Sovereign and the Government often came to the aid of these religious foundations, either by gratuitous concessions of land or by pecuniary grants."

By the Criminal Code of the Empire, Article 132, "Quiconque aura troublé l'exercice du culte et des cérémonies religieuses que les différentes classes de sujets de Sa Majesté Impériale sont autorisés à exercer, ou qui les aura entravés par des voies de fait ou des menaces, sera, selon le degré de gravité du cas, puni d'une semaine à trois mois d'emprisonnement."

Furthermore, in the Firman of the 12th December last, the Sultan has declared, "Toutes les classes de nos sujets qui vivent à l'ombre de notre protection Impériale sont à nos yeux et dans nos sentiments de justice sur le pied d'une complète égalité. C'est pourquoi nous confirmons les pouvoirs dont sont revêtus les Patriarches et les autres chefs spirituels pour les affaires de leurs communautés respectives, ainsi que pour le libre exercice de leurs cultes, conformément aux privilèges et immunités existant des dites communautés. Toutes les affaires se rattachant tant à l'autorité des dits chefs spirituels qu'au besoin et aux actes de leurs Conseils spéciaux, dans les limites des droits et autorisations qui leur ont été octroyés, continueront à être l'objet de toute notre protection, et l'on accordera toutes les facilités pour la fondation et la construction de leurs églises, de leurs écoles, et de leurs autres édifices nationaux."

So far, therefore, as the intention of the Porte can be proclaimed, it appears to Her Majesty's Government that the principle of religious liberty throughout the Ottoman Empire has been acknowledged to the fullest extent, and Her Majesty's Government see no reason why the Porte should scruple to accept the counsel of friendly Powers for its practical application.

*

In like manner the acceptance of Christian evidence and the establishment of mixed tribunals with publicity of trial have been provided for in the Hatti-Humayoun, and in the Law of 1867 for the organization of the Vilayets, which also established throughout the Empire a system of Elective Councils, containing a proportion of Christian members; and the recent Firman, too, decrees in the most formal manner that "tous nos sujets sont autorisés à élire euxmêmes les juges et les membres Musulmans et non-Musulmans, tant des dits Tribunaux que des Conseils Administratifs des Provinces."

Again, as regards the farming of the taxes, the Memorandum of May 15, 1867, to which I have already referred, stated that "the system of farming taxes has been suppressed, except as regards the tithes, with regard to which the system of direct collection has been * Vol. LXIII. Page 1260.

tried for five years, and has not produced the results anticipated therefrom: on the one hand, direct collection has, in fact, occasioned a sensible diminution in the revenue derived from tithes; and, on the other, the populations have almost unanimously pronounced against this system, preferring one which permits a discharge in kind. The Imperial Government has accordingly had to renounce this system, and to revert to that of farming, into which it has, however, introduced a modification very favourable to the agriculcultural population. This modification consists in granting the farming of the tithes in each village by means of a separate public auction, and in permitting the commune itself to become the purchaser of the tithe at the sum to which the rate has raised it. Another relief extended to the mode of collecting the tithes is permission to the husbandman either to effect himself the transport of the produce of the tithe with which he is chargeable, or to exonerate himself therefrom subject to an indemnity in kind payable to the farmer, without being constrained, as formerly, to abandon his labours at a season when his presence in the fields is most necessary. Lastly, to do away with a source of abuse often and justly pointed out, it is forbidden to any officer of the State to become purchaser of tithes directly or indirectly, and the Penal Code provides for and punishes every infraction of this prohibitive measure."

The Firman of the 12th December states:

"Indépendamment de la suppression du quart supplémentaire de la dîme, suppression qui a été récemment décrétée par l'effet de notre sollicitude Impériale pour le bien-être de tous nos sujets, on doit encore prendre les mesures les plus efficaces pour prévenir l'arbitraire dans la perception de la dîme par l'intermédiaire des fermiers, et pour empêcher également qu'aucun dommage ne soit porté soit à nos populations agricoles soit à notre Trésor Impérial."

Her Majesty's Government have been informed by Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople that the entire suppression of the system of tax-farming is resolved upon, and the best mode of levying the taxes for the future is under the consideration of the Porte.

On this point also, therefore, the views of the Porte may be said to be already in accordance with the recommendations contained in Count Andrássy's despatch.

It must, however, be obvious that a readjustment of the mode of levying the taxes in money instead of in kind, unless carefully adapted to local circumstances and requirements, might give rise to much injustice and distress.

Still, as regards the two questions of religious liberty and of the abolition of the system of tax-farming, a general agreement of the Porte and the Powers may be said to be in principle aiready secured.

The third point, that of the application of direct taxation in

Bosnia and Herzegovina to the benefit of those districts, is scarcely sufficiently explained for Her Majesty's Government to be able to appreciate its scope. They are not aware of the proportion which the direct may bear to the indirect taxes, nor of the exact signification which in Turkey may be attached to the expressions “direct” and "indirect" taxation. Her Majesty's Government believe that certain direct taxes have been hypothecated as security for foreign loans, and in making any recommendation to the Porte on this point it would seem to be necessary to bear this in mind.

It is questionable, too, whether such a system could be applied to one portion of the Empire alone, without being eventually extended to neighbouring provinces, or possibly to the whole of the Turkish dominions, and any plan which should have for its ultimate and logical result the withdrawal of the whole direct taxation of the Empire from the Treasury might have a most serious effect in impeding the execution of those public works and other measures of general utility upon which the improvement of the condition of the population depends.

At the same time, if it can be shown that taxes levied for local purposes in the nature of rates have been misapplied, and just cause for complaint thus given, the matter is one which the Porte might well be counselled to consider and remedy.

The fourth point, namely, the institution of a Special Commission composed of an equal number of Mussulmans and Christians, has, Her Majesty's Government understand, been already to some extent provided for. A Council has, in fact, already commenced its sittings at Constantinople for the purpose of carrying out the Firman of the 12th December. As, according to the Law of the Vilayets, to which I have already adverted, the principle of Mixed Councils to assist the Vali is recognized, Her Majesty's Government do not see that the Porte need experience any difficulty in organizing a Mixed Council in the manner and for the purpose proposed by Count Andrássy. Indeed, it would appear from the "Règlement relatif aux Attributions du Conseil Exécutif," received on the 18th instant from Her Majesty's Embassy at Constantinople, that this has already been ordered.

I have the honour to inclose a copy of this document in case it may not already have been forwarded to your Excellency.

The fifth point, the improvement of the condition of the agricultural population, might, it is explained, be attained by allowing the peasants to purchase portions of uncultivated lands on easy terms from the State.

Count Andrássy refers to a law on this subject, which I presume to be that of the 21st of April, 1858,* consolidating and amending * Vol. LXIII. Page 1222.

the laws relating to landed property in Turkey. This law provided that uncultivated lands belonging to the State might, with the consent of the authorities, become the property of the person who undertook to reclaim them, on payment of a certain sum.

Her Majesty's Government are not aware what may be the extent or redeemable value of any waste lands of this description in Bosnia and Herzegovina, nor do they see how the peasants could be benefited in the manner suggested, unless assisted by capital, which it must be presumed that they do not at present possess. The question, however, of the grant of lands to the labouring population is one which presents many difficulties both of principle and detail. In the opinion of Her Majesty's Government it could only be satisfactorily dealt with after local investigation and discussion by competent persons.

The Firman of the 12th December states: :

"Dans certaines parties de notre Empire nos sujets nonMusulmans ne peuvent pas devenir propriétaires, et sont employés dans les fermes. Cet état de choses étant contraire à nos sentiments de justice, il n'existera plus désormais aucune distinction entre nos sujets, soit pour la possession des terres vacantes vendues par adjudication, soit pour la possession des terres et biens qui sont vendus par des particuliers. En conséquence, on leur assurera la jouissance, sur le pied de la plus complète égalité, des dispositions de la loi sur la propriété foncière."

Count Andrássy alleges that the Firman of 1858 had never been. brought into operation in Bosnia. As the Porte now recognizes the justice of the complaint of the Christian population in some places in this regard, this matter also might well be considered as one upon which there is in principle a mutual agreement, so far at least as the application of the Law of 1858 is concerned.

Your Excellency will have observed from the foregoing remarks that Her Majesty's Government see nothing in the five points proposed by Count Andrássy to which they cannot give a general support; although, on the other hand, the proposed reforms relating to taxation and grants of land involve in their detailed application to districts like Bosnia and Herzegovina many questions upon which they are not prepared, in their present state of information, to offer a definite opinion.

Her Majesty's Government are well aware of the burdens and anxiety which the existence of an insurrection in the immediate neighbourhood of the Dalmatian frontier must entail upon AustriaHungary, and they cannot consider it to be either unreasonable or undesirable that the Cabinet of Vienna should desire to tender to the Porte suggestions for the pacification of the disturbed districts.

They rely upon the assurances contained in Count Andrássy's

despatch, and upon those which your Excellency has conveyed to me, that, if these suggestions are carried into effect, the AustroHungarian Government will, in concert with the other Powers, whose united action Count Andrássy has invited, use their best exertions to prevent the spread of the movement and to induce the insurgents to submit, or effectually preclude them from receiving assistance from beyond the frontier, should they persist in continuing the struggle.

Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople will accordingly be instructed to give a general support to the proposals of the AustroHungarian Government, and to act with his colleagues for this purpose. I have, &c.,

Count Beust.

DERBY.

(Inclosure.)-Règlement respecting the Functions of the Executive

UN Conseil Exécutif permanent a été institué à la Sublime Porte en vue de mettre entièrement et graduellement à exécution, dans toutes les provinces de l'Empire, les dispositions du Firman Impérial, récemment promulgué, au sujet des réformes générales.

Ce Conseil, placé sous la présidence de son Altesse le Grand Vézir, est composé d'un nombre suffisant de membres permanents pris parmi les hauts dignitaires et autres fonctionnaires de l'État, et d'un Secrétaire Général. Les Ministres en activité feront de droit partie de ce Conseil.

Les rapports des Ministères et des vilayets relatifs à l'exécution des dispositions du Firman Impérial seront référés au dit Conseil, qui est chargé de faire rédiger et transmettre sans retard tant les réponses aux questions qui pourraient être posées dans les dits rapports que les ordres Véziriels qu'il sera jugé nécessaire d'adresser pour les instructions et les explications à donner sur l'exécution des dispositions du Firman Impérial.

Les membres permanents du Conseil Exécutif se réuniront tous les jours et veilleront à la prompte et entière exécution de leur mandat. Les délibérations sur les affaires urgentes auront lieu sous la présidence de son Altesse le Grand Vézir et en présence de tous les membres conseillers ordinaires et extraordinaires.

Les membres permanents sont chargés de surveiller l'exécution des réformes dans les provinces; toutefois, vu la nécessité absolue d'exercer une surveillance incessante et de faire des investigations continuelles, un Comité de contrôle composé de personnes compétentes a été attaché à ce Conseil pour le fonctionnement permanent du service en question dans les provinces.

Le Conseil Exécutif étant ainsi chargé de veiller à l'exécution