Page:The European Concert in the Eastern Question.djvu/250

 the election of its own 'voyvode,' and much freedom of administration. At a later date the Porte superseded the elected 'voyvodes' by 'hospodars' appointed by itself. Russia, on the other hand, obtained by the Treaty of Kainardji in 1774, and by subsequent conventions, certain rights of interference on behalf of the two countries; and by the Peace of Bucharest, 1812, acquired the Moldavian province of Bessarabia, thus advancing its frontier to the Pruth and lower Danube. The occupation by Russia of the two principalities was the step which immediately produced the Crimean War, and much pains were taken in the Treaty of Paris to define their position as being 'under the suzerainty of the Porte and under the guarantee of the contracting Powers,' no one of which was to exercise any 'exclusive right of protection over them .' By the same Treaty, a portion of Bessarabia on the left bank of the Danube was restored to Moldavia. In accordance with Article 24 of the Treaty, representative Divans were consulted, in September 1857, as to the definite organization of the Principalities. The nearly unanimous wish of both Divans for union under a single governor was considered by a Conference of the Powers, held at Paris from 22nd May to 19th August, 1858, which refused to sanction this proposal, but, by a Convention of the latter date, approved of a joint Commission at Fokshany, a joint High Court, and a joint Militia; the hospodars to be elected for life for 'the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia .' The 'double election' in January and February 1859, of Colonel Couza as hospodar was the next step taken by the Principalities towards realising their union. The Porte appealed to the Powers; who however, at a Conference at Paris, on 6th September, decided to sanction the election, and in October the