150] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



neighbours will always be liable 

 to share in that dreadful calamity. 

 The isle of Corfu, the centre of 

 the insular adnnnistration, was 

 visited by a pestilential infection 

 at the beginning of the present 

 year, which was not extirpated 

 during some months, tliough its 

 devastations were confined within 

 a narrow limit. 



An eloquent oration, highh' 

 laudatory of the English, and pre- 

 dicting the happiest results from 

 the connection entered into be- 

 tween the re]niblic and this na- 

 tion, Avas pronounced at Corfu on 

 the ^Sd of April, before a great 

 concourse in the church of the 

 patron saint, by the Baron Theo- 

 loky , President of the senate of 

 Corfu. Sir Thomas Slaitland, 

 his lirltaimic INIajesty's Conniiis- 

 sioner, is mentioned with sin- 

 gular eulogy for his liberal con- 

 duct towards the islanders, in 

 respect to their religion, com- 

 merce, and othei' objects tending 

 to improve their condition. Sii- 

 Thomas, who soon after returned 

 from a voyage to the other islands, 

 was received with evei'y demon- 

 stration of respect. 



One of the measures which 

 doubtless particularly ingratiated 

 him with the Greek natives, was 

 a proclamation issued by him le- 

 lative to the rights and privileges 

 of the dominant church. After 

 affirming it to be a fixed maxim 

 of the policy of Great Britain 

 with respect to all foreign coun- 

 tries under her sovereignty or 

 protection, to guarantee their re- 

 ligious establishments, he said, 

 he had observed that the French 

 had forcibly taken ixyvay many 

 of the places ot^ worship in the 

 city of Corfu, and convert- 



ed them to military and other 

 uses. He had fuither under- 

 stood, from a lepoit lately made 

 to him by the high jiolice, that 

 some officers of tiiat department 

 had entered a church in pursuit 

 of a person suspected of a hein- 

 ous ofience. In coiisequence, his 

 Excellency directed, 1st, That 

 every place of p\d)lic worship 

 shall be eracinitcd and given up 

 to the head of tiie rcligioji to 

 which it belonged : 1. That no 

 soldici', ofiicer of police, or other 

 ])cr.son, shall pursue any sus- 

 pected offender into the sanc- 

 tuary or interioi' of any church, 

 but shall confine himself to plac- 

 ing sentinels round it to jire^ent 

 his escape, at the same time giv- 

 ing an accoimt of the circum- 

 stance to the go\ernor. 



SirThomas Maitland afterwards 

 issued a proclaniati(^ji to the in- 

 habitants of the Ionian isles, in- 

 forming them, that he was going 

 to England for the purpose of 

 receiving instructions respecting 

 the definitive form;ition of a con- 

 stitution fo)- the island : desiring 

 that no innovation might be made 

 during his absence ; and express- 

 ing his hope, that nothing would 

 j)]event his calling together the re- 

 presentative body on his return. 



Turkey. The Porte, after its 

 long and sanguinary contests with 

 the Servians, concluded a treaty, 

 of which the following •.\ere the 

 principal articles : 



1st. Servia recognises theGrand 

 Signior as Sovereign. 



'2d. It retains the liberty of 

 exercising its leligion. 



3d. Every chief of a family 

 pays anmially a ducat, and, be- 

 sides that, a pinstre per head. 



4th. I'vo Servian ran .settle in 

 Turkey, 



