HC Deb 01 May 1856 vol 141 cc1800-1
SIR HENRY WILLOUGHBY

asked the First Lord of the Treasury whether he would lay upon the table any map or plan delineating clearly the boundary on the north of the Danube between Bessarabia and Moldavia?

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

That boundary is so accurately described in the words of the Treaty, that if any hon. Member will have the goodness to look at a good map of the districts, he will have no difficulty in tracing it. Beginning from the Black Sea, something less than a mile to the east of Lake Bourna Sola, and running perpendicularly to the Akerman road, it follows that road to the Val de Trajan till it reaches the River Yalpuck. It then goes up to the Height of Saratsika, and terminates at Katamori, on the Pruth. That boundary has yet to be laid down on the ground, and a Commission is to be appointed for the purpose of going on the spot and laying it down. It leaves all the islands of the Danube on a parallel with the Pruth, and the lower part of the Pruth, as belonging to Moldavia.

LORD JOHN MANNERS

referred to the following passage on page 16 of the Protocols:— Count Walewski observes that Russia had erected forts on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, which she had herself in part blown up, and that it will be necessary to come to an understanding in this respect. The Earl of Clarendon, relying specifically on the principle of the neutralisation of the Black Sea, proceeds to show that these forts could not he rebuilt. The Russian Plenipotentiaries, setting up the distinction which, according to them, exists between these forts and military marine arsenals, maintain the contrary opinion. The consideration of this point is adjourned. Now, he (Lord John Manners) could not find any further reference to this most important subject; and he wished, therefore, to ask the noble Lord whether the discussion upon it was ever resumed? If so, with what result?

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

There was a discussion upon that point, but it led to no definite result. There is nothing in the Treaty that specially applied to those forts.

LORD JOHN MANNERS

It is not clear, from the reply of the noble Lord, whether the discussion was resumed or not.

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

Every discussion that took place in the Conferences of any formal character is recorded in the Protocols.