The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-28 00:00:00

The Kingdom of Greece.

(Frpm the Times' Correspondent)

ATHENS, Nov. 16.
On Saturday, the 11th inst., the Cabinet of M. De-
ligeorgis resigned, having held office only ten days,
and M. Bulgaris is now Prime Minister of Greece.

The friends of M. Deligeorgis say that he could
not depend on the good offices of Count Sponneck,
whose influence was increased by the victory he had
obtained in excluding M. Bulgaris from office. A
band of politicians, who called themselves the
friends of the King, meaning thereby that they could
count on Count Sponneck's support, succeeded in
forming a coalition of the supporters of Koumoun-
douros and Bulgaris. M. Deligeorgis, seeing that it
would be impossible for him to obtain a Parliamen-
tary majority, immediately resigned. He acted
wisely, for by this unexpected act on the part of a
Greek Minister he paralysed Count Sponneck's
party, and broke up the coalition. M. Rouphos,
respectable country gentleman, was summoned from
Patras to form a Ministry, but found it impossible.
It appears that the feeling against Count Sponneck
is quite as strong at Patras as at Athens, so M.
Rouphos advised the King to send for M. Bulgaris,
as the only man capable of conducting public affairs
in the present excited condition of -public feeling.
On Monday evening, therefore, the King sent for
M. Bulgaris, informed him that Count Sponneck
would leave Athens by the Austrian steamer for
Trieste on Saturday, and intrusted him with the
task of forming a Ministry. M. Bulgaris declared to
his Majesty that the difficulty of forming a strong
Government was very much increased by recent
events, but he would do everything in his power to
serve his Majesty and his country with fidelity.
On Sunday last an attempt was made by some of
the Athenian demagogues to make a public demon-
stration against Count Sponneck. A collision took
place between the military and the citizens in
consequence of the misconduct of the police, and
the presence of Colonel Grivas, who showed both
prudence and decision on the occasion, alone pre-
vented serious bloodshed.

The departure of Count Sponneck is a subject of
almost general satisfaction. The Greeks welcomed
him with enthusiasm because they had heard that he
was an able financier, and they see that their finan-
cial affairs require a sound head and a firm hand to
save the country from catastrophe. It is possible
that Count Sponneck's financial knowledge may be
considerable, but he never made any display of it
here, and he leaves the finances of Greece in a much
worse condition than he found them.

Yesterday M. Bulgaris completed the formation
of his Cabinet, which is one of coalition, into which
several Othonists have been admitted. It is com-
posed of the following members :—M. Bulgaris, Pre-
sident of the Council of Ministers, Interior, and (ad
interim) War; Gen. Kalergy, who is in Paris, War;
M. Kondouriotes, Public Instruction; M. Christo-
poulos, Foreign Affairs; M. Drossos, Finance; M.
Pappamichaelopoulos, Justice; M. Antonopoulos,
Marine. People excuse the return to the system of
having seven Ministers to do work that could be
performed more efficiently by four under the plea
that the places were required to reward friends and
purchase support.
It will now be seen whether M. Bulgaris, with the
support of the Othonists, can carry out the reduc-
tions proposed by M. Koumoundouros, suppress
brigandage and jobbing, and reorganise the whole
fabric of the executive administration. The task is
difficult, but not impracticable, and public opinion
has pointed him out most distinctly as the fittest
man to make the attempt. A few months will suffice
to show whether the army of jobbers and place hun-
ters can be stopped at the political Rubicon, between
what is called order and what is felt to be anarchy.
Since the unpunished murder of Pappa Spero, of
Marathon, brigandage has made great progress. It
is a great political system as well as a social evil
in Greece. A few days ago the diligence between
Thebes and Chalcis was stopped, and two of the
passengers were carried off, for whose ransom £2,000
is demanded. Greek brigands delight in speaking
of lirais sterlinais. A party of 17 brigands marched
through Vostitza in open day without molestation,
though Lingos, their leader, was recognized by seve-
ral of the inhabitants.

Three adventurous young Englishmen have just
returned from an interacting tallt in the P.lopon-
nesus, which has rendered them better acquainted
with the actual state of Greece than many of the
Greek Ministers, several of the official advisers of
the King never having seen so much of their native
country. The provincial authorities considered that
it was necessary to protect them during the greater
part of their journey by the presence of an escort of
six gendarmes. They heard of brigands repeatedly,
and it was evident that the danger was not imagi-
nary. It may be very imposing, but it cannot be
the most agreeable way of seeing Mycen, Olympia,
Phigalia, and Sparta to begin by placing vedettes
and then making classic researches revolver in hand.
Lord John Hervey, the lion. Mr. Strutt, and Mr.
Coore have been more fortunate than Mr. Maleas
and his fellow-passenger in the Theban diligence.
Had Lingos contrived to dine with them at the ruins
of the Phigaleian Temple, they might have had a
very heavy bill to pay for very bad accommodation.
They visited Ithome with an escort of six gendarmes,
but they will require an escort of at least ten to
visit Marathon, Platma, and Thermopylae.