CONDUITE

Par la convention conclue à Londres, le 22 octobre 1832, entre les plénipotentiaires de la France et de la Grande-Bretagne (le prince de Talleyrand et lord Palmerston), il avait été résolu que, sur l'invitation du roi des Belges, les deux puissances procéderaient à l'exécution du traité du 15 novembre 4831, conformément à leurs engagements; que l'évacuation territoriale formerait un commencement d'exécution; que les gouvernements de Hollande et de Belgique seraient requis d'opérer réciproquement cette évacuation pour le 12 novembre; que la force serait employée contre celui de ces gouver-

nements qui n'aurait pas donné son consentement pour le 2 novembre; que notamment, en cas de refus de la Hollande, l'embargo serait mis sur les vaisseaux hollandais, et que, le i5 novembre, une armée entrerait en Belgique pour faire le siège de la citadelle d'Anvers.

Le 23, M. Van deWeyer adressait de Londres la lettre suivante au général Goblet, ministre des affaires étrangères :

« J'apprends que l'idée émise par le cabinet français de faire participer la Prusse aux mesures coercitives, en lui proposant d'occuper Venloo, a été en quelque sorte approuvée à Berlin, et quoique M. Ancillon se soit fort récrié d'abord, il paraît que le roi lui a fait changer d'avis. C'est là du moins ce que mande, dit-on, lord Minto. Rien de plus changeant, vous le savez, que les résolutions de M. Ancillon. Je n'ai pas voulu cependant vous laisser ignorer cette circonstance. Sir Robert Adair pourra vous donner plus de détails ('). »

Le 30 octobre, le lendemain du jour où la Belgique avait été sommée d'évacuer le territoire

(') On trouvera dans l'Appendice le texte inédit d'une lettre adressée, le 24 octobre, par lord Minto à sir Robert Adair, et d'une autre lettre de lord Palmerston au même, en date du 27.

attribué à la Hollande, les plénipotentiaires de l'Angleterre et de la France h Londres proposèrent formellement au cabinet de Berlin de faire occuper provisoirement par ses troupes les territoires, places et lieux dans le Limbourg et dans le grand-duché de Luxembourg, qui, d'après les termes du traité du 15 novembre 1831, devaient appartenir au roi des Pays- Bas, grand-duc du Luxembourg. Cette occupation cesserait lorsque le roi des Pays-Bas aurait accepté et pris l'engagement de remplir les conditions attachées à la possession desdits territoires, places et lieux parle traité du 15 novembre. La Prusse refusa parce que, selon les ternies d'une note ultérieure du cabinet de Berlin, l'occupation dans les formes proposées ne paraissait pas conforme à l'attitude prise par ce cabinet. Le gouvernement prussien, au lieu d'occuper Venloo, plaça un corps d'observation entre le Bhin et la Meuse. Le 7 e corps d'armée, qui jusqu'alors avait stationné en Westphalie, reçut l'ordre de passer le Bhin et de prendre position entre Aix-la-Chapelle et Gueldre, afin de couvrir les frontières du côté de la Belgique et de la Hollande sur la rive droite de la Meuse, et le 8 e corps, établi sur le Rhin, était appelé à servir de corps de réserve à ces forces.

APPENDICE

Protocol of conférence with the Greek deputies, MM. Orlando, Spaniolucki and Luriollis.

Sept. 29' 1 » 1823.

The Greek deputies added thaï as M. Canning h ad bcen so open and candid in lus explanations (o them, perhaps lie would allow them to ask what would be the eflect on the British government, if the Greek nation were, in their approaching assemblies to clioose of their own accord prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg as their king, and to make an ofTer direclly to him, and not through the intervention of the British government.

M. Canning answered tliat in that case also the question would in ail probabilily coine back to that which be had already answered.

Connected as prince Leopold was with the royal family of England, and possessing, as His Boyal Highness did, a large stake in tins country, be would, even if disposed to accept the trust, doubtless not do so without previously obtaining the consent of the king of England. The asking of that consent would necessarily draw from the British government the same refusai which they were now obliged to give to the proposai about to be made to them.

The Greek depulies replied that the connection between Ihe prince Leopold and the royal family of Great Britain being in facl slight, they had hoped that His Royal Highness might not feel himself strictly bound by it, and in offering to him the suprême power of Greece the Greeks might be considcred as tendering it to a German prince.

M. Canning replied that it was of course open to prince Leopold to take whatever course His Royal Highness might choose, wcre the offer made to him, but that in as far as His Royal Highness would be swaycd by his position in England, and M. Canning (speaking merely hisown individual opinion upon a question which took him entirely unprepared) believed the prince Leopold would be swayed l.y it, His Royal

Highness's décision would be in the négative (Despalches,

correspondent and memoranda of fîeld marshal Arthur duke of Wellington, edited by his son, the duke of Wellington (Londres, 1867), supplément, t. II, p. S07 et suiv.)

Lord Minto, ambassadeur d'Angleterre à Berlin, à sir Robert Adair.

Berlin, 2 (octobre 1832.

My dear sir Robert,

I hâve the satisfaction of informing you that the king of Prussia bas consented to the proposai lalely made to him from France for the occupation of Venloo and the dutch territory in Limburg by Prussian troops simultareously wilh the réduction of Anlwerp by France and England.

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It is intended that lliis proposai should be made fo the conférence of London, and thaï llie measure sliould proceed from ils authority.

No answer has yet bcen rcceivcd liere from Vienna lo the communications upon this subject; but I see no rcason to apprehend a dissent in thaï quarter, and the proposai supported in conférence by the plénipotentiaires of France, England and Prussia cannot fail of being acceeded lo by those of Prussia and Austria who on a late occasion signified their readiness lo abide by the décision of their court.

It is not to be understood lhat Prussia approves of or makes hersef any party to the employemcnl of force against Anlwerp. But England and France having announced their détermination to proceed to the exécution of Ihe treaty they had signed with Belgium, Prussia is willing lhat the conférence, starting from thaï fixed point, should as a measure of précaution assign to lier in deposit from Holland those portions of the Dutch territory now occupied by Belgium.

This décision which will hâve the effect of prescnting the five powcrs cooperating in concerl in the exécution of the treaty appears (o me of sucb importance as to hâve induced me lo forward it to you by estafette.

I need only add lhat we bave taken care it shall be unterstood hère thaï therc is nothing in this arrangement thaï affords any measure from delay in the opération which France and England may hâve contemplaled.

Be.ieve me, etc., etc.

Minto.

Lord Palmerslon à sir Robert Adair.

Foreign-Office, 27 oct. 1832.

My dear sir Robert,

Tell Leopold and Goblet that though we call upon them to enter into an engagement by the 2° to evacuate Venloo, etc., by the 12 h yet, that if the kingof the Netherlands refuses to enter into a corresponding engagement we shall not expect Leopold to fulfil tins by the 12" but shall on the contrary inform him that we do not wish to evacuate so soon.

If the Prussians fall into our plan and undertake to occupy Venloo and Dulch Limburg then it will be désirable that they should enter thosc places at the same lime that the French put the Belgians into possession of Antwerp; but, in that case perhaps the Prussians ought to keep Venloo till the dulch finally agrée to a définitive treaty, but ail this can be scttled by and by. If the Dutch refuse, as we expect them to do, we shall know their refusai on the 4 and the embargo will probably be declared on the S lh . The Dutch will most likely retalicate by embargoing and detaining our ships, and it may be prudent that you should send confidentially to our consul at Antwerp, to désire him to inform British captains there, lhatafterthe2and5of nov. they may notfind it safe to pass through the Dutch waters, so that if they stay beyond that lime they may hâve to remain longer in the Scheldt. Ile may, if he bas the means of doing so, also give an hint to any British ship that may be laying at Flushing. — Do not letlhe convention outof your hands though you will of course show it to Leopold and Goblet as I dont wish it to

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be made public tlirough our means. I was much obliged to you for sending sir J. Smiths to me, be is a very intelligent officer and gave me some interesting information about Antwerp. — The Prussian déclaration, which I bave just received, is as moderately worded, as could bave been expected, and we always knew tbat it would corne, whenever we migbt résolve upon coercive measures ; il may as well known because it might perhaps tend to give false liopes to tbe Dulch, lliougb Antwerp citadel will, I trust, be taken, before a Russian order could even reacb Poland.

My dear sir Robert, yours sinccrely, Palmerston.