756 



TURKEY. 



that, if the concentration of the Turkish forces 

 on the frontier was to take such proportions 

 as really to carry into effect a repeated plan of 

 blockading Montenegro on that side, it would 

 be considered a casus belli, and the prince 

 should summon all Montenegrins liable to duty 

 and march into the Herzegovina; and that, in 

 the mean time, Montenegro should keep an 

 attitude of caution, but not disturb the peace, 

 if Turkish operations developed nothing more 

 serious than the present situation. An envoy 

 was sent by Ali Pasha to Cettigne, requesting 

 the prince to recall Pico Paulovitch, the in- 

 surgent commander, and to prevent the Mon- 

 tenegrins from joining the insurrectionists. 

 The prince received the envoy coldly, and de- 

 clined to interfere. 



An article appeared in the Montenegrin 

 official gazette during January, stating that 

 Turkey was determined to make war upon 

 Montenegro, justifying the insurrection, and 

 denouncing the cruelty of the Turks. It de- 

 clared that Montenegro had so far conformed 

 to the requirements of international law. If 

 Turkey acted differently, Montenegro would 

 be freed from all restraint, and forced to adopt 

 any measures calculated to protect herself and 



BELGRADE. 



secure the future of the Servian race. The 

 article concluded : " No regard for any one or 

 any thing will fetter our action." The atten- 

 tion of the northern powers was called to this 

 article, and they again remonstrated with the 

 prince for countenancing the insurrection and 

 allowing the article to appear. 



The close of the year 1875 was signalized 

 by a brilliant operation on the part of Raouf 

 Pasha, the Turkish commander in the Herze- 

 govina, in the relief of Nicsic, whose garrison 

 had been reduced to their last rations. Two 

 divisions were detailed to march into the Duga 

 Pass from the north and south respectively; 

 while a third division, diverting the insur- 



gents into a valley, fought and defeated them. 

 Raouf Pasha retired from the command of the 

 Turkish force at the end of 1875, and was suc- 

 ceeded by Mukhtar Pasha, a nephew of the 

 Sultan Abdul- Aziz. The new commander ar- 

 rived at Klek on January 1, 1876, and pro- 

 ceeded directly to Trebigne, where he estab- 

 lished his headquarters. The situation was 

 not encouraging to the Turks. Since August, 

 at least 30,000 men had been sent to the Her- 

 zegovina, of whom not more than 15,000 

 were fit for duty, and these were suffering for 

 the lack of money, transportation, and medi- 

 cal supplies. An engagement occurred on the 

 18th of January, between the insurgents and 

 the Turks, on the road from Ragusa to Trebig- 

 ne, in which the insurgents claimed that they 

 had defeated the Turks and inflicted a severe 

 loss upon them. The Turks claimed to have 

 gained the advantage in another engagement. 

 On the llth of February the Porte issued the 

 following irade, promising reforms in the dis- 

 affected districts : 



The Sultan, "with the object of ending the evils pre- 

 vailing in the Herzegovina and Bosnia, and in ac- 

 cordance with the friendly advice of the great powers, 

 confirms the provisions of his recent firman, and 

 orders the execution of the 

 following special reforms 

 in the insurgent districts : 



1. Complete liberty of 

 worship. 



2. Reform in the system 

 of taxation. 



3. Sale of waste lands to 

 needy inhabitants, with fa- 

 cilities for payment. 



4. The institution of 

 mixed commissions in the 

 capitals of Herzegovina and 

 Bosnia, to insure prompt 

 execution of reforms. 



5. Augmentation of the 

 sums applied to works of 

 public utility in a propor- 

 tion to be fixed by the ad- 

 vice of the mixed commis- 

 sions. 



These special reforms 

 are granted for the welfare 

 of those who, having been 

 misled by -perfidious coun- 

 sels, desire to return to 

 obedience. For these per- 

 sons a general amnesty is 

 proclaimed. 



BOSNIA. Haidir Effendi, formerly an em- 

 bassador, was appointed president of the Bos- 

 nian Mixed Commission, and Varsa Effendi, an 

 Albanian, president of the Commission for 

 Herzegovina. 



In connection with this irade, the Turkish 

 Government addressed a circular note to its 

 representatives at the courts of the great 

 powers, communicating to them the tenor of 

 the Andrassy note. The circular also enumer- 

 ated the reforms which the Sultan had ordered 

 by his last irade, as a complement to the 

 favors previously granted, corresponding with 

 the proposals of Count Andrassy, and which 

 were to take effect without exception through- 



