TURKEY. 



735 



on the same road, losing forty mules laden 

 with provisions. Encouraged by success, the 

 insurgents on the 14th assailed Biletj itself, 

 but were discomfited. Two thousand Turks, 

 protected by earthworks, easily carried the day 

 against TOO insurgents, who left a good many 

 on the field before retreating. Better luck at- 

 tended the operations of the insurgents on the 

 same day at Bobr, some twenty miles north- 

 west of Trebigne. There the Turkish earth- 

 works were taken by storm and occupied by 

 the insurgents, the garrison flying in every di- 

 rection. In the first flush of victory the insur- 

 gents p.enetrated as far as Lubigne, where a 

 store of ammunition and provisions was seized. 



In the mean while the foreign consuls met at 

 Mostar, in order to have a conference with the 

 Turkish commissioner and the insurgent lead- 

 ers. The latter, however, failed to put in an 

 appearance. The consuls then set on a jour- 

 ney through the Herzegovina, in order to look 

 up the insurgents in their strongholds, and 

 to counsel submission to the Porte. They 

 were, however, unsuccessful in their efforts. A 

 manifesto was addressed to the consuls by a 

 number of Herzegovinians who had taken ref- 

 uge in Austrian territory. It enumerated their 

 grievances against Turkey, and concluded by re- 

 jecting the mediation of the powers and de- 

 manding the complete liberation of the country 

 from the Ottoman rule. 



In the beginning of September the Sultan 

 issued the following firman to the governor- 

 generals of the provinces : 



There is no doubt that the welfare of the country 

 and the well-being of its inhabitants have for their 

 general basis the security of property, life, and hon- 

 or, of each one. This security can only be obtained 

 by a good and impartial administration of justice. 

 This was the sense of our last imperial hatti to our 

 grand-vizier, which read as follows : As the good 

 administration of affairs in our empire, the welfare 

 of the country and the happiness of its inhabitants, is 

 the object of all our care, it is our wish that an ef- 

 fective protection and equal justice be enjoyed by 

 all classes of society in such a manner that the rights 

 and the honor of all be secured. As the ministry of 

 justice represents one of the most important depart- 

 ments of state, it is absolutely necessary that it pro- 

 ceed in conformity with our well-meaning intentions. 

 We, therefore, order that these intentions be pro- 

 claimed and be fully executed. Our orders and our 

 later instructions are only issued to-day, in order to 

 confirm our above-mentioned sovereign intentions. 

 Their execution depends on the honest and energetic 

 efforts which must be displayed by all dignitaries, 

 whether they are judges or administrative officers, 

 as well as on their willingness to produce a benefi- 

 cial change of affairs. All public officers t and par- 

 ticularly those who are intrusted with judicial func- 

 tions at the courts of the Scheri, and the civil courts, 

 either in the capital or in provinces, must particularly 

 see to it that the trials are conducted impartially, 

 and in accordance with the laws of the Scheri, and 

 the other laws in general, that all our subjects without 

 distinction may enjoy the greatest security and jus- 

 tice. This is our decided imperial wish. After the 

 preceding was brought to the notice of each one of 

 my governor-generals, our present sovereign order 

 proceeded from our imperial divan, and at the same 

 time that you in your position as governor-general 

 will receive this order you will also receive a list of 



those acts which have been committed contrary to 

 the laws of my empire, and with the knowledge of 

 all the world. Upon the receipt of my imperial fir- 

 man, you will hasten to bring these instructions to 

 the knowledge of the judiciary as well as the admin- 

 istrative officers, and all of our minor officers, in the 

 capital and all the districts of the viluyet, and you 

 will see that our orders are promptly executed. It 

 is understood that the officers will be treated accord- 

 ing to their good or bad behavior. The Sublime 

 Porte will take such measures as may seem necessary 

 to keep informed on the course of public affairs. As 

 you know that the least infringement or neglect of 

 our imperial orders will bring on you a heavy re- 

 sponsibility, you must act accordingly. You will 

 take care to bring to the notice of our Sublime Porte 

 all those officers who act contrary to our commands. 



On October 2d an imperial "irad6"' was 

 published, providing that agricultural popula- 

 tions, who peacefully follow their avocations, 

 be exempted from a fourth of the recently-im- 

 posed tithes, and that they be relieved from 

 the payment of arrears of taxes up to the finan- 

 cial year 1289 (1873-'74), the latter exemption 

 not to apply to well-to-do classes who are in- 

 debted to the Treasury. The decree further 

 enacted that communities are to be represent- 

 ed in an administrative council by persons 

 chosen as enjoying their confidence, and the 

 reasonable demands of such representatives 

 will be received with attention. Deputations 

 from the annual General Assemblies are au- 

 thorized to come to Constantinople to submit 

 to the Government their wishes. The Govern- 

 ment is to decide which persons, enjoying the 

 respect of their respective communities, shall 

 be summoned from time to time to Constanti- 

 nople. The information obtained from them 

 will serve as a basis for reform measures. 

 Special controllers are to be appointed to in- 

 sure the legal apportionment and collection of 

 the taxes. A system is already under con- 

 sideration to guarantee a just treatment of the 

 population by the conversion of tithes into a 

 ground-tax. The decree announced that the 

 gradual realization of these reforms had been 

 decided upon. 



General Ignatiev, the Eussian embassador, 

 after having paid a visit to the Czar in the Cri- 

 mea, returned to Constantinople on October 

 27th, and immediately had an interview with 

 the Grand - Vizier, Mahmud Pasha, during 

 which he said: "The Czar regrets that the 

 insurrection in the Herzegovina has not yet 

 come to an end. He ascribes this delay to the 

 poor actions of the tribunal recently appointed 

 in Mostar, as well as to the low degree of se- 

 curity enjoyed by the insurgents who return 

 to their allegiance. These, on the contrary, 

 are subject to annoyances on the part of the 

 authorities. Thus, also, the delay in the exe- 

 cution of the promised reform is a cause of 

 the continuance of the insurrection. It is to 

 be hoped that an improvement in these affairs 

 will shortly take place ; if not, he can not 

 see the Christians of the Ottoman Empire con- 

 tinually exposed to persecutions, and the pow- 

 ers will be forced to intervene." 



