764 



TURKEY. 



astical head ; but the Russian Government de- 

 termined to transfer the preponderance to Rus- 

 sia, which now contains not only the spiritual 

 capital, but the main body of the nation. It 

 insisted also in applying the laws known as 

 the Balagenia, according to which the Czar 

 would select the Catholicos from among the 

 candidates receiving the largest number of 

 votes. This Russian law has always been ob- 

 jected to by the Armenians as contrary to their 

 canons and an invasion of their ancient liber- 

 ties. The Armenian Patriarch of Constanti- 

 nople, Nerses, decided to hold a preliminary 

 election in Constantinople, and send delegates 

 to Etchmiadzin to deliver the collective votes 

 of the Turkish bishoprics. When the election 

 took place in Etchmiadzin, Monseigneur Nerses 

 received the most votes, the next highest num- 

 ber going to Melchizedeck, Bishop of Smyrna. 

 The Czar's representatives objected to receiv- 

 ing the vote of the Turkish delegation, except 

 as a single vote for the See of Constantinople. 

 Nerses had repeatedly refused to be a candidate 

 for Catholicos, and now declined the office. 

 The name of Melchizedeck was thereupon sub- 

 mitted to the Czar for confirmation. The Czar's 

 Government, on account of this and other de- 

 viations from the Balagenia, declared the elec- 

 tion void, appointing a new one in a year. 



The efforts of Abdul-Hamid to strengthen 

 and nationalize Turkish institutions, and eman- 

 cipate the country from foreign control, brought 

 him into fresh conflicts with the Christian 

 churches. The Armenian Patriarch resigned 

 in earnest when, in addition to the neglect of 

 long-promised reforms and the denial of protec- 

 tion to the oppressed Armenians of the Leba- 

 non, the Porte now infringed upon the ancient 

 privileges and autonomous rights of the church. 

 The Greek Patriarch had already resigned, for 

 the same reason. The Greek Catholics refused 

 to yield up rights enjoyed ab antique, by giving 

 Turkish judicial authorities criminal jurisdiction 

 over parish priests. The dispute was finally 

 compromised on the basis of the status quo 

 ante. The Fanar was at the same time dis- 

 turbed by an intestine division, which was 

 finally composed by the election of the Arch- 

 bishop of Derkos to the patriarchate. 



Photiades Pasha, the Christian governor ap- 

 pointed over Crete, resigned, but the difficulties 

 with the Cretans were amicably settled by an 

 agreement to reserve 1,500 Turkish pounds of 

 the Vakuf revenues for the mosques, and to pay 

 the rest into the local treasury. 



Macedonian Outrages. Many reports were sent 

 abroad during the latter part of 1884 describ- 

 ing outrages committed on Christians by Mus- 

 sulman fanatics. The Turkish Government 

 made an investigation, and reported that the 

 disturbances were not of a religious nature, 

 but were acts of brigandage and robbery com- 



mitted by both Christians and' Mohammedans. 

 The governors reported that there was a po- 

 litical agitation in progress against Turkish rule 

 conducted .from Bulgaria and Eastern Roumelia. 



Rebellion in Yemen* An insurrection in Ara- 

 bia necessitated the dispatch of considerable 

 bodies of troops, which succeeded in partially 

 suppressing the rebellion, though the country 

 was still so disordered at the end of the year 

 that no taxes could be collected. 



The Governorship of Eastern Ronmelia. The 

 term of Aleko Pasha expired in 1884. The 

 appointment of Aleko Pasha for a new term 

 of five years would have been satisfactory to 

 most of the powers; but Russia objected to 

 him or to Rustem Pasha, or to any Turkish or 

 foreign candidate, except one predisposed to 

 Russian and Slavic interests. Accordingly, M. 

 Crestovich, a Bulgarian, was appointed. 



Commercial Treaties. The United States and 

 Turkey could not come to an agreement in the 

 matter of a provisional commercial convention. 

 As the Turkish Government refused to accept 

 Gen. Wallace's view, and insisted that the treaty 

 had expired, the United States concluded to 

 fall back on the treaty of 1830, which secures 

 the most-favored-nation treatment. Austria de- 

 clined to modify her treaty before its expira- 

 tion, as had been done by Germany, but agreed 

 to an increase of specific duties under the new 

 tariff. The English Government in the ne- 

 gotiations for a commercial treaty took the 

 ground that the capitulations in respect to 

 foreign trade, superseded by the treaty of 1861, 

 would revive when the treaty expired. 



The Montenegrin Frontier. When Prince Nicho- 

 las of Montenegro visited Constantinople and, 

 under the auspices of Russia, whose relations 

 with Austria were strained at that time, formed 

 an alliance with the Sultan, the object of which 

 was to prevent the advance of Austria to Sa- 

 lonica, the Sultan agreed to a considerable ex- 

 tension of Montenegrin territory in northern 

 Albania, which would finally set at rest the 

 Montenegrin boundary question. Orders were 

 given for handing over the territory, but the 

 Albanians determined to prevent it. On June 

 5 the inhabitants of the Gusinje district at- 

 tacked a Montenegrin village and carried off 

 the heads of thirteen Montenegrins. Armed 

 bands were raised in all the villages of the 

 north. Large re-enf orcem ents of Turkish troops 

 were sent to Macedonia and Albania. The tur- 

 bulent chief Ali Pasha, of Gusinje, was arrest- 

 ed. Collisions took place with the Turkish 

 troops, but the affair subsided, and the ultimate 

 delineation of the frontier was postponed. Al- 

 bania was in a state of ferment and anarchy 

 during the entire year. In October bands of 

 marauders fell upon Christian villages in thepart 

 of Albania known as Old Servia, and burned 

 the houses and committed murders, 



