The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-12-16 00:00:00

LORD SALISBURY'S FIRST AUDIENCE

WITH THE SULTAN.
The Special Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph glves
(by telegram) the following account of the reception given by
the Sultan to Lord Salisbury :

His Imperial Maj -*sty the Sultan received Lord Salle-
bury this afternoon [Sunday] at half-past one o'clock.
Tnis audience was not only accorded willingly, but with
every show of readine=s, as will be easily understood
when it is known that the request for an interview was
only sent in yesterday, and that a reply fixing to-day
as the time was returned at once.

As is the custom only on great State occasions and
visits of eminently distinguished personages, the
Sultan's own State carriage were sent to conduct the
British Ambassador Extraordinary to the Palac e of
the Dolma Bagtche. These arrived at the hotel. just
as his lordship had returned from Divine service, and
very shortly afterwards Lord Salisbury, accompanied
by Sir Henry Elliot, and attended by the son of the
resident Ambassador and the five Secretaries of the
Embassy, set out.
The procession which conveyed her Majesty's repre-
sentatives to the Palace of the Sultan was worthy of
the occasion. Preceded by a number of Ottoman
cavasses, richly clad in splendid uniforms of blue und
gold, and carrying the insignia of authority, the car-
riages slowly passed down the hill from Pera which
runs to the shore of the Bosphorus. There sparkled
the bright blue waters of that incomparable sea,
the warm sun lighting up the opposite shores of
Scutaria and the Golden Horn and thus completing
the beauty of a view which conieszeelly has no rival in
the world. Steamers paejsig from one side to the
other, calques by scores shooting from landing-stage
and ship, small men-of-war at the mast-heads of which
floated the ensigns of nearly all the Powers of Euroee,
and here and there a Turkieh ironclad, were all in
the scene; while, as those who have once gazed upon a
Turkish crowd will best understand, strange forms
and stranger dresses lent their aid in this picturesque
panorama.
Dolma Bagtchd, the Palace to which Lord Salisbury
was invited, stands on the banks of the Bosphorus; it
is of pure white stone and of faultless architecture.
Probably no royal residence in the world has so fair a
site; for while in the rear are dark green hills, and on
either side cyprus trees of a still darker hue the
Bosphorus stretches far and wide in front, its lovely
villages and splendid mansions being well nigh all in
view. The road thither lies along the shore, and thus
the route which the British Ambassador took was
delightful in the extreme.
Arrived at the entrance to the Palace, the English
visitors were met by Karel' Pasha, who is the official
master of ceremonies, and Seyd Pasha, chief of de
Palace. By these they were ushered into a large apart-
ment, where coffee was offered them in cups studded
with diamonds, whilst tobacco in jewelled chibouks
was banded round. A short time having elapsed, they
were led into the presence of the Sultan, and then the
ceremony began.
His Imperial Majesty, surrounded by many of his
great officers of State, awaited the coning of Lord
Salisbury, who, attended by his suite, advanced
towards the Sultan. A Turkish official, named Munir,
who, on this occasion, did duty as first dragoman, here-
npon recited the name and title of those present, bow-
ing low as he named each one in accordance with
Eastern etiquette on such occasions. This formal in-
troduction over, the English all retired, with the excep-
tion of Lord galisbury, Sr Henry Elliot, and Mr.
Sandison, first dragoman to the Embassy. The Otta-
man officers all quitted the room, tco, with the excep-
tion of Mnnir, whom I have just mentioned.
A conversation then succeeded between the Sultan
and Lord Salisbury. His Majesty, after listening for
a while to his distinguished visitor, spoke of the Con-
ference, the first preliminary sitting of which takes
place to-morrow [Monday] with much frankness, and
expressed his sincere hope that the difficulties under
which Turkey at present labours would be satisfactorily
arranwd by the assembled Plenipotentiaries. He also
trusted that no proposal would be made which would
have the effect of placing his subjects of various creeds
and races on a different footing one from another. ,
His ardent wish, he said, was that all should
enjoy equality Turk, Greek, and Bulgarian.;
thus supporting the plan of Midhat Pasha, nho
meets the proposition to give special legislation
to Bulgaria by a project of reforms ameliorating the
condition of non-Muesulman subjects throughout the
Turkish Empire, and placing them on the same footing
with the Moslem subjects of the Porte. The Sultan
dwelt much also on the peculiar difficulties which at-
tached themselves to his position, owing to the com-
parative suddenness and recentness of his accession to
the throne. In conclusion, he added, that he had full
faith in the deliberations of the Conference, and in his
way evinced his inclination to preserve peace. Alto-
gether his reception of Lord Salisbury was most
cordial and highly satisfactory.
Nor were those who accompanied his lordship to the
Palace' but who retired during the State audience, for-
gotten by the Turks, with whom hoseateleafeet-b-1,
nature- Mura_d_gaA'inlliC wliCti they awaited the
return of Lord Salisbury, and, while sherbet was
served in a manner known to those acquainted with
Ottoman customs, conversed with the suite of his
Majesty's viailtore.