Record

Document Reference	Bu 48/11
Title	Copy letter from 2nd Earl Granville [G. Leveson-Gower], Foreign Office, London to Sir A. Buchanan, St Petersburg, Russia; 10 Nov 1870.
Date	10 November 1870
Level	Piece
Content Description	Reports that Russia has alleged that stipulations of the Treaty have been infringed and that this gives her the right the renounce the whole Treaty; this is aside from the issue of the Black Sea; it has always been assumed that only the powers who drew up the Treaty have the right to release one of the parties from it; the effect of this doctrine would be that the authority of any Treaty is under the discretionary control of any power that has signed it; this would mean all treaties would become obsolete; even Prince Gorchakov's assertion that Russia will continue to abide by other terms in the treaty is an expression of Russia's belief in its own free will in the matter. Her Majesty's Government has received the news with deep regret, and cannot sanction the decision; it would have been happy to discuss the decision with other co-signatories.
Term	treaties, Treaty of Paris 1856, Russian repudiation
Term	Turkish affairs, 'Eastern Question'

Persons

Code	PersonName	Dates of existence
NA141	Gorchakov; Alexander M. (1798-1883); Prince; Russian Foreign Minister	1798-1883
NA6137	Gower; Granville G. Leveson- (1815-1891); 2nd Earl Granville; diplomat M.P. statesman	1815-1891
NA136	Buchanan; Andrew (1807-1882); 1st Baronet; diplomat	1807-1882