Treaty of Paris (1815)/Act on the neutrality of Switzerland

The Accession of Switzerland to the declaration published at Vienna the 20th March 1815, by the Powers who signed the Treaty of Paris, having been duly notified to the Ministers of the Imperial and Royal Courts, by the Act of the Helvetic Diet on the 27th of the month of May following, there remained nothing to prevent the Act of Acknowledgment and Guarantee of the perpetual Neutrality of Switzerland, from being made conformably to the above mentioned declaration. But the Powers deemed it expedient to suspend till this day, the signature of that act, in consequence of the changes which the events of the war, and the arrangements, which might result from it, might possibly occasion in the limits of Switzerland, and in respect also to the modifications resulting therefrom, in the arrangements relative to the federated territory, for the benefit of the Helvetic Body.

These changes being fixed by the stipulations of the Treaty of Paris signed this day, the Powers who signed the declaration of Vienna of the 20th March declare, by this present act, their formal and authentic Acknowledgment of the perpetual Neutrality of Switzerland; and they guarantee to that country the integrity and inviolability of its territory in its new limits, such as they are fixed, as well by the act of the Congress of Vienna, as by the Treaty of Paris of this day, and such as they will he hereafter; conformably to the arrangement of the Protocol of the 3d November, extract of which is hereto annexed, which stipulates in favour of the Helvetic Body a new increase of territory, to be taken from Savoy, in order to disengage from Enclaves, and complete the circle of the canton of Geneva.

The Powers acknowledge likewise and guarantee the neutrality of those parts of Savoy, designated by the act of the Congress of Vienna of the 20th May 1815, and by the Treaty of Paris signed this day, the same being entitled to participate in the Neutrality of Switzerland, equally as if they belonged to that country.

The Powers who signed the declaration of the 20th March acknowledge, in the most formal manner, by the present act, that the neutrality and inviolability of Switzerland, and her independence of all foreign influence, enter into the true interests of the policy of the whole of Europe.—They declare that no consequence unfavourable to the rights of Switzerland with respect to its neutrality, and the inviolability of its territory, can or ought to be drawn from the events, which led to the passage of the Allied troops across a part of the Helvetic States. This passage, freely consented to by the cantons in the Convention of the 20th May, was the necessary result of the free adherence of Switzerland to the principles manifested by the Powers who signed the Treaty of Alliance of the 25th March.

The Powers acknowledge with satisfaction that the conduct of Switzerland, under these trying circumstances, has shown that she knew how to make great sacrifices to the general good, and to the support of a cause, which all the Powers of Europe defended, and that in fine Switzerland has deserved the advantages which have been secured to her, whether by the arrangements of the Congress of Vienna, by the Treaty of Paris, of this day, or by the present act, to which all the Powers in Europe are invited to accede.

In faith of which, the present Declaration has been concluded, and signed at Paris the 20th November 1815. The signatures follow in the alphabetical order of the Courts.