The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-12 00:00:00

TO TIN IDITOI OS TIE 1111P10114.

Sla,—The concessionaires of the loan contracted
by the government of his Majesty the Sultan consider them-
selves bound to exhibit the situation of the Ottoman Empire
from a political, administrative, commercial, sod financial
point of view, in order to enable the public to estimate from
a knowledge of facts the resources and the guarantees;
offered by this empire, which, up to the prevent time, has
remained almost a stranger to the benefits of the European
system of credit.

TUB POLITICAL AND

CONDNION Or TER

OTTOMAN EXPIRE.

A somewhat confused idea generally prevails in Europe
reepoithig this country which, at divers epochs, ham played
• °marked& part in the history of the world, and for
which the future yet reeervee • brilliant destiny.
Respecting the Ottoman Empire many errors and preju-
dices have obtained credence, and have in a great measure
caused it to be fo.rgottan that this empire contains the
most fertile promo= and the most frequented ports in
Europe.
Nowhere, perhaps, does there exist such a fruitful source
of natural wealth, and no person can predict the degree of
proem* to which this empire must attain at the period,
now near, when the cutting of the Isthmus of Sues will re-
establish the ancient route from India to Arabia, Aida
Minor, and the Bean Sea, and when the East will be united
to the West by deem both on lend and sea.
Placed ins singularly advantageous position for serving as
• bond between the Bad andthe West, the Ottoman Empire
=in Bumps the vast spies comprised between the
the Black Sea, and the Archipelago, while in Asia
it ceseptises the whole of the territory between the Black
Sea, Aisidpelego, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf—
that is to say, magnificent countries whose immortal
armory is emieeerated both by =cred and profane history.
It may be added that the population ef these proviso= is
more than thirty millions of souls, Thum, whether the ex-
tent, the populatioa, or the geographical situation of the
Ottoman E.: Mpire be regarded, or whether its powerful pro-
ducaloaor the fertility of its sod be taken into oonsalerateen,
era =struck by its gran and is sensible of the prodi-
gious MOO/CM which it condeur, tains. But precisely because
thriOttoutan Empire extends over immense territories inha-
bited by the most diverse populations the question= eked.how has it been able to establish and maintain its domina-
tion in Europe, notwithstanding the difference of traditions,
manners, language, and religion, and above all, notwith-
standing the small number of Ottomans compared with that
of Christians.

Trii; reply to this question comprises the whole secret of
thedsratios of the Ottoman Empire. It is to be found in
the mederstion of the government, which has allowed the
laws and usages of the Christian populations to subsist ; for
in this vast empire strangers are only amenable to their eat-
hesitators and consuls. The Greek Christians are amenable
to their patriarch, and the Latin Christiana can invoke the
special protection of France.
An administration so divided cannot certainly be
is a model, since the majority of the population =it
empire evade the supervision and control of the imperial
authority. But we are forced to acknowledge that for this
multiplicity of jurisdictions and powers to have worked
regularly for more than 400 years, proves that the adminis-
tration west have been more tolerant than is supposed. It
must be acknowledged also th.it the Ottqipan Empire ill 1111•
dowed with wrest vitality since, during lbw ceaturisa, it
bassupported a political and administrative state of things
which, in any other state in Europe, would in a few years
result in the dissolution of social order.

Turkey posarres great natural riches, but few manufac-
tures. IL comperes and its industry, easy of development
bo it understood, cannot enter into companion with those
of the great nations of Europe.
From the extent of the annual importations into the
market of Constantinople it must, nevertheless, be acknow-
ledged that commercial life is yet very active.
The following is an soommt of these importations :
Merchandise from England 140 millions of francs.
Ditto ditto France
„ „ Germany
„ 1/ Italy
II „ Bwigitheriand...lo I.
„ Belum
7, HoLind 2 It
~ , •

Total

225 millions of francs.

This mans c European produce is absorbed by local con-
sumption ; Upper Rouwelia, the right bank of the Danube,
the Ifoldo:W ailachian Principalities, Anatolia, Kurdistan,
Georgia, &c.
As regards the maritime movement, the position of Con-
stantinople, the key of the world, is so marvellous that this
city is at the present time the third commercial port in Eu.
rope— a fact too much ignored. From its importance it
ranks immediately after Liverpool and London, just before
Maneillee.

It is known that the port of Liverpool shows an annual
movement of about 30000 vessels, measuring 8,000,000
tons, including the coasting trade.
Well, in 1850, • normal year, in which there was no ex-
traordinary movement of tranvjurts, the port of Constrain•
no le bad au ingress and egress of 27,029 vessels, measuring
5,060,596 tuna This is almost double the movement at
Marseilles in 1856.

The value of such maritime activity in Turkey will lbe
better understood on considering that the total movement
of the navigation in all the French porta does not exceed
8,1300,000 tons.