The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-09 00:00:00

THE TURKISH COMMERCIAL

TREATY.

CONSTANTINOPLE, MARCH 13.

The reeeneration of Turkey has at length com-
menced ; the long anticipated period has at last arrived
when the abuses which have brougot it so near to ruin
are to be swept away. To-day the first cargoes of
goods, both for import and export, will be entered at
the Custom-house under the new system, and this
will decide whether the convention can be carried
into execution or not. The tariffs are, it is true, not
yet quite completed, nor will the French ratifications
even be exchanged till Saturday next ; but these
circumstances are, it seems, not likely to be pro-
ductive of any difficulty or delay. As far as our tariff
is concerned, so little remains to be done that the
next meeting of the Commissioners will, in all proba-
bility, terminate it ; but the French, I believe, is
not in so forward a state ; the Ambassador, however,
last week sent an official communication to the mer-
chants, similar to that made by our Consul, wherein
he gave them notice of the approach of the period
from whence the change would commence, expressing
also, at the same time, his perfect confidence in the good
faith of the Turkish Government with regard to the
fulfilment of all the engagements into which they had
entered. With the coming into operation of the Treaty,
however, the detractors from its merits in no way di-
minish ; but, on the contrary, appear to gain fresh
strength from the manner in which their reasonings
have been made use of and supported in England.
Every argument, however frivolous in its nature, is now
brought forward to prove the impossibility of carrying
it into effect ; and means are, in fact, almost pointed oat
to the Turks by which they may counteract or evade
it. From what quarter all this comes is easily under-
stood. That a total change in the fiscal system, such as
that now about to be worked throughout an empire
like Turkey, where powerful personal interests are
opposed to it, can be effected without some degree of
difficulty and confusion at first, would be absurd to be
expected ; but that the Sultan, however much he might
have been induced by his anticipations respecting Egypt,
should have heedlessly entered into engagements which
he either never intended or thought himself unequal to
comply with, is a supposition equally so ; and when all
the immense advantages which will accrue to every class
by the operation of this system arc thrown into the
scale in favour of the opposite argument, it will,
' I think, appear that instead of its execution be-
coming impossible, it will, in fact, present less diffi-
euNis than its warmest advocates even could have an-
ticipated. Among other opinions which are advanced
with regard to the obstacles in the way of this conven-
tion is that of the two principal powers engaged in
commerce with the country not having yet become
parties to it; but this is certainly of all arguments one
of the easiest to be refuted. According to the system
now to be introduced, all interior taxation and mono-
poly is, as is well known, to be abolished, and nine per
coat. in lieu of it to be paid to the Government by the
exporter ; the same also, but with two per cent., on
imports; and this is applicable to all subjects of the
Turkish dominions in their relations with subjects of
those powers wh© are parties to the treaty. To whom,
then, will these people, who are both producers and
consumers, go to sell their produce and obtain
their manufactures? To those who, paying the tax,
free them from all onerous charges, or to those who
by not paying it, leave them exposed to the same
abuses as before ? The answer is obvious ; and
however strenuously the Russian and Austrian Go•
vernments may refuse to accept the terms which
the treaty offers, it is quite evident that their merchants
must comply with them, or relinquish into the hands
of others all the commerce they now carry on. With
regard to Wallachia and Moldavia, where the fiscal
s3stems are different, some alterations will, as I have
said, perhaps have to be made, and deputies from those
Governments have now been sent to Constantinople
to make representations on the subject; but the commerce
of these provinces, already half Russian, however im-
portant it may in itself be, is, compared to the general
welfare of Turkey, but a secondary consideration, and
may be adjusted when it is seen how the system works ;
and, according to the strict interpretation of the Treaty,
though obliged to abolish such oppressive taxation and
monopolies as may exist, there is certainly no article
which binds them to levy the full amount of 9 per cent.
on exports, if they find their commerce suffers by it.
In the course of about two months from this period,
something more like a definite opinion will be able to be
formed of the merits and demerits of this change, and
it will then be seen on which side of the question the
error of judgment really lies.
A grand council was, on Friday last, held at the
Porte on Persian affairs, previous to which an official
note had been sent to the Persian Ambassador, re-
quirir,g an immediate explanation of the warlike move-
ments on the Kourdistan frontier, and to which the
answer returned is said to have been of such a naturo
as has perfectly quieted the alarms of the Turks on
this head. Another meeting of the Commissioners ap-
pointed by the different nations for the discussion of
the dues to be charged on vessels for the new light-
houses on the Bosphorus took place this week ;a but
the Turks still continue to make the same unreason-
able demand of 30 pares per ton, and no arrangement
can, for the present, be come to. The rate of 10
pares, offered by the Commissioners, is calculated on
the rate charged by the Russian Government for the
lighthouses in the Black Sea, without even making
any allowance for the immense difference in the price
of oil between the two countries, and other expences
which the Turks would not have to incur. Despatches
have this week been received from Reschid Pacha,
from which it seems that circumstances have now oc-
curred which render the period of his return to Con-
stantinople very uncertain ; and this may possibly tend
to induce some changes in the Ministry here. His re-
presentative, Nourri Effendi, is daily rising in the favour
of the Sultan, who, a few days since, made him a present
of a magnificent villa on the Bosphorus, which for-
merly belonged to the celebrated Hussein Pacha, now
Governor of Widdin.—Chronicle.

MYSTERIOUS CASE —CHARGE OF 'MUR-
DER AGAINST A MOTHER.—On Saturday the circum-
stances attending the mysterious death of a little girl
named Higgins were fully investigated by the Cheltenham
bench of Magistrates. The facts are shortly these :—Oa
Friday morning the child was quite well, but on the
mother, who is a poor woman, returning from getting some
shavings to light her fire, she screamed out, declaring that
her child was dying. Some neighbours advised that the
child should be taken to the doctor's, which was done,
when, on looking into its mouth, the doctor said it had
been either drinking boiling water or some strong acid,
and advised that it should be taken instantly to the infirmary
at which place the same opinion was given. The mother
said there was no hot water in her house, and that the child
had the day before swallowed a bone, but she had thought
nothing of it ; she took the child home, and two hours
afterwards it died in great agony. In the evening
Coroner's inquest was held on the body, when the Jury
requested that the surgeon should make a post mortem ex-
amination. The Coroner opposed this proposition, saying
that there was no occasion for it, and recommended that
a verdict of natural death should be returned. The autho-
rities, disapproving of the course the Coroner had taken,
caused Mrs. Higgins to be brought before them, and the
contents of the child's stomach to he analysed. The medi-
cal witnesses stated that the child appeared to have suf-
fered from the effects of sonic strong acid. The chemist
who analysed the contents of the viscera could only detect
a slight portion of acid. Several witnesses proved the
kindness of the prisoner's conduct to her child, and she
herself expressed her anxiety that the strictest investiga-
tion should be entered into. The Magistrates determined
upon fully committing the prisoner for trial, upon which she
declared her innocence in the most heart-rending terms. On
Tuesday a bill indictment was preferred against her at the
Gloucester Assizes, which was ignored by the Grand Jury.
—Abridged from the Cheltenham Chronicle.
SINGULAR DEATH.—On Saturday a Coroner's
inquest was held at the London Hospital, on the body of
Ann Laurar, aged OS. On the 19th ult. the deceased,
who was a widow, residing in Webber-street, Lambeth,
went to call upon her daughter, who was living in Swan-
street, Minories. Not finding her at home, however, and
being seized with an internal pain, she went to tke occupier
of the opposite house, and begged to be allowed to retire.
Th• owner of the house (Mrs. Sawyer) accordingly took
her into the cellar, and left her with a lighted candle, which
was placed at a distance of three quarters of a yard from
her. A considerable time having elapsed, and the de-
ceased not making her appearance, Mrs. Sawyer went to
the top of the cellar stairs, when she heard loud moans.
On going! down stairs she saw the deceased en the floor en-
veloped in flames, end in a state of insensibility. With
some difficulty she extinguished the flames, and then sent
for a medical man. Prior to the arrival of that gentleman
the deceased revived, and informed Mrs. Sawyer that she
had fallen upon the candle in a fit. Eventually the des
ceased was removed to the London Hospital, where she
lingered in great agony until Thursday last. Verdict--
Accidental death.

NEW KIND OF SIIOP-SIIUTTERS.—A most
ingenious plan has been invented (by Mr. Sandeman, up-
holsterer, Grcenside-street, we believe), by which the
process of placing the shutters upon shop-windows is ren-
dered by far more easy, safe, and convenient than the
method at present adopted. It is this :—During the day,
the shutters stand edgeways, and quite invisible, in a re-
ceptacle on each side of the window, just suffieiently large
to contain them. When they are wanted to be put on, it
is only necessary to give them agentle push from the inside,
when they travel smoothly out upon a concealed railway,
and after projecting to their full breadth, each shutter,
turning upon strong hinges, immediately closes. All that
is necessary afterwards is to fasten the bolts. By this
means, not only is the risk of glass-breaking avoided, and
a great deal of labour saved, but the shutters are rendered
no incumbrance to the premises during the day. The
only instance where we have yet seen them in practical
operation is in the shop of Messrs. Ireland and Son, South
Bridge, where our town readers may have an opportunit)
of examining them for themselves. —Scoesman.—[ Shutters
of various kinds, that answer the purposes mentioned by the
Scotsman, are, we believe, in use in London.—ED- SUN.)
TIIE CROPS.—The wheats on the hills do not
make much progress; yet on the whole they look healthy,
although backward. In the Weald, on the wet soil, they
f look chilled, but not so much so that a few fine days of
warm wencher would not restore them. The oat sowing is
gf.-Pincgorntmheenccoel(di .sllti:Sleffvse(rzy i
nearly finished, and
so
bsaeraleyns,olesxiac
prospect of a
Express.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, APRIL 8.

The SNEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four
o'Clock.

Mr. Parker presented returns from the Poor-law
Commissioners.

CARLOW ELECTION.

The SPEAKER informed the House that the peti-
tioners against the return of Mr. Bruen for Carlow had
not entered into the required sureties. The order,
therefore, for hearing the petition must be discharged.
—Order discharged.
Mr, E. J. STANLEY presented a petition from
certain electors of Carlow against the return of Mr.
Bruen. The petitioners prayed that either the return
might be amended by inserting the name of Mr. Gis-
borne for that of Mr. Bruce, or that the election might
be declared void.

On the motion of Captain ALSAGER the London
and Croydon Railway Bill was read a second time, and
ordered to be committed.

On the motion of Mr. KINNAIRD the Perth
Harbour and Navigation Bill was read a second time
and ordered to be committed, as was also the Perth
Police Bill.

On the motion of the LORD ADVOCATE
the Crichton Charities Bill was read a se-
cond time, and ordered to be committed.
The Learned Lord presented a petition from the
Magistrates and Town Council of Leith against the
Newhaven Railway Bill.
On the motion of Mr. GORDON, the Fraserburgb
Harbour Bill, and the Eyemouth Harbour Bill, were
road a second time, and ordered to be committed.

Mr. FINCH brought in the Liverpool Court of
Requests Bill, which was read a first, and ordered to
be read a second time.

On the motion of Mr. W. GLADSTONE, the
Ballochney Railway Bill, the Witham and Cottneis
Road Bill, and the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Rail-
way Bill, were read the second time and ordered to be
committed.

Sir W. MOLESWORTH brought in the Leeds
Small Debts' Bill, whieli was read a first, and ordered
to be read a second time.

On the motion of Mr. HARLAND, the West
Durham Railway Bid was read a second time and
ordered to be committed,
On the motion of Mr. W. ATT WOOD, the Londnn
and Greenwich Railway Improvement Bill was read a
second time and ordered to be committed.
NEW WRIT.

On the motion of Sir T. FREEMANTLE, a new
writ was ordered for the county of Ayr, in the room of
Sir T. Dunlop (deceased).
CHURCH EXTENSION.

The LORD ADVOCATE presented a petition in
favour of Church Extension (Scotland).
Mr. FERGUSON presented a petition against
Church Extension (Scotland).
Mr. FRESHFIELD presented a petition from
Falmouth, complaining of the want of spiritual in-
struction in the Colonies, especially in Canada.
The Hon. Member noticed the omission, on the part of
many Hon. Members lately, of the usual custom of
putting their names to petitions which they presented.
—(Hear, hear.)
The SPEAKER sa4 it ought to be generally known
that no petition would be printed to which the name of
the Member presenting it was not affixed. That would
check the neglect complained of.
Mr. FRESHFIELD then brought up the Re-
port of the Committee on Public Petitions.