THE RESULT OF THE CONGRESS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 56, 26 October 1878, Page 3

THE RESULT OF THE CONGRESS.

The following useful summary of (he results of'tho Congress is given by the European Mail:— Roumania and Servia, hitherto linked to Constantinople by the frail tie of a tribute, which in recent years they sometimes forgot to pav, are now formally declared to'he independent. Uoumania to givo hack to Russia a portion of that k J]essarabian territory which she received after the Crimean War; and in exchange to obtain the Dobrudjii, with territory stretching from the east Jof Silistria" to the south of MangahV on the coast of the JSlack S"rvLi gets some additional territory. Montenegro to be independent, and I . ieccive/a goo<l deal of additional territory, in [(articular the poll of Ant ivari. Montenegro and Servia to hcar"*n part of the Ottoman debt proportionate to the siz ' the new territory which they have receiv-d. No such burden has heen laid on Uoumania. because the Dobrudja is regarded, not its an Addition, but as am \- ehange. Vl ice snl'ieets <• i H i\ :.i i ■ S. rv ; and Montenegro to be totally free from religious disabilities. lSosnin and Herzegovina arc dismissed in the brief phrase that they ' shall be I rif-cupicd and administered by Austria- ' iliri.'aiy." It is not stipulated that the oci '.pied territory is to pay any tribute t the I'orte, or to bear any portion of the Tu.kish debt. The separation is absolute and unconditional. Bulgaria to be " an autonomous and tributary L'rincipality," under the suzerainty of'the Sultan, to havca < 'hristian GoT riiment and a national militia ;a Prince, elected by tic people, subject to the confirmation of the Porte and the assent of the Great Towers ; a representative form of (Government; and complete religious equality. The Principality is |o pav a fixed tribute to the Porte, and to hear part of the Turkish debt. All the Ottoman troops to be withdrawn, and all the fortresses destroyed. The separation of linlgaria from the Porte will be complete in all bul the name and the obligation to pay a fixed sum of money. While the' requisite changes are being made the provisional organisation to be directed by a Russian Commissioner " assisted " by a Turkish Commissioner, as well as by ( 'ousels, to be appointed by the signatory Powers. The temporary (■ioverument not to last for more than nine •months. East Roumelia to have a Christian Oo-vernor-Ooncral (chosen by the Sultan, with the assent of the (heat Powers , who will remain in otKee for a term of five years. The administrative arrangements of the province to he determined by a European Commission, which will work in concert with the Porte, and take as its starting point the propositions made at the eighth meeting of the Conference of Constantinople, internal order to be kept by a native gendarmerie and a local militia, so recruited as to represent the religion of the districts over which they wfll watch. Tl Ilieers of both corps to he appointed bytheSultan. The Sultan to have the right to raise fortifications and keep troops on all the frontiers to tho province ; the Governor-Gene-ral to have power to call for Turkish troops, if the internal or the external S'-curity of the province should he menaced. The decision of the Porto must then bo stated and justified to the representatives of the Ureat Powers at Constant!* uoplc. Crete receives at rectification of her frontier, and the I'orte promises to apply scrupulously the administrative plan which wax formed in 1868, and to tmprovo that law in any fashion which shall be-deemed equitable. lhitoum, Arduhan, and liars arc Ceded to Russia, Batoum to be a free commercial port. England to occupy Cyprus.