TURKEY. 



739 



ting an end to the insurrection. The winter has 

 suspended all action, the spring will see it reopen. 

 The conviction that with the coming of spring new 

 elements will reenforce the revolt, that Bulgaria 

 and Candia will increase *the movement, is gen- 

 eral among the Christians. But, however that may 

 be, it is to be foreseen that the Governments of Servia 

 and Montenegro, which up to the present time have, 

 not without considerable trouble, kept aloof, from 

 the insurection, will be unable to resist the current, 

 and even now, under the influence of events and the 

 public opinion of their country, they seem to famil- 

 iarize themselves with the idea to take part in the 

 war at the melting of the snow. 



In view of this situation, the task of the powers, 

 who wish to avoid further complications in the in- 

 terests of the general peace, becomes quite difficult. 

 Austro-Hungary and the other two imperial courts, in 

 the course of a confidential exchange of ideas, have 

 come to the conclusion that if they were to restrict 

 themselves to waiting for the result of the principles 

 proclaimed in the last firman, principles which ac- 

 cording to the intention of the Porte are not to be 

 applied immediately to the countries in revolt, a 

 quite different result would be obtained than was in- 

 tended ; that, on the contrary, the revolt would gain 

 considerably in extent toward the end of the winter. 

 The three cabinets, therefore, believe that the only 

 chance to avoid new complications is to be found in 

 a manifestation emanating from the powers, stating 

 it to be their firm resolution to check the movement 

 which threatens to overrun the whole East. 



This end, however, could not be gained by the 

 sole means of an injunction to the Governments of 

 the principalities and the Christian subjects of the 

 Sultan. In order that this action, very difficult in 

 itself, may have a chance of success, it is absolutely 

 necessary that the powers can appeal to clear, indis- 



Eutable, and practical reforms, such as are particu- 

 irly appropriate to improve the condition of the 

 Herzegovina and Bosnia ; in a word, that their action 

 can found itself on facts, and not on programmes. It 

 is only in this way that the powers will be able to 

 emphasize their pacific counsels. 



There is another difficulty, and it is the largest, 

 which must be overcome at all hazards. This diffi- 

 culty is the profound mistrust with which all prom- 

 ises of the Porte are met by the Christians. One of 

 the principal causes of this mistrust will be found in 

 the fact that more than one measure advanced in the 

 last proclamations of the Sultan has already been 

 proclaimed in the former hatti-sheriffs, without im- 

 proving the condition of the Christians in the least. 



The cabinets also believe it absolutely necessary 

 that the Government of the Sultan, by means of an 

 official commission, confirm its intentions with re- 

 gard to the whole empire as laid down in the irade" 

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

 and that it notify the powers at the same time of its 

 acceptance of the points above mentioned, which 

 have for their special object the pacification of the 

 insurgent provinces. 



Without doubt the Christians in this way would 

 not obtain the form of a guarantee which they seem 

 to demand at this moment, but they would find a 

 relative security in the fact itself that the reforms 

 are recognized as indispensable by the powers, and 

 that the Porte would be toward Europe under the 

 obligation of putting them into execution. 



This is the firm conviction gained from the former 

 exchange of ideas between the cabinets of Austro- 

 Hungary, of Eussia, and of Germany. 



Your Excellency is charged to bring this point to 

 the knowledge of . . . . , and to obtain his assist- 

 ance in the work of peace, to the success of which 

 all our efforts are directed. 



If, as I hope, the views of the Government of . ... 

 meet ours, we would propose to it, out of regard for 

 the dignity and the independence of the Porte, not 

 to address to it our counsels in a collective note, but 



simply 

 tinople 



j)ly to instruct our representatives in Constan- 

 tinople to act conjointly and in an identical manner 

 with the Government of the Sultan in the sense 

 which we have developed. 



You will please read this dispatch to the Minister 

 of Foreign Affairs, and leave a copy with him ; and 

 1 would also be obliged to you if you would let me 

 know, as soon as possible, what impression it made 

 upon his Excellency. Keceive, etc. 



On April 25th Hussein Avni Pasha was suc- 

 ceeded by Essad Pasha as Grand-Vizier, and 

 was then appointed Governor-General of A'idin. 

 On June 15th another change in the ministry 

 took place. Arifi Pasha, the Minister of Edu- 

 cation, was appointed Minister of Justice, and 

 Dshovded Pasha, the Governor- General of Al- 

 bania, was appointed to the position made va- 

 cant by him. In the latter part of August 

 Mahmud Pasha was appointed Grand-Vizier, 

 Essad Pasha Minister of Public Works, and 

 Server Pasha President of the Council of State. 



On September 30th a convention was signed 

 with Austria, providing for the connection of 

 the railroads of the two countries. According 

 to this agreement the work to finish the Belo- 

 var & Sofia Eailroad was to be begun on March 

 31, 1876, and the whole Belovar, Sofia & Nissa 

 road was to be finished in four years. The 

 Austro-Hungarian Government must, on the 

 other hand, begin and finish, during the same 

 periods of time, the connection of the Hunga- 

 rian railroads with Belgrade. 



The dispute with Montenegro, in regard to 

 the murders of Podgoricza, was finally settled 

 by a firman of the Sultan, of April 10th, order- 

 ing the Governor of Scutari to execute the 

 murderers under sentence of death. Consider- 

 able excitement was produced in Montenegro, 

 in the latter part of the year, in consequence 

 of the insurrection in Bosnia. Numerous war- 

 like rumors were sent abroad, but the number 

 of Montenegrins who joined the insurgents 

 was very small. 



A new ministry was formed in Servia, in 

 January, under the leadership of Danilo Stefa- 

 novitch. The new ministry proclaimed as its 

 policy in foreign affairs " a loyal peace policy." 

 As the Skuptchina had a large radical majori- 

 ty, there were some stormy sessions. In March 

 a motion was made that the prince may name, 

 conjointly with the Skuptchina, his successor, 

 hut, in case he should die without having named 

 a successor, the new prince should be elected 

 by the people. The family of Karageorgivitch 

 was, however, to be excluded from the succes- 

 sion. Before any action was taken on this 

 motion, forty-four Radicals left the hall, in great 

 disorder, on March 24th, thus breaking the 

 quorum. On the following day the Skuptchina 

 was declared closed by a decree from the prince. 



The elections for the new Chamber were held 

 in August, and resulted in a complete victory 

 for the Radicals. In the same month Prince 

 Milan addressed a note to the European powers 

 who signed the Treaty of Paris, complaining 

 that he had not been informed of their inten- 

 tions regarding the insurrection which was 



