738 



TURKEY. 



nates the present system of collecting the taxes as 

 irregular. It ordains that a mode of equalizing the 

 taxes be sought for. It also prescribes that meas- 

 ures be taken " to abolish the arbitrariness in the 

 collection of the tithes by means of the farmers," 

 but it does not abolish the farming-out system. 



If, therefore, an important and unceasing source 

 of support of the insurrection is to be removed, one 

 of the points which are to be demanded of the Porte 

 is that it give a clear and decided declaration that 

 the system of farming out the taxes be abolished for 

 Bosnia and the Herzegovina, not only of right but 

 in fact, and that this measure be applied immedi- 

 ately. 



One of the causes which tend to increase mate- 

 rially the heavy load of taxes in Bosnia and the 

 Herzegovina is that the inhabitants believe them- 

 selves to be financially robbed for the benefit of the 

 central Government. They believe that the taxes 

 are not used for the benefit of the province itself, 

 but that the total sum gathered is immediately sent 

 to Constantinople to be used for the central Govern- 

 ment. 



It would, therefore, be necessary to morally ease 

 the burden of taxes which the province has to bear, 

 by appropriating, without prejudice to the amount 

 necessary for the expenses of the empire, a part of 

 the taxes raised by the province for purposes which 

 would promote its own interests. 



For this purpose it would be necessary for the 

 Porte to declare that the revenue derived from the 

 indirect taxes be appropriated, as heretofore, for the 

 empire, but that the -funds raised by direct taxation 

 should remain in the province, and should be exclu- 

 sively applied in its interests to develop its resources 

 and promote its welfare. 



The execution of this disposition should be placed 

 under the control of the elective commission of which 

 mention will be made further on. 



The sad condition of the Christians in Bosnia and 

 the Herzegovina is caused chiefly by the relations 

 existing between the land-owners and the rural pop- 

 ulation. The agrarian difficulties are always of a 

 peculiarly bitter character in countries where the 

 land-owners differ in religion or nationality from the 

 mass of the peasants. There are only too many ex- 

 amples of contests which have arisen from such 

 causes. 



In the provinces with which we occupy ourselves 

 almost all of the real estate which does not belong to 

 the state or to the mosques is in the hands of Moham- 

 medans, while the agricultural portion of the popu- 

 lation is composed of Christians of the two rites. 

 The agrarian question is, therefore, complicated by 

 religious antagonism. 



After the suppression of the first insurrection of 

 the Begs of Bosnia in 1851, serfdom was abolished, 

 but, as it often happens in a case like this, this meas- 

 ure, instead of alleviating the condition of the peas- 

 ants, only aggravated it. They are no longer treat- 

 ed by the former with the same consideration as 

 formerly. To-day we see nothing but two antag- 

 onistic interests and religions. 



From the moment that the abolition of the feudal 

 system transformed the former serfs into farmers, 

 the excesses of the proprietors have caused numer- 

 ous partial and general revolts. When a movement 

 of this kind broke out in Bosnia, in 1858, the Porte 

 found itself compelled to occupy itself with the dif- 

 ficulties which had given rise to this movement. 

 Delegates from both parties were called to Constan- 

 tinople, and, after long conferences, in which the 

 official intervention of the embassador of his Majesty 

 the Emperor and King took part, a firman of the Sul- 

 tan was obtained, whose provisions seemed to concili- 

 ate the interests of the agriculturists. This firman 

 however, was never put in operation. 



It would be in place to examine whether some of 

 the provisions of this document could not serve even 

 at the present time as the basis for an equitable ar- 



rangement apt to improve the conditon of the rural 

 population, or whether it would be advisable to let 

 the public Treasury interfere to facilitate the execu- 

 tion of the measures necessary for this purpose, just 

 as it was done some twenty years ago in Bulgaria, 

 where the ground-rents were relieved by the emis- 

 sion of public rents called sehims. We know that the 

 task is difficult, and that its accomplishment cannot 

 be the work of a day ; but we believe it to be impor- 

 tant to work for the improvement of the condition of 

 the rural population in Bosnia and the Herzegovina, 

 and to close thus one of the most glaring wounds ot 

 the social state of these provinces. It would not seem 

 impossible to us to find a combination which would 

 permit the peasants to acquire gradually and on easy 

 terms parts of uncultivated land which the state 

 would put up at sale. If they would then still fur- 

 ther desire to cultivate, as farmers, the properties of 

 their Mohammedan compatriots, tney would them- 

 selves in time possess a small property, which would 

 secure for them a certain independence, and would 

 pretect them against exactions. 



If we remember how little belief in the promises 

 of the Sublime Porte is met with among the Chris- 

 tian population, we cannot close our eyes to the fact 

 that the promulgated reforms would only then inspire 

 the necessary confidence if a certain guarantee would 

 be given that the reforms would be seriously applied. 

 If their execution would be simply intrusted to the 

 government of the province, we could not overcome 

 the mistrust of which I speak. It would, therefore, 

 be in place to establish a commission of the nobles 

 of the country, composed half-and-half of Moham- 

 medans and Christians, and elected by the inhabi- 

 tants of the province according to a me ,hod to be 

 determined upon by the Sublime Porte. 



I have thus exposed the points the application of 

 which it would be necessary to obtain before we 

 could entertain any well-founded hopes of pacifica- 

 tion. 



These points are as follows : 



Full and complete religious liberty. 



The abolition of farming out the revenues. 



A law which would guarantee that the product of 

 the direct contributions of Bosnia and the Herzego- 

 vina be employed in the interest of the province itsolf 

 under the control of boards constituted in the sense 

 of the firman of December 15th. 



The creation of a special commission, composed in 

 equal numbers of Mohammedans and Christians, to 

 ontrol the execution of the reforms proposed by the 

 powers, as well as those contained in the irade of 

 October 2d, and the firman of December 12th. 



And, lastly, the improvement of the agrarian con- 

 dition of the rural population. 



The first points should be realized immediately by 

 the Sublime Porte, and the fifth one gradually and 

 as soon as possible. 



If, independently of these conditions, which seem 

 to us the most essential, Bosnia and the Herzegovina 

 were to obtain the following reforms contained in the 

 last firman : a provincial council and tribunals freely 

 elected by the people, irremovable judges, personal 

 liberty, dispensation of justice by laymen, guaran- 

 tee against abuse, the reorganization, of the police, 

 whose action has caused so many complaints, the ces- 

 sation of the abuses caused by the rendering of works 

 for public use, a just reduction of the tax for the ex- 

 emption from military service, guarantees to be given 

 to the rights of property if all these reforms, con- 

 cerning which we ask for the opinion of the Porte, 

 were applied to the insurgent provinces, which, judg- 

 ing by the text of the firman, do not seem to be ben- 

 efited by them at present, we might hope to see 

 peace return to these desolated countries. 



I am coming to the end. The indefinite prom- 

 ises of the irade of October 2d, and of the firman of 

 December 12th, could only raise hopes without satis- 

 fying them. On the other hand, it is to be noticed 

 that the Turkish arms have not succeeded in put- 



