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ROUMANIA.
235

Sultan sent to Colonel Couza a firman of investiture in the two hospodarships[1].

In 1861 the Powers and the Porte, by a firman of 2nd December, recognised the union of the two Principalities for the life of Prince Couza, allowing, for the same period, a common Ministry and a common Assembly, and suspending the meetings of the Central Commission at Fokshany[2].

On 28th June, 1864, the Porte submitted to a Conference of representatives of the Powers at Constantinople an 'Additional Act' to the Convention of 19th August, 1858, with an 'Annexe.' The two documents, making large changes in the constitutional law of the United Principalities, and acknowledging the right of the Principalities themselves to make similar changes hereafter without the assent of the Powers, were approved by the representatives of all the Powers, with certain reservations[3].

In February, 1866, Prince Couza was obliged to abdicate, and the Count of Flanders declining the hospodarship. Prince Charles of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was elected in April by a plébiscite to the post[4].

An hereditary Prince. A Conference of the Powers sat at Paris from 10th March to 4th June[5], without being able to agree upon a course of action, and on 23rd October Prince Charles received from the Sultan at Constantinople investiture as hereditary Prince of the United Provinces[6], which henceforth affected to describe themselves as 'Roumania' a name which did not, however, receive diplomatic recognition.

  1. Parl. Papers, 1867, United Principalities, p. 84.
  2. See Firman of 6th December, 1861, Parl. Papers, 1867, United Principalities, p. 85; N.R.G. xvii, 2 P., 87-91. The Guaranteeing Powers, in acknowledging the receipt of copies of this firman, plainly intimate their opinion that the concessions made by it could not afterwards be retracted. Ibid.
  3. Parl. Papers, 1867, u. s. p. 93 ; N.R.G. xviii, 161.
  4. He was naturalised by the Assembly by way of compliance with Art. 13 of the Convention of 19th August, 1858, which requires that the hospodar should be a native.
  5. Parl. Papers, 1867, u. s. pp. 1-82; N.R.G. xviii, 166-221.
  6. See the Firman in Parl. Papers, 1867, United Principalities, p. 79; N.R.G. xviii, 221.