The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-20 00:00:00

THE TURKISH EMPIRE.

(From the times' Correspondent.)
CONSTANTINOPLE, lAN. 4.
Those persons who, on the accession of the pre.
sent Sultan, had ventured to predict a new era of
prosperity and advancement, who hailed him as the
Sovereign who was to remedy the evils of the pre-
vious reign, and who, founding their judgment upon
what had previously transpired as to his character
and disposition, gave him credit for the possession
of such qualities as were necessary to raise the
nation in its own estimation and that of Europe,
will look with disappointment and despondency on
the events which are now occurring here. For some
time past rumours of a serious dissension between
the Sultan and his advisers were circulated, and a
feeling of uneasiness, even of apprehension, had
taken possession of the public mind. In a country
where everything depends on the caprice of one
man, and one who, like the present Sultan, knows
how to keep his own counsel, it is always difficult
to trace rumours to their source, or to foretell events.
On this occasion, however, the public was not long
left in suspence. It soon transpired that the cause
of disagreement was a strong indication, on the part
of the Sultan, of a reactionary policy, manifesting
itself in the first instance in a peremptory order to
increase the naval and military armaments of the
country. This was resisted by his Ministers. their
representations proved of no avail, and on Saturday
last they all resigned in a body. It is remarkable, in a
country where public men are so eager for office, and
so loth to relinquish it—where the ties of party are
set aside and disregarded by statesmen when an
opportunity occurs of satisfying personal ambition—
to observe the unanimity which prevailed on this
occasion. Nor did this unanimity limit itself to the
resignation of every individual member of the Ad-
ministration. The other high functionaries of the
State whose position. makes them independent of
the fluctuations of office, joined with the retiring
Minister in opposing the wild aspirations of the

Sultan.
The Sheik-ul-Islam, who, it might have been
supposed, would look with favour upon this reac-
tionary movement, has resigned his functions of
Chief of the Faith ; and Omar Pasha, the Com-
mander-in-Chief of the Forces, who was in the
highest favour with the Sultan, and who had re-
cently been loaded with honour and rewards in
consequence of the sucessful issue of the Monte-
negrinwcoamr,mhas withdrawn from the command of I
the army.
nanminaitnifnonrmthedthtehsta
that Fuad
conveyingadPasha,his
ina
written
resignation and that of his colleagues, expressed
himself with a degree of firmness and determination
which reflects great credit on him. It was of
course clothed in that high-flown Oriental phrase-
ology which never forgets
tioneue to the Padishah, h
bu
this effect :—That the views tt in substance
pbcn
ofetrhaeeseatuat and
Itanue it va was
nedner to
hisa-
Ministry as to the policy to be followed differed
materially ; that in their opinion the safety of the
empire lay more in its territorial and
position, the support of the Western Powers,
the faith of treaties, than :n iron-clad shipso geographical
position, and
d an
increase of the army ; that every man taken away,
frotnthe agriculture
caused a propor-
faonrd purposesi
ndustryo f
nf recruitment,
the
country,
tionate exhaustion of its resources
; that
attention had been directed to the furtheran
theirne
n f
wholesome enterprises, such as a bank, railway,
and other industrial undertakings, and the strictest
retrenchment in expenditure, by which means alone
it was possible to promote the prosperity and se-
curity of the empire, and not by armaments which
would infallibly call forth the disapprobation of
Europe; that the only policy which could attract
the sympathies of their allies was one of toleration,
economy, and reform ; and that, as they could not
consent to be coerced into the adoption of other
views, they had no alternative left than to place
their resignation at his feet. The Sultan rejected
these wise counsels, and the country at this moment
is without a Government. Said Pasha, a man who
up to the present identified himself with the old
Turkish party, and who was looked upon as a bit-
ter enemy of the Christian element, was sent for,
and it was believed that be would have accepted the
task of forming a Government. It is now ascer-
tained that he declined the responsibility, and this
on the same grounds which determined the with-
drawal of Fuad and ias party. There is undoubtedly
springing up among the people everywhere a spirit
of moderation and calmness in critical moments
Europe, and
curred in Greece
yof their rulers. That spiritll. h operated in
w le
contrasts strongly with the obstinacy and
such a remarkable
manner in different parts of
ery recently in the events which oc-
curred
in Turkey.' 1
the Sultan in
would seem to exist to some extent
persons such as the Sheikh-uldslarn
1711
imevediopposition
to r represent
rteos 6 tnhte
awil
fana-
tical oi
and ethers, who weree
the blind fanaticism which
whic
ha
tendsnd r retrograde
showo g r ad
that
() a significant fact,
Popul t- •
animated a portion of the a ion in this coun-

. .
They are those who believe that the Sultan will
still listen to the voice of reason, and that in a few
days the late Ministers will be reinstated in their
posts. If this happens, this crisis, which has spread
consternation in all ranks, may produce beneficial
results in the future. It will show to the Sultan
the hopelessness of any reactionary ideas, the re-
presentatives of which have been the first to desert
him in his hour of need. There are others, how-
ever, who, founding their opinion on his head-
strong disposition, his deficient education, his igno-
rance of political events and public opinion in
Europe, maintain that he will not yield, and in
that case there is no calculating the evil effects of
this coup d'etat, for such it undoubtedly is.
There is a fatality attachlng to this unhappy
country which declares itself at moments when its
well-wishers begin to look hopefully upon its
affairs. Whatever the individual failings of the late
Ministers may have been (it is not generally among
Turkish statesmen that one looks for private excel-
lence or public morality), there is no doubt that
they were collectively exerting themselves of late to
bring about a better state of things. Nor was the
public feeling insensible to their efforts. An increase
of confidence manifested itself in a gradual but
steady rise of public securities, which was the more
healthy because it was slow and steady. A National
Bank w
in which sonic of the
Paris
aorsits
influentialwearse r in
e crut
icontemplatione
financiald.
Telements of London and
Thee
delegates were at Con-
stantinople, and at the time of the crisis it was as-
serted that the combination had received the ap-
proval of the Government. Other enterprises were
were on foot, and the Government, learning wisdom
from experience, was carefully selecting such of
them as were worthy of support; and avoiding the
clamorous demands of adventurers eager for conces-
sions intended to be hawked about to the highest
bidder in any European market. Indeed, to the
most sceptical it must have been evident that there
was a serious disposition "to turn over a new leaf."
All these things have been interrupted, and the
whole machinery of the State is at present at a
standstill.

• lAN. 5.
All attempts to form a Government have up to
he present moment proved abortive. The Grand

Vizierate has been offered to a number of men re.

gardiess of their claims or ability to conduct the
affairs of the State. It has been declined successively
bs Said rasha,Nevres Pasha,aCourt favourite; Namik

Pasha (well known in connection with the Djeddah
affair) ; and it is said, also, by Mehemet Kiprisli
Pasha, who was sometime Grand Vizier at the com-
mencement of this reign. It is now asserted that
it has been accepted by Kiamil Pasha, who was for
a long time President of the Grand Cuuncil. He is
a man of amiable disposition and moderato views,
and an adherent of Fuad's policy, but without ex-
perience, and unable to cope with the present diffi..
culties. Much surprise is felt at his having deserted
Fuad ; but it may also•indicate a disposition on the
part of the Sultan to yield, in which case it is rea-
sonable to infer that this will only be a transition
Ministry, which in a few days will make room for
Fuad and his party on their own terms. Be this as
it may, the effect produced by such freaks must be
disastrous. The greatest uneasiness continues to pre-
vail, and public securities are falling considerably.
There is .lso a vague alarm occasioned by a certain
amount of insubordination among the troops against
military authority. The manner in which they have
been pampered by the Sultan has resulted in their
looking to him and him only, and they are rather
disposed to make cheap of any other authority.
It is curious to compare the Turkish soldiers of
to-day with the ill-clothed,ungainly creatures ofithe
last reign, and it is difficult tc believe that they. etre
the same men. No doubt the Sultan has done won-
ders for the army, but the question is whether this
change may not go further than it was intended, and
get beyond control. There is in the present Tur-
kish soldier a swagger which strongly reminds one
of the Janissaries. Let the Sultan look to this be-
fore it is too late, for it may produce grave results.
This is the public feeling on the subject, not the un-
reasoning fears of the multitude, but the apprehen-
sion of men who know the country well, and whose
opinion is the result of experience and observation.
The mania of the late Sultan was to build pa-
laces; that of Abdul Aziz is to build barracks. Perla,
where two years ago the only sign of an existing
army was to be found in a few uncouth, dejected
sentries at the door of humble police stations, has
now assumed the appearance of a full-blown garri-
son town. Its peaceable, money-making inhabitants
are roused daily by the sound of the trumpet and
the drum, and the constant movement of soldiers.
In the very centre of the suburb a handsome bar-
rack (Galata Serai) has suddenly sprung up,swarm-
ing with magnificent Zouaves, than whom it is
impossible to see finer men in Europe. In the
Square in front well taught military bands play
daily operatic music, and with some stretch of
imagination one might fancy one's-self at the Place
Vendome, in Paris. All this is very fine and im-
posing, and has its good. points, no doubt, but it
also looks uncommonly like &military despotism.

JAN. 8. 1
Nearly a week has elapsed since thhe resignation
9f the Ministry, and very little has yet been done
towards replacing them. It is certain that Kiamil
Pasha is the new Grand Vizier, and Aalia Pasha
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who had resigned
with Fuad, was sent for by the Sultan yesterday,
and remained with him for several hours. The
result of the interview is that Aali, for the present
at least, remains in office. It is inferred, therefore,
and with good reason, that the Sultan is yielding to
the imperative necessities of the moment. Whether
tie is doing so with a good grace, or only desires to
have time to form a party more pliant to his views,
remains to be seen. Sir Henry Bulwer is expected
to-morrow. It is a great pity thot hie return should
have been so long delayed.

* have news by telegraph of Sir Homy Bulwer's
arrival at Constantinople.

OLDER THAN METIIUSELAH.—There is a pauper
woman in the parish of Edinkillie who is so old that she
herself cannot tell her age, and there is no other one who
can do so. Last week a Christian gentleman called on her,
and among other questions inquired her age. She replied,
" Indeed, sir, I dinna ken; but I'm sure am a thoosand at
ony rate l" She is still able to move about, and bids fair
to add yet another year or two to the number.--Inverness
Courier.

Etruct her under the new shed at the eastern
end of the yard, from which the Royal Oak was
launched, that building-slip containing all the
requisite machinery and appliances for building
armour-clad vessels. In about two months the
whole of the hands employed on the Royal Oak
will, on the completion of that vessel, be disengaged.
They will then be immediately transferred to the
Belvidere, to commence the reconstruction of that
50-gun frigate.
The operation of bending the first armour-plate
for the iron frigate Achilles, 50, at Chatham Dock-
yard, was successfully accomplished yesterday after-
noon in the factory adjoining the dock in which the
Achilles is under construction. The plate operated
upon yesterday was one of a large number supplied
to the Admiralty by the Parkgate Company, York-
shire, and was of the best possible iron. Its dimen-
sions were 15 feet 3 inches in length, 3 feet 2 inches
in breadth, and 41 inches in thickness, the weight
being 3 tons 19 cwt. 1 qr. The plates received

from the Parkgate foundry, being all of rolled iron,
require no annealing, as is the case with those
shaped under the operation of the steam hammer,
the hammering process which they undergo in their
manufacture rendering them so exceedingly hard
that it is impossible to bend, plane, drill, and other-
wise prepare them until they have undergone the
annealing process in the furnace. The plate selected
yesterday was taken from several hundred tons
stores beneath the shed under which the Reindeer
is building, and was removed direct from the stack
to the hydraulic press with which the whole of the
plates used for the Royal Oak were bent cold. In
less than an hour it had been twisted and bent to
the exact shape of the mould taken from that portion
of the side of the Achilles to which the plate will be
attached. It was afterwards removed to another
part of the factory to undergo the planing, drill-
ing, and polishing processes. The hydraulic
press, being no longer required to be used in
bending the plates for the Royal Oak, will now
be exclusively employed in shaping the armour-
plates for the Achilles. During yesterday afternoon
the workmen commenced the removal of the ele-
vated tramways on each side of the dock in order to
lay down a much larger line of rails, on which will
be placed two of the patent steam cranes for lifting
the armour-plates.
The sailing frigate Active, 40, attached to the
Chatham sailing reserve, has been selected to be
fitted as a training ship for the lads and men of the
Naval Coast Volunteers. It is probably that the
port to which the Active will be sent will be Har-
tlepool.
A court-martial was held yesterday on board her
Majesty's ship Formidable, flagship of Vice-Admiral
Sir W. J. Hope Johnstone, K.C.8., commander-in-
chief at Sheerness, for the trial of Richard Beasley,
supernumerary first-class engineer, belonging to the
Cumberland, Capt. T. P. Thomson, guardship of
the steam reserve at Sheerness, on a charge of
drunkenness. Capt. W. G. Luard presided. Com-
mander Gilley Cruve Read, of the Cumberland, pro-
secuted ; and Mr. G. H. Knight, Deputy Judge-
Advocate, conducted the case. It appeared that the
prisoner went on board the Cumberland in a state
of intoxication on the 22d of December last. He was
examined on the 28th ult. by Assist.-Surg. William
G. Ridings. He found him suffering from an attack
of delirium tremens, and ordered his removal to
Melville Hospital. He was recovering conscious-
ness when he was visited two days afterwards by
Mr. Charles H. Kinnear, Deputy Inspector-Gen. of
the fleet and hospitals, The prisoner made no de-
fence, but pleaded for mercy on the ground of long
service. The Court, after duly considering the evi-
dence, sentenced him to be dismissed from the ser-
vice.
Letters dated Dec. 13, received at Plymouth, state
that the screw steam corvette Charybdis, Capt. the
)n. George D. Keane, from the Pacific Ocean,
arrived on the 10th Dec., all well, at Callao, where
she will probably remain until March. She was
rather short of hands. Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas
Maitland Knight, K.C.8., in the screw steam fri-
gate Bacchante, 39, Capt. Donald M'L. Mackenzie,
was expected to arrive at Callao about Christmas-
day.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lieut. E. J. Lawson, to the
Hastings; Lieut. F. W.,lnglefield, to the Cornwal-
lis ; T. Hockings, paymaster, to the Wellesley ; E.
D. Back, paymaster, to the Formidable; I. W. H.
Allen, second master to the Mullet ; W. Read, naval
instructor, to the Excellent ; Frederic M. Manning,
M.D., T. Browne, W. Corleton, W. B. Fletcher, and
W. Stables, acting assist.-surgeons, to the Victory,
for Hasler Hospital ; Frederick A. P. Harris, M.D.,
Ernest Low, M D., J. G. Clarke, J. Shields, and W.
L. M'Dermott, to the Royal Adelade, for Plymouth
Hospital ; Thomas Huard, engineer, to the Caradoc;
William Todner, engineer, to the Cumberland,, for
the Bullfrog ; James Donne, engir, eer, to the
ri i-
ton ; James Bowman and S. Gi,siog, first-class
assist,engineer, to the Caradoc; Charlesl Belford,
first-class assist.-enginecr, to the Asia ; F. 1 Ro-
binson, first-class assist. engineer, to the
'Triton ;
John Kelly and William Hopkins, second-class
as-
sist.-engineers, to the C.tradoc ; William Walker,
gineer, to the Futon ;
second-class assist.-en Robert
E. Ramsay, acting second-class assist.-engineer, to
the Triton ; and F. B. Baverstock, assist,-paymaster
in charge, to the Triton.