The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-08-15 00:00:00

TILE MEMBER FOR POOLE ON TIIE OUTRAGES
IN BULGARIA.

In the house of Commons on Friday, Mr. ASIII.F.V rose
to call attention to the delay in obtaining official infor-
mation as to the outrages in Bulgaria, Alla to the want of
prompt and energetic action in the matter on the part of
the Government and of Her Majesty'a representatives in
Turkey. The hon. and learned gentleman said that the
character, if not the interests, of this country having been
impel died by the action of some of its public service., it
DU not inappropriate to call attention to the facto at a
time when it was proposed to vote public money for the
maintenance of those services in the cooling year When
this question was 41iSCUA,LAI in the Hones! on Monday last,
the truth of the atrocities was generally ark fedged,
and it is as imputed to the Prime Minister that, in 'midi-
tion to abetting the concealment of facto, he still adhered
to the position of sceptical apathy which be took up at
the outset. ('' Hear, hear," and " No, no.") Whether
this was or was not the case, it was absolutely certain
that the Prime Minister remained silent ornithe occasion,
and he ought, therefore, to he thankful for an oppor-
tunity of making a statement in reference to atrocities
committed in a country not three days' journey from
London and under the auspice, of a Government with
which England was in alliance, but which might have
been envied for their completeness by the much-abused
Huns and Vandals. No protest worthy of the name had
been addressed to Turkey by Her blajesty's Government
in reference to the matter, and the only reason a hich had
been alleged for the atrocities was that they were reprisals
for acts equally abominable, and were, in short., the
necessary concomitants of civil war. Both .4 those posi-
tions he denied. It was true that the inhabitants of
Bosnia and Herzegovina carried on war in a brutal way,
but the outrages had been couiniitteti against the harm-
less, inoffensive, peaceful, and laborious peasants of
Bulgaria by Circassians and Bashi-Bazouks, with whose
character the Turkish Government must or ought to have
been fully acquainted before they decided upon employ-
ing them. 5 urthenuore, he *oil that the English
Government knew that the Turkish Government were
fully cognizant of the character of the mercenary troops
they were about to employ, and this was proved by the
evidence forthcoming in the Blue-books which had been
laid before Parliament. Es idence showed that bliilhat
Pasha, many years ago, hail considerable trouble with the
Cireasoians owing to their savage disposition, and that he
was also acquainted with the peaceful character of the
Bulgarian peasantry. The hon. and learned gentleman
proceeded to read a private communication he had
received from Constantinople, which contained state-
ments to the following effect :
"1. Skellet Pasha, the commander of the troops who
were sent from Andrinople to rilieven, himself gave orders
to his troops and irregulars to ransack the city of Yamboli,
four hours distant from Slieven. lie also botubanled and
destroyed entirely the village of Boyardjik, eight hours
distant from Slieven, whose inhabitants did not take any
part whatever in the insurrection. Skefket Pasha has
.ela appointed General of the imperial Guard of the
Sultan's Palace.
2. Reschid Paalia, who destroyed the large and
flourishing village of Peronshtizsa, in the Province of
PhilippopoUs, and massacred most of its inhabitants, was
promoted and appointed Colonel of the troops stationed in
Slieven.
"3. Deli Nedjib Effendi, Goviinor of Plevna, who, with
his Bashi-liazouks, destroyed about LINO houses in the
district of Scolievo, was rewarded with the decoration
Medjidieh of the fifth class.
"J. Tossoun Bey, from liarlovo, who destroyed the
small town of Klisoura, in the Province of Philippopolis,
and many other villages In the district of Gum', of the
same Province, has been appointel bludir (govenor) of
Kerley°.
"5. Ali Pehlivan, the commander of a numerous kind
of Bashi-Basouks, who perpetrated many astrocities in the
Province of Philippopolis, was promoted to the rank of
Birubsahi(Colonela and was allowed to go at the head of
ten thousand Bashi-llazouks and tight in s„rein.
"6. liatlz Pasha, under whose eyes and in whose pre-
sence the Bashi-Be:make massacred about 600 people in
the village of Bataigovo, in the Province of l'hilippopolis.
Heti: Pasha also kept for a week within his private apart-
ments Rainoe, the Bulgarian schoolnxistress of Ottonkeui,
mid violated her. Nothing has been done to him, and at
this nionient he is commander of a division of the army
operating in Servia.
7. During the latter part of June, 50 decorations of the
Medjidieh class were sent to the Vali of Andrinople to be
distributed among those ' lui toe sont distinguis en cone
battant rinsurrection bulgare; Such were the phrases of
the papers at Constantinople.
S. Asia Pasha, who was govenor of Philippopolis at the
time of the outbreak of the insurrection in that Province,
and whose justice and philo-Bulgarienisru are well known,
was removed from office and recalled to ConsMntinople,
where he is staying now. There is no doubt that had Aziz
Pasha been maintained in his Feet things would not have
reached such lamentable proportions. Likewise the
Governoro of Corlovo and Adjar (small townii in the Pro.
vine° of Philippopolio,) who hail shown sonic zeal in
defending the Christians, and opposing the laclesoness of
the Bashiltazonko, were dismissed from office and
replaced."
lie should be glad if the Under. Secretary for Foreign
Affairs would take the steps necessary to ascertain whether
the statements contained in that communication were
correct. Ile would remind the House that during the
whole time those atrocities were being committed accounts
of them had appeared in newspapers published in Con-
stantinople, and that the Turkish Government had never
thought it worth their while to contradict them. The
hon. and learned gentleman then reacts number of ext flirts
for the purpose of showing that tlic outbreak in Bulgaria
was not of such a nature as to require the Turkish Govern-
ment to employ irregular troops in addition to their
regular forces. Ile did not want to read more than wins
necessary from these papers, but there was a despatch
from Sir Henry Elliot to Lord Derby shortly after the
change of Government in Constantinople to which he
must call attention. What did It say 1 Sir Henry is rote,
"As soon as a Government is formed here to which I CAD
make representations, I shall not fail to point out the
danger "—" danger," he supposed, to the Turkish Govern-
inent—" of recognising these expeditions of Circasbians
and flashi.Bazouks, who were coniniitting the limit
atrocious outrages on humanity and civilization.
But they did not know whether Sir Ifenry
Elliott had done so. No doubt Consul Dupuis had
kept Sir Henry Elliot infonued of the Irregular
bands of Bashi-Basouks and Cireaasians who were enrolled
by the Turkish Government, but as to their proceedings
he said he had "no means of ascertaining them." What
wan a Consul sent to • district for but to hind out such
means! At page 267 of the printed Papers there waii a
despstch from Sir H. Elliot to Lord laerby in which he
stated that he might "accept the assurance that the
statement* as to the Bulgarian outrages hail been
exaggerated to t degree which must deprive theme of the
61Mlitext credit. And this was notwithstanding the
report of Mr. Bering. He collie/wed Inc was always
unwilling to make any remarks on men DI high position
in that House. lie felt that young men should avoid
doing so: but wh,it encouragement was given tea Consul
who, finding himself in a situation of great difficulty,
sent home official despatches which were treated by the
Prime Minister as " mere coffee-house hobble I" It wa,
said the emergency Dad so great as to render it Maslen'
able to put down the insurrection by any MeaDS
' esliately available. But the extermination of ii
peaceful people was not justifiable in any eircumetances,
(Hear, hear.) He did not pretend to any diplomatic
expenence, but he had always been taught that when any
serious remonstrance was Intended, that was the first
step. Not once had Lord Derby written a strong
despatch saying that the outrages which bad been
perpetrated were a disgrace to the Turkish Government
and to humanity, that they would not lei tolerated by
civilised Europe, and instructing our Ambassador to read
that despatch and leave him a copy. Nor had Lord Derby
rent for the Turkish Ambaredor in this country and said,
" I am now speaking to you in the name of the l'aLl—ct.
I tell you the acts of your Govercresut are a diagried. to