TURKEY. 



687 



days afterward issued a notice inviting the 

 bondholders to appoint delegates to represent 

 them at Constantinople in the arrangement of 

 a thorough and practical solution of the ques- 

 tion of the debt, stating that the questions of 

 the floating debt and the Russian war indem- 

 nity would be taken into consideration in con- 

 nection with the new arrangement. The Brit- 

 ish and Italian ambassadors objected to the 

 proposal of the Porte to enter into direct ne- 

 gotiations with the bondholders, and signified 

 a demand for the appointment of an Interna- 

 tional Commission in accordance with the 

 eighteenth protocol of the Treaty of Berlin. 

 Their suggestion was declined, on the ground 

 that the Sultan was opposed to European in- 

 terference with the internal affairs of the em- 

 pire. In answer to a question by the Minister 

 of Foreign Affairs, whether the International 

 Commission would imply any guardianship of 

 Turkish finance, Mr. Goschen replied that 

 executive functions were not contemplated. 

 In the mean time, the credit of the Govern- 

 ment was gradually depreciating, and it was 

 with great difficulty that it succeeded in get- 

 ting from the bankers in November half the 

 amount of the advance it asked, with which 

 to make the customary payment of arrears to 

 the civil officers and troops. The amounts 

 paid were considerably short of what was due, 

 and nothing was paid to the navy. The Stock 

 Exchange Committees of London and Paris, 

 according to the " Vakit " of Constantinople, 

 signified their willingness in December to ac- 

 cept the Porte's proposal for a financial ar- 

 rangement as the basis of negotiations. The 

 London " Morning Post," with a view of show- 

 ing that the financial situation of the empire 

 was not so desperate as it seemed, published a 

 statement in December that the Porte had, 

 during the past year, paid one million pounds 

 of its floating debt in cash, and would have 

 by the end of the year five hundred thousand 

 pounds in the Ottoman Bank at the disposal of 

 its bondholders. 



Trouble arose with the Albanians during the 

 negotiations for the rectification of the Monte- 

 negrin frontiers, on account of their opposition 

 to the surrender of any Albanian territory. In 

 April a proclamation was issued by the leaders 

 of the Albanian League, declaring that Eu- 

 rope had created a principality for the Bulgari- 

 ans, had delivered Bosnia and Herzegovina to 

 Austria, had endowed Servia and Montenegro 

 with increased territory and independence, and 

 had given Roumelia autonomy; but Albania 

 had received nothing. The Albanians, it added, 

 must claim the right to create a state for them- 

 selves. The paper was signed by Ali Pasha 

 and the secular and ecclesiastical chiefs of the 

 Mohammedan and Roman Catholic tribes. A 

 conference was held at Scutari, May 29th, when 

 the party which was adverse to offensive ac- 

 tion, and willing to await the decision of the 

 powers, proved to be predominant, and it was 

 decided to address another memorandum to 



the consular corps. The result of the confer- 

 ence was said to be to widen still more the 

 breach that already existed between the Mo- 

 hammedan and Roman Catholic chieftains. 

 The representatives of the Albanian League 

 sent a dispatch to Mr. Gladstone congratulat- 

 ing him on his appointment as First iMinister 

 of the Crown, and invoking "the exalted pro- 

 tection of the English nation for the cause of 

 their territorial integrity and the preservation 

 of their rights, to which they had devoted their 

 efforts and their life." 



The attitude of the Porte toward the pow- 

 ers, in view of the proceedings that were taken 

 with reference to securing the enforcement of 

 the provisions of the Treaty of Berlin, was, in 

 the mean time, becoming more equivocal. A 

 conference of the powers had been called to 

 meet at Berlin, June 16th, to consider the 

 question of the rectification of the Greek and 

 Montenegrin frontiers, and reforms in Arme- 

 nia, and the Porte seemed to be acting under 

 a policy of resistance. Excitement prevailed 

 at Constantinople, and European residents be- 

 gan to be anxious about their personal safety. 

 A council of the ulemas, called to consider 

 whether Veli Mohammed, the assassin of the 

 Russian Colonel Commeraoff, should be exe- 

 cuted, and whether European intervention in 

 Turkish affairs should be accepted, decided 

 both questions in the negative. The Sheik-ul- 

 Islam refused to sign the order for the execu- 

 tion of Veli Mohammed. The Ministers culti- 

 vated the fanatical party, A part, however, in- 

 cluding even some of the officers, were pleased 

 with the idea of a European intervention ; and 

 Musurus Pasha, at a Cabinet council, endeav- 

 ored to reassure the Ministers respecting the 

 course of the English Government, and the 

 mission of Mr. Goschen. Said Pasha was, 

 however, notoriously opposed to any conces- 

 sion being made to English representations, 

 and the Ministry had not yet been brought to 

 believe that any united action of Europe with 

 regard to their dominions was possible. 



Mr. Goschen arrived at Therapia, the head- 

 quarters of the embassy on the Bosporus, on 

 the special mission on which he had been dis- 

 patched by the new British Government, May 

 28th, and Sir Henry Layard left Constantinople 

 on the 2d of June. Mr. Goschen was given an 

 audience with the Sultan on the 3d of June, 

 when, having presented bis credentials, he 

 said it was his first duty to fulfill his mission 

 to the satisfaction of the Queen, who had con- 

 fided it to him. At the same time, he should 

 be happy if during his stay, which would be 

 limited, he could assist in bringing about an 

 amelioration of the condition of the Sultan's 

 subjects, without distinction of race or reli- 

 gion, which he was convinced his Majesty ar- 

 dently desired. Mr. Goschen afterward had a 

 private interview with the Sultan, which lasted 

 half an hour. The Sultan, in his reply to Mr. 

 Goschen, said that his most lively desire was 

 to promote prosperity and order in the era- 



