Page:The European Concert in the Eastern Question.djvu/249

 There was no time to be lost if the Commission was to continue in existence, and a Conference accordingly met at London on 8th February, 1883. It consisted of representatives of the signatories of the Treaty of Berlin, and declined to receive representatives of Roumania and Servia, except with a merely consultative voice. The Servian delegate remained upon these terms, but the delegate of Roumania withdrew altogether, as did the delegate of Bulgaria, who would have been allowed to be merely present, without any voice in the deliberations.

The Treaty, which was signed on 10th March, prolongs the duration of the Commission to 24th April, 1904, for certain, and extends its direct authority as far as Ibraila, i.e. to the point beyond which sea-going vessels cannot ascend the river. It makes large concessions to Russia, with reference to the Kilia mouth, and adopts the Barrère règlement, modified by certain concessions to the objections of the Riverain States. Thus it is arranged that neither Austria nor Roumania is to be represented on the mixed Commission by their delegates on the European Commission, and the sub-inspectors are to be appointed in accordance with the wishes of Roumania.

A period of six months was assigned for the exchange of the ratifications of the Treaty, within which time it was hoped that the adhesion of all the Riverain Powers would be received. The ratification of all the signatory Powers, except the Porte (whose ratification arrived on 8th October), were exchanged in London on 24th April, 1884, the very day on which the mandate of the European Commission would have expired. Roumania still remains obstinate in refusing to accept the decision of the Powers.

VII. .—Wallachia in 1396, and Moldavia in 1511, submitted to the Porte, under capitulations as to the precise nature of which there is some doubt, but which, according to Roumanian historians, secured to each Principality