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(Inclosure 2.)-Extract from "La Bulgarie" of January 19, 1890.

Sophia, le 19 Janvier, 1890.

La récente note de M. de Giers a revendiqué, en faveur de la Russie, un droit antérieur d'hypothèque sur les lignes ferrées Bulgares, hypothèque garantissant, au dire de M. le Ministre de Sa Majesté le Czar, le payement des frais de l'occupation Russe, telle que cette créance résulte, en principe, du Traité de Berlin (Article XXII) et, en réalité, de la Convention Russo - Bulgare ad hoc du Juillet, 1883.

Or, ne voulant pas mettre en doute la bonne foi de M. de Giera, nous ferons seulement remarquer que sa mémoire l'a mal servi. On connaît, en effet, l'Article XXII de l'Acte de Berlin, qui ne stipule absolument aucune hypothèque. De même, la Convention RussoBulgare ne fait aucune mention de gage ou autre ; elle ne fait même pas allusion aux "revenus généraux" du pays comme c'est généralement le cas. Pour couper court à toute interprétation ou assertion arbitraire, nous croyons devoir reproduire ci-après le texte même de l'Arrangement Bulgaro-Russe :

"Convention conclue le Juillet, 1883, entre le Gouvernement Impérial de Russie et la Principauté de Bulgarie pour le payement des Frais de l'Occupation."

[See Vol. LXXIV, page 1230.]

Le texte que l'on vient de lire est assez explicite pour nous dispenser de tout commentaire.

Mr. O'Conor to the Marquess of Salisbury.—(Received by telegraph, February 8.)

MY LORD, Sophia, February 8, 1890. WITH reference to my despatch of the 6th instant, I have the honour to report to your Lordship that Mr. Vice-Consul Dalziel, who had already telegraphed to me the news of M. Kalupkoff's arrest (reported in my despatch aforesaid), has to-day informed me by telegraph that another Russian and two Bulgarians have been arrested at Rustchuk. Mr. Dalziel adds that, so far, no arrests of officers have been made, and that he is not of opinion that any serious consequences need be apprehended at Rustchuk.

I have communicated the above intelligence to Sir William White. I have, &c.,

The Marquess of Salisbury.

N. R. O'CONOR.

Mr. Baring to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received February 11.)

MY LORD,

Cettinjé, February 3, 1890.

IN my despatch of the 13th ultimo and in previous despatches I alluded to a number of Montenegrins who had intended emigrating to Servia, but who had been unable to leave the country. They number about 4,000, and are now engaged in road-making in the Zeta Valley. I am told on good authority that the sickness and misery among them is very great.

M. Wurzel, the Secretary to the Russian Legation, left on the 1st instant for Danilograd to distribute relief out of the Russian fund, and a hospital has been established at Orialuka, a place situated a few miles higher up the river (Zeta) than Danilograd. When this hospital was first opened fifty sick persons were at once admitted, forty of whom died within forty-eight hours!

The "Glas Tzrnagortza" of yesterday announces that a further sum of 25,000 roubles is being sent by the Holy Synod of Russia in aid of distressed Montenegrins.

From the accounts received here, it would appear that there is also much distress among the Montenegrin settlers in Servia, who are, moreover, in a state of chronic discontent. I heard yesterday that these people had assumed so threatening an attitude that the Government had been obliged to send a strong force of police to maintain order among them. I have, &c.,

The Marquess of Salisbury.

WALTER BARING.

Mr. O'Conor to the Marquess of Salisbury.--(Received February 17.)

(Extract.)

Sophia, February 6, 1890.

SINCE addressing to your Lordship my despatch of the 1st instant, the Bulgarian Government have obtained much fuller information respecting Major Panitza's conspiracy, and, upon calling on M. Stamboloff this morning, he at once proceeded to speak as follows:

The first traces of the conspiracy dated as far back as August 1889, and since that time all the influence of the anti-dynastic party had been exercised in corrupting and inveigling into the conspiracy the junior officers of the garrison.

In one respect there. is a curious resemblance between the present alleged conspiracy and the coup d'Etat of the 21st August, 1886, for in both cases the direct actual impulse was owing to the personal feeling of a distinguished officer anxious for revenge for an act of supposed injustice on the part of his Sovereign. In 1886, Captain Bendereff, who had greatly distinguished himself during

the Servo-Bulgarian war, was refused the promotion and reward of his services, and in the present instance the conspiracy starts from the date of the Prince's refusal to promote Major Panitza. The Marquess of Salisbury.

N. R. O'CONOR.

Mr. O'Conor to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received February 17.)

MY LORD,

Sophia, February 9, 1890. IN talking, a few days ago, of the events connected with Major Panitza's conspiracy, M. Stamboloff dwelt with great earnestness on the difficulties which the non-recognition of Prince Ferdinand by the European Powers was tending to create in the maintenance and stability of the present régime, and he was afraid, he said, that as long as this anomalous situation continued, a feeling of insecurity would exist which would be detrimental both to the discipline of the army and the tranquillity of the country.

I did not feel called upon to make any observations in reply to M. Stamboloff's remarks.

I understand that M. Stamboloff used similar language in talking on the same day with M. de Burián, the Austro-Hungarian Agent, who likewise appears to have refrained from any comment.

The Marquess of Salisbury.

I have, &c.,

N. R. O'CONOR.

Mr. Baring to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received February 17.) Cettinje, February 11, 1890.

(Extract.)

ONE of my colleagues informed me to-day that he had read in some Austrian newspaper that, on the occasion of the christening of the infant son of the Prince of Montenegro at Rieka, on the 19th ultimo, a certain Kovatchevich, who was formely a brigand in Herzegovina, and who now resides at Nikshich, made a speech to the Prince, in the course of which he expressed a wish that the young Prince Peter, who had received the title of Voivode of Zakhum, might some day govern the province ruled over in former days by the Dukes whose title had now been revived in his person.

This title of "Voivoda Humski" requires some explanation. Up to the latter part of the fourteenth century the district of Zakhum was governed by Rulers who owed a sort of qualified allegiance to the Kings of Hungary, and one of whom, at some time or another, received the title of "Herzog," whence the name "Herzegovina." The country ruled over by these Voivodes, or Dukes, comprised a portion of modern Herzegovina, a part of

Montenegro, a small part of Bosnia, and a small portion of the Sandjak of Novi-Bazar.

Not long after the complete conquest of Bosnia by the Turks (about 1440, I think) the district of Zakhum was incorporated in the Sultan's dominions, and one of the last members of the Ducal house, turning Mahommedan, subsequently held high office in Turkey under the name of " Achmet Herzegovinski."

The revival of this old title would at first sight appear to be a totally unimportant matter, but there is no doubt that the common people here do attach a considerable amount of importance to it and look upon it as foreshadowing an extension of the frontiers of this country.

The Marquess of Salisbury.

WALTER BARING.

Mr. O'Conor to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received by telegraph, February 20.)

MY LORD,

Sophia, February 20, 1890. ON calling upon the Minister for Foreign Affairs this morning, M. Stransky informed me that Baron de Wangenheim, the German Acting Consul-General, who is also charged with the affairs of the Russian Agency here, had just handed him a note demanding, on behalf of the Russian Government, the arrears due by Bulgaria on account of the expenses incurred by the Russian occupation according to the Convention, a copy of which I had the honour to inclose to your Lordship in my despatch of the 31st ultimo, amounting to 360,0007. (3,600,000 roubles, or about 9,000,000 fr.).

This sum is the amount due by the Principality proper, and does not include the expenses of the occupation of Eastern Roumelia.

Baron de Wangenheim presented, further, a claim for cartridges, rifles, and other munitions of war supplied by Russia to the Bulgarian Government, amounting to 572,988 roubles.

M. Stransky informed Baron de Wangenheim that the Bulgarian Government were themselves desirous to discharge their liability for the expenses of the Russian military occupation, and he assured him that the matter would be considered in the Council of Ministers without delay, and a reply sent to him within a few days.

The Marquess of Salisbury.

I have, &c.,

N. R. O'CONOR.

Mr. F. R. St. John to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received
February 21.)

(Extract.)

Belgrade, February 14, 1890.

IF there exist a predominating idea in the Servian mind, or one in which all Serbs are perfectly united, it is that Bulgaria must be forestalled, on ethnographical grounds, in the acquisition of Macedonia and a seaboard, when the moment arrives for the disruption of the Turkish Empire.

Your Lordship may therefore imagine with what dismay the news was received here that at St. Petersburgh there had been published, under the auspices of a Panslavist Society, of which General Ignatieff is President, a map indicating that, ethnographically, Bulgaria has a better claim than Servia to the territory in question.

I am told, though not in an official quarter, that the Emperor of Russia hastened to disavow to the Servian Minister at St. Petersburgh the ethnographical opinions implied by the action of the organ of the Russian Benevolent Society, and that the Servian Envoy telegraphed to apprise his Government; but the unfavourable impression made by the incriminated map remains, and has, it is said, materially weakened the position of the present Russophil Servian Ministry.

Among the public some indignation meetings have occurred. The Marquess of Salisbury.

F. R. ST. JOHN.

Mr. F. R. St. John to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received

MY LORD,

February 21.)

Belgrade, February 15, 1890. I LEARN, in a generally well-informed quarter, that the principal object of the recent visit to Belgrade of M. Gavro-Voukovitch, the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, was to endeavour to induce the Servian Government to receive another 7,000 of his countrymen who are willing to emigrate to Servia, but that the request was declined, on the ground of the very heavy burden thrown on the Servian exchequer by those already arrived.

At an interview yesterday with the Servian Minister for Foreign Affairs, his Excellency, on my alluding to the matter, virtually admitted that the offer had been made and refused for the abovementioned reasons; but he demurred to the notion that this formed the object of the Envoy's visit, which, he said, occurred subsequently to the proposal on the part of Montenegro of sending more emigrants. I have, &c., F. R. ST. JOHN.

The Marquess of Salisbury.

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