Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1818)/Evacuation of France

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CONVENTION between Great Britain, (Austria, Prussia, Russia), and France, for the Evacuation of the French Territory by the Allied Troops. Signed at Aix-la-Chapelle, 9th October, 1818.^[1]
The plenipotentiaries of the high powers who signed the treaty

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Similar Conventions were concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle. on the same day, between France and Austria, Prussia, and Russia, respectively.^[2] The Treaty was drawn up in French the lingua franca of diplomacy at the time.^[3]

424179CONVENTION between Great Britain, (Austria, Prussia, Russia), and France, for the Evacuation of the French Territory by the Allied Troops. Signed at Aix-la-Chapelle, 9th October, 1818.^[1]The plenipotentiaries of the high powers who signed the treaty

In the name of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity.

Their Majesties the Emperor of Austria, the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of all the Russias, having repaired to Aix-la-Chapelle; and their Majesties the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the King of France and Navarre, having sent thither their Plenipotentiaries; the Ministers of the 5 Courts have assembled in Conference together; and the Plenipotentiary of France having intimated, that in consequence of the state of France, and the faithful execution of the Treaty of 20th November, 1815, His Most Christian Majesty was desirous that the Military Occupation stipulated by Article V. of the said Treaty, should cease as soon as possible;^[4] the Ministers of the Courts of Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, after having, in concert with the said Plenipotentiary of France, maturely examined every thing that could have an influence on such an important decision, have declared, that their Sovereigns would admit the principle of the Evacuation of the French Territory at the end of the 3rd year of the Occupation; and wishing to confirm this resolution by a formal Convention, and to secure, at the same time, the definitive execution of the said Treaty of 20th November, 1815,—His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on the one part, and His Majesty the King of France and Navarre, on the other part, have, for this purpose, named as their Plenipotentiaries, viz. :—

His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, Knight of the Most Noble and Illustrious Order of the Garter, His Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, &c.

And the Most Excellent and Most Illustrious Lord, Arthur, Duke, Marquis, and Earl of Wellington, Marquis Douro, Viscount Wellington of Talavera and of Wellington, and Baron Douro of Wellesley; a Member of His Britannic Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, a Field-Marshal of his Forces; &c.

And His Majesty the King of France and Navarre, the Sieur Armand Emanuel du Plessis Richelieu, Duke of Richelieu, Peer of France, His Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and President of the Council of His Ministers, &c. :

Who, after having mutually communicated to each other their respective Full Powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles :—

Art. I. The Troops composing the Army of Occupation shall be withdrawn from the Territory of Fiance by the 30th of November next, or sooner, if possible.

Art. II. The strong Places and Fortresses which the said Troops occupy, shall be given up to Commissioners named for that purpose by His Most Christian Majesty, in the state in which they were at the time of their occupation, comformably to Article IX. of the Convention concluded in execution of Article V. of the Treaty of 20th November, 1815.^[4] Pay, Equipment, and Clothing of Troops of Army of Occupation.

Art. III. The sum destined to provide for the pay, the equipment, and the clothing of the Troops of the Army of Occupation, shall be paid, in all cases, up to the 30th of November next, on the same footing on which it has existed since the 1st of December, 1817.

Art. IV. All the accounts between France and the Allied Powers haying been regulated and settled, the Sum to be paid by France, to complete the execution of the IVth Article of the Treaty of 20th November, 1815, is definitively fixed at 265,000,000 of francs.

Art. V.^[5] Of this sum the amount of 100,000,000, effective value, shall be paid by Inscriptions of Rentes on the Great Book of the Public Debt of France, bearing interest from the 22nd of September 1818. The said Inscriptions shall be received at the rate of the Funds on Monday the 5th of October. 1818.

Art. VI. The remaining 165,000,000 shall be paid by 9 monthly instalments, commencing on the 6th of January next, by Bills on the Houses of Hope and Co. and Baring, Brothers and Co., which, as well as the Inscriptions of Rentes, mentioned in the above Article, shall be delivered to Commissioners of the Courts of Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, by the Royal Treasury of France, at the time of the complete and definitive evacuation of the French Territory.^[6]

Art. VII. At the same period, the Commissioners of the said Courts shall deliver to the Royal Treasury of France, the 6 Bonds not yet discharged, which shall remain in their hands, of the 15 Bonds delivered conformably to Article II. of the Convention concluded for the execution of Article IV. of the Treaty of 20th November, 1815. The said Commissioners shall, at the same time, deliver the Inscription of 7,000,000 of Rentes, created in virtue of Article VIII. of the said Convention.

Art. VIII. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the Ratifications thereof exchanged at Aix-la-Chapelle in the space of a fortnight, or sooner if possible.

In witness whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have thereunto affixed the Seal of their Arms.

Done at Aix-la-Chapelle, the 9th day of October, in the Year of our Lord 1818.

(L.S.) CASTLEREAGH.

(L.S.) WELLINGTON.

(L.S.) RICHELIEU.

Notes

↑ Hertslet, p. 557. "No. 82."
↑ Hertslet, p. 558
↑ For the French version, see "State Papers", Volume VI., p. 6. (Hertslet, p. 557)
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 For conformation of the treaty named in this sentence see Hertslet, pp. 557,558.
↑ By Article I. of the Definitive Arrangement of the 2nd February, 1819, the Contract entered into between the Courts of Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, and the houses of Hope and Company, and Baring, Brothers, and Company, for the realisation of the said Inscription of Rentes, was declared to be null and void (Hertslet, P. 559).
↑ See Protocol of 3rd November, 1818 (Hertslet, p. 559)

References

Hertslet, Edward. The map of Europe by treaty; showing the various political and territorial changes which have taken place since the general peace of 1814, London, Butterworths, 1875. pp. 557–560
British and Foreign State Papers, Volume VI

[1] Hertslet, p. 557. "No. 82."

[2] Hertslet, p. 558

[3] For the French version, see "State Papers", Volume VI., p. 6. (Hertslet, p. 557)

[Hertslet-557-4] 4.0 ^4.1 For conformation of the treaty named in this sentence see Hertslet, pp. 557,558.

[5] By Article I. of the Definitive Arrangement of the 2nd February, 1819, the Contract entered into between the Courts of Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, and the houses of Hope and Company, and Baring, Brothers, and Company, for the realisation of the said Inscription of Rentes, was declared to be null and void (Hertslet, P. 559).

[6] See Protocol of 3rd November, 1818 (Hertslet, p. 559)

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