BULGARIA. 



05 



November 26th he gave the last indications of 

 roiiM ionsness, and expired on the 28th. Dr. 

 Budington's published literary efforts were 

 routined to the " History of the First Church 

 of ( harlestown," his sermon on "Patriotism 

 and the Pulpit," delivered at the anniversary 

 of the American Educational Society of Bos- 

 ton in 1861, and his address on "The Rela- 

 tions of Science to Religion," delivered at Yale 

 Collide in 1871. 



BULGARIA,* a principality of Southeast- 

 ern Europe, which was created in 1878 by the 

 Treaty of Berlin. Art. I. of this treaty pro- 

 vides that Bulgaria shall be "constituted an 

 autonomous and tributary principality, under 

 the suzerainty of his Imperial Majesty the Sul- 

 tan. It will have a Christian government and 

 a national militia." Reigning Prince, Alexander 

 I., elected in 1879 (see ALEXANDER I.). Area, 

 about 38,000 square miles ; the accurate settle- 

 ment of the boundaries of the principality was 

 left to a European commission, appointed by the 

 signataries of the Treaty of Berlin. The pop- 

 ulation is calculated to number 1,869,000, of 

 whom about 600,000 areMohammedans. Near- 

 ly all the others belong to the Bulgarian Church, 

 which agrees in doctrine with the Greek Church 

 of Turkey and Greece, and with the Russian 

 and other branches of the Eastern Orthodox 

 Church, but has had for many years an inde- 

 pendent organization. 



Bulgaria hns one line of railway, from Rus- 

 tchuk to the port of Varna on the Black Sea, 

 140 miles in length. It was constructed by a 

 private company for the Turkish Government, 

 and by Article X. of the Treaty of Berlin all 

 the outstanding obligations of the railway fall 

 to the charge of the Government of the prin- 

 cipality. 



The first Bulgarian Parliament, or Assembly 

 of Notables, as it is called, met at Tirnova on 

 February 22d, after having been previously ad- 

 journed from time to time. Prince Dondou- 

 koff-Korsakoff, the Russian Imperial Commis- 

 sioner, read the opening address to the depu- 

 ties as follows : 



HONORED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BULGARIAN 

 PRINCIPALITY : By the will and designation of my mas- 

 ter, the Emperor of Russia, I congratulate you upon the 

 opening of the first National Assembly or your eman- 

 cipated country, which is to establish a firm founda- 

 tion for a state Government of the new principality. 

 In my capacity as Russian Imperial Commissioner, I 

 present to you for approval the project for your or- 

 ganic Constitution, wmch determines in a general man- 

 ner the rights of the future Bulgarian Prince and peo- 

 ple. With this project I also communicate to you the 

 regulations which will govern you in discussing the 

 proposed Constitution. It is incumbent on you to 

 fully discuss this Constitution in all its bearings, with- 

 out any partisan feelings, and solely with a view of 

 advancing the social and moral interests of your coun- 

 try. The programme now presented is only a skele- 

 ton Constitution, designed to facilitate your labors. 

 This programme should not in any way hamper your 

 convictions as to any changes you may deem necessary. 



* For an account of the hlstonr of the rac, of the progress 

 of education, of newspapers, of Industry, and of the Bulga- 

 rian Church, Bee " Annual Cyclopedia f ' for 1878, art. BUL- 

 GARIA. 



The regulations for your discussions will be read to 

 you. I may remind you that the printing Rumuan 

 administration has been acting under advene circum- 

 stances, which I hope will justify hi your minds my 

 previous orders and regulations, as I have only en- 

 deavored to replace disorder by order, thus preparing 

 the population for a higher political lite. I hereby 

 appoint M. Loukianoff aa my substitute hi presiding 

 over your labors. He will give you all needed ex- 

 planations of matters arising in your discussions and 

 details of your Constitution ; but the last and decisive 

 word belongs to you alone. May God assist you in 

 the accomplishment of your sacred task for the good 

 of your country, so dear by blood to the Russians, by 

 the sacrifices Russia has made for you, and by the 

 magnanimous feelings toward you of our Emperor, the 

 liberator of your nation ! I announce as opened the 

 first Bulgarian National Assembly. I call upon you 

 now to repair to the Old Cathedral of Tirnova to pray 

 for the successful termination of your important la- 

 bors, and to offer thanks to the King of kings, who 

 has enabled us to witness the great historical work of 

 the regeneration of your long-oppressed country. 



The Bulgarians of Eastern Roumelia and Ma- 

 cedonia had elected deputies, who, however, 

 were admitted as visitors only. The National 

 Assembly consisted of 286 members, who were 

 divided into three groups. The first group 

 comprised : 1. The presidents of the municipal, 

 judicial, and administrative councils of each 

 district, and, as there are 88 districts in Bulga- 

 ria, there were 114 members under this class; 

 2. The presidents of the superior administra- 

 tive and judicial councils of each sanjak or 

 gubernios. There are five gubernios. The 

 presidents of both the judicial councils being 

 appointed by the Government, there were in 

 the first class 43 members appointed by the 

 Government, while the other 81 members (the 

 presidents of the municipal and administrative 

 councils) were elected by the people. In the 

 second group there were 120 members, who 

 were elected from 120 districts, each with 

 10,000 inhabitants. Every Bulgarian twenty- 

 two years of age, who possesses real estate or 

 who follows a profession, is a voter. Servants, 

 apprentices, and day-laborers are excluded. To 

 the third group belonged: 1. Nine Bulgarian 

 bishops, and the Greek bishop; 2. The mufti of 

 Widin, and the grand rabbi of Sophia ; 8. Thir- 

 ty members to be appointed by the Governor 

 of Bulgaria. The Assembly adopted a set of 

 rules for its government, of which the follow- 

 ing are the most important : The National 

 Assembly now in Tirnova is a Conatituante, 

 called by special order of the Imperial Russian 

 Commissioner for the examination of the project 

 of the organic Constitution for the government 

 of the Bulgarian Principality. The Assembly 

 consists of members by nomination, election, 

 and ex cfficio, but constitutes a harmonious 

 whole, no distinction between members being 

 made on account of the manner of their ap- 

 pointment; and the deputies not only repre- 

 sent the locality from which they come, but 

 also the whole population of the Bulgarian 

 Principality. The credentials of each deputy 

 can not be canceled until the Assembly has 

 accomplished its high mission. The persona 

 of the national deputies, so long as their ere- 



