office, 1st December 1830.

The King having been pleased to make choice of you for the special and temporary service of conducting the Communications which are now carrying on with the Provisional. Government established at Brussels, I have to request that you will proceed with the least possible delay to that City.

As the independent political existence of the Belgic Provinces has not yet assumed any distinct or definite shape, you are not to consider yourself acting in the character of an accredited Minister to an established and recognized Government, but as the organ of the Conferences of the Ministers assembled in London, and representing the Powers who are animated with a mutual desire to put an end to the hostilities now existing between Holland and The Netherlands, and to effect an arrangement which may restore peace to those Countries and security to Europe; and you are accordingly to follow such Instructions as you may from time to time receive from the Ministers assembled in those Conferences.

In the performance of this duty you will find you self associated with M. Bresson, the organ of the French Government, and you will consider all the Instructions which you will receive from the Conference, as addressed jointly and equally to both of you. It is scarcely necessary to say, that it is the desire of His Majesty's Government that in all your intercourse with M. Bresson, and in the execution of your commun Instructions, you should use that unreserved confidence, and manifest that perfect cordiality and union which now so happily prevail between your respective Go

vernments.

But as it is thought that the accomplishment of 1830 the objects for which this Mission is entrusted to you, may be materially assisted by your being put in possession of the views of your own Government upon those matters with which you will have, in the first instance, to deal; J think it my duty to explain to you shortly, the nature of those views, and the points which you are to aim at, as opportunities of doing so may occur.

But

His Majesty's Government consider the absolute and entire separation of Belgium from Holland to be no longer a matter of discussion, but to have become, by the course of events, an established and, as far as can at present be foreseen, an irreversible fact. Any attempt again to join those Countries together under any modification of union, would probably be as repugnant to the wishes of the Dutch, as it would be to the feelings of the Belgians, and to any attempt to reestablish such an Union by the employment of force, His Majesty's Government never could consent. Belgium, with the exception of the Citadel of Antwerp, is entirely in the possession of its own Military force, the Dutch Troops having been driven into the ancient Provinces of Holland, neither of the Contending Parties therefore, have any adequate motive for a continuance of hostilities; the Dutch cannot hope to reconquer Belgium; the Belgians have already cleared their Country of the Dutch; nor could any attempt on the part of either of these Countries to encroach upon the Possessions of the other, be permitted. In this state of things, it is the opinion of His Majesty's Government, that it is not only the right, but the duty of the Allied Powers, to interfere to put a stop to hostilities, which have ceased to have, on either side, any

fair

or attainable object, and which, if further prolonged, threaten the most serious and imminent danger to the general tranquillity of Europe. If therefore you should find, upon your arrival at Brussels, that the Provisional Government have not yet consented to a complete and unlimited Armistice, you will take the earliest opportunity of expressing to them, in the strongest manner; the conviction of His Majesty's Government, that the immediate establishment of such an Armistice is indispensably necessary for the attainment

G

1830 of the objects which the 5 Powers have so much at heart,

The Territories of the Dutch Government, previous to the annexation of Belgium in 1814, consisted of the 7 United Provinces of Holland, with their de tached Dependencies, and the King of the Netherlands possessed, in his own right, certain Hereditary States of the House of Nassau, situated in Germany. For these latter States, the Prince - Sovereign of Holland received in exchange the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, under the Stipulation of a Treaty by which be was to hold that Duchy by the same title by which he had held his hereditary Estates.

Adverting to this state of things, previous to the union of the 2 Countries, what should be the Line of Demarcation to be established between the Contending Parties for the purpose of the Armistice, seems to be at once pointed out; and it follows that the Line should run along the ancient Boundary which formerly separated Belgium from the 7 United Provinces, and from the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, including, however, within the limits of Dutch occupation, Maestricht, aud the other small detached Dependencies, which formerly belonged to the 7 United Provinces.

This Line, which is nearly that of actual occupation, you will accordingly use your influence to press, and you will of course not fail to point out to the Belgian Government the fact, that the adoption of this Line will imply the evacuation by the Dutch of the Citadel of Antwerp on the one hand, and on the other that of Venloo, and any other Forteresses within the original Dutch Territories, which may now be in the hands of the Belgians.

When hostilities shall have permanently ceased, in deference to the wish of the Allied Powers, and each Party shall have retired within its own limits, mutual irritation may be expected to abate, and subsequent arrangements may become more easy.

It is not the intention of His Majesty's Government, and it would be contrary to their principles, to interfere otherwise than by their counsel in the arran gements which the Belgians may make for the constitution of their internal Government, except in so far as any proposed arrangement might affect the in