it was of an informal character, was not divided into Articles, and was to the following effect :-That disturbances having broken out in the Kingdom of Poland which might endanger property and tranquillity in the frontier provinces of Prussia, it was agreed between the two Governments that the troops of either should be authorized, on the requisition of the military authorities of the other, to cross the frontier, and, in case of necessity, should be permitted to pursue insurgents into the territory of the other; and it was further stipulated that either of the Contracting Parties should at any time be at liberty to terminate this agreement. Its other clauses, M. de Bismarck said, provided that officers should reside at the respective head-quarters of the two Governments, in order to carry on the correspondence which would be necessary between them. The Convention, therefore, was not only incomplete from no ratifications having been exchanged, but as its existence also depended on the will of either of the Contracting Parties, it could not be considered a binding engagement. Earl Russell. ANDREW BUCHANAN. No. 58.-Sir A. Buchanan to Earl Russell.—(Received March 2.) I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith to your Lordship, copy of a despatch which I have received from Her Majesty's Consul at Königsberg, relative to the arrest by Prussian authorities of two young men, sons of Polish emigrants born abroad, who were travelling through the country without passports. Earl Russell. I have, &c. ANDREW BUCHANAN. (Inclosure.)-Consul Ilertslet to Sir A. Buchanan. YOUR EXCELLENCY, Königsberg, February 26, 1863. I HAVE the honour to state that I have abstained from reporting any movements of the Prussian military towards our Polish borders, because all such movements have appeared in the public papers as rapidly as I could possibly have reported them. In all, I believe, about 12,000 men have marched to cover the borders from Neidenburg to Eydtkuhnen, and are gradually being replaced at the different garrison towns by troops from other places. The first panical excitement as to the safety of the railroad from this place to St. Petersburgh has quite subsided, and the bankers have even gold sent to them by the St. Petersburgh railway as usual. I have, however, now the honour to report that on the 21st instant two young gentlemen, sons of Polish emigrants, named Eugen von Jovanoki, born at Nice and educated at the Ecole Militaire at Cunce, apparently 21 to 22 years of age, and Jacob von Nowodworski, born at Paris, apparently about 20 years of age, were arrested by the police at this place for having no passports, and not being able to give any satisfactory account of themselves, on the suspicion of their being Polish emissaries; and the matter is I hear, given over to the Solicitor-General ("Staats Anwalt") to bring them to trial on the charge of high treason. One of them is said to have been with Garibaldi during his last expedition. Should the trial take place on the charge of high treason against the State of Prussia, with regard to Posen, it will doubtless last some time, and be difficult to condemn them from want of evidence; but should they be delivered up to Russia, it is probable that they will be at once shot. The French Consular official here has likewise informed the Ambassador of the Emperor of the French at Berlin of the case. Another Pole has been arrested, but on a charge of theft. Sir A. Buchanan. I have, &c. W. J. HERTSLET. No. 59.—Sir A. Buchanan to Earl Russell.—(Received March 2.) Mr. Morier. On the important point relative to the arrest and extradition of the 4 Poles at Thorn, the explanations given by Count Eulenburg are highly unsatisfactory; and the extenuation attempted by drawing a distinction between their formal extradition and their expulsion from Prussian territory across the Russian frontier, i.e., into the hands of Russian soldiers, caused great indignation in the House. The division on the various Resolutions before the House took place this morning; and by a majority of 246 against 57, the House expressed an opinion equivalent to a strong censure of the Convention with Russia. Earl Russell. ANDREW BUCHANAN. (Inclosure.)-Précis of the Debates on the Polish Question in the "The House declares that the interest of Prussia requires that, in face of the revolt that has broken out in the Kingdom of Poland, the Government should not afford assistance or favour either to the . 1 Russian Government or to the insurgents, and, consequently, that it should allow neither of the contending parties to come upon Prussian soil without at the same time being disarmed." As an amendment to the above, the following resolution was proposed by M. Bonin in the name of the minority of the Committee: "The interest of Prussia requires that, in face of the insurrection that has broken out in the Kingdom of Poland, the Government should confine itself to such measures only as are required for the defence of the frontier, and should avoid any interference beyond that point; and, consequently, that it should not allow of any armed persons coming upon Prussian soil, without at the same time disarming them." As sub-amendment to the above, Baron Vincke proposed the following: "That the interests of Prussia, in the face of the insurrection which has broken out in the Kingdom of Poland, requires that the Government should not allow Russian troops to come upon Prussian soil in pursuit of Polish insurgents." M. de Sybel in moving the resolution, referred briefly to the circumstances under which Prussia had become possessed of portions of Poland. Her present title was a valid one, de jure and de facto. She had made it good by the improvement and civilization of the country, through German industry and Gerinan capital. What, therefore, he added, we desire for our Polish fellow-citizens, is a humane and just Government; but, at the same time, we desire that the German inhabitants of what was formerly Poland should know that, for their protection, and for their maintenance as belonging to the Prussian State, the entire Prussian people is ready to stand good. With consciences so clear, with a position so well-defined, and differing so essentially from that occupied by Russia, it is evidently our business to protest against a policy which, without any natural necessity, runs counter to our most important interest, namely, that of preserving peace for our Prussian territory. The speaker then went on to show how, without any necessity, the Government had delivered over a large portion of the fatherland to all the horrors of a barbarous war; had undertaken a joint responsibility for Russian misdeeds, and changed the Polish into an European question. Further, how this policy had been followed up without any prospect of compensation, and at the expense of hundreds of thousands, without the consent of the Chamber. In doing so, the Government had once more given proofs of that which was the essence of its being, viz., contempt for rights; and had shown that it could neither live nor die without breaking the laws of the country. M. de Gottberg defended the Government. MM. von Rönne and Roessell attacked it. Count Eulenburg, in the absence of M. de Bismarck, defended the Government, and said, in reply to one of the former speakers, that it was no unusual thing for the Government to show confidentially to a foreign Government a Convention which they had not laid before the House. With reference to the Poles who were arrested at Thorn, he would give the following explanations :-They had not been delivered up ("ausgeliefert") in the sense of the Extradition Treaties; but having been arrested at the station at Thorn on their way from the west, and having been found possessed of no other legitimations than old Russian passports no longer available, they had been expelled ("ausgewiesen") across the Russian frontier, according to existing Cartel provisions. (Great sensation and murmurs.) Well, Gentlemen, continued Count Eulenburg, I can only refer you to Article XXIII of the Cartel Convention,* according to which you will see that every individual belonging to the Russian Empire not provided with proper papers can be expelled by us, and must be received by Russia. In virtue of the above paragraph, the four individuals in question have now been expelled. Dr. Becker argued in a long speech that an independent Polish Kingdom would be a better neighbour for Germany than Russia, though he would not give up to such a kingdom the ports of Dantzic and Elbing, or a single acre that had been fairly reclaimed by Prussian industry. He spoke strongly and indignantly against the former partitions of Poland. Count Eulenburg, with reference to the supposed entrance of Russian troops into Poland, read a telegram from the Landrath of Strasburg in West Prussia, to the effect that some outposts had been pushed on in the night of the 18th of July upon the bridge of Drewinz, which belongs to Gollub (a Prussian town), and joins that place with Dobrzyn, a Russian town, because both towns were threatened with a band of insurgents which expected reinforcements from Gollub. The town of Dobrzyn had never been occupied by Russian troops; the pushing forward of outposts had been rendered necessary by local circumstances which strongly favoured an attack of the town, denuded as it was of Russian military. Minister President von Bismarck recapitulates the course taken by the various debates held in the House respecting the Polish question, from the first interpellation of MM. Hautall, Kautak and Co. to the present resolution, in order to prove a revolutionary tendency to sympathize with the Polish insurrection. The interests of the country had thereby been sacrificed to party interests, and *Convention of 27 July, 1857. Vol. XLVII. Page 1168. 8 August, German speakers had expressed themselves in an unheard-of manner. M. Waldeck had compared the calling in of Prussian reserves to the sale of Hessian troops to the British Government M. de Unruh, amidst the applause of the House, had declared that if from the present acts of the Government foreign complications arose, the Chamber would refuse to the King the means necessary for the defence of the country. Now, was not this equivalent to saying to foreign countries, Now is your opportunity; come on! for Prussia is defenceless. (Oh! Oh! and strong marks of dissent.) I am glad to see, Gentlemen, that you are stiil capable of indignation on such a subject. (Great sensation, and loud eries of "Order.") Vice-President Behrend.—I must request the House to be quiet. The Minister President has the right to express his pleasure at what the House may think or do. A call for order is here out of place. M. de Bismarck.-I will not here touch upon the question of whether the Ministers can be called to order, but if the question is again mooted I shall reserve to myself to speak upon it. Gentlemen, the threat to make Prussia blameless was expressed by that same M. de Unruh whose name is associated with the refusal to pay taxes in 1848. (A violent scene here ensued; cries of order from all sides of the House; members rising from their seats and groaning.) The President having rung his bell and restored partial order, said: I must here observe to the Minister President that the last statement made by him stands in no sort of relation to the subject under discussion. M. de Bismarck.-I cannot admit the right of the President to call me to order. I have not the honour to belong to this Assembly. I have had nothing to do with making the rules of this House; I. have not assisted in electing the President. The disciplinary power of the President is limited by these boards (striking the front of the Ministerial tribune). My superior is alone His Majesty the King; I do not speak in virtue of the rules of your House, but in virtue of the authority given to me by His Majesty. You have not got the right to interrupt me. Vice-President Behrend.—I had not disputed the Minister President's right to speak, nor, according to the Constitution, can I dispute this right. But according to the rules of the House, the disciplinary power of the President is limited only by the four walls of the House, and this power I shall most undoubtedly use. (Loud cheers.) M. de Bismarck. This is a view which, on the part of the Ministry, I must repudiate. To resume then, M. de Unruh, whose name is associated with the refusal to pay taxes in 1848—(renewed disturbance of "Adjourn"). |