The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-25 00:00:00

CONSTANTINOPLE.

A letter from Constantinople of the 9th March says :
" I can assure you, from the most positive source, that
Omer Pacha, the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman army
on the Danube. sent in his resignation on the dismissal of
Mehemet AR Pacha, the late Minister of War. He ex-
pressed his dissatisfaction at seeing a man removed from
the War-office with whom he was on such good understand-
ing, and to whose co-operation the army owed so much.
It was for this reason that Chekib Effendi, accompanied
by his son Arifi Bey, was sent on a mission to Schumla, to
deliver to Omer Pacha the sword of honour which the
Sultan had decreed to him, and to announce to him that
his Imperial master had thought fit to appoint him to the
highest military post in the empire.
" General Agiz Pacha arrived here last week from
Schumla, to support Omer Pacha's resignation ; but Chekib
Effendi, who returned on Monday last, has succeeded in
persuading Omer Pacha to accept the new honours con-
ferred on him by the Sultan, and to remain at his post.
" Lieutenant-General Sir John Burgoyne, accompanied
by the Hon. Lieutenant Wrottesley, and some other offi-
cers of the engineer's staff, who have come up from the
Dardanelles, leaves to-day for Varna and Schumla, by her
Britannic Majesty's steamer Caradoc. Miss Burgoyne is
also of the party. . _

" The day before yesterday, the French steamer Asmo-
dee arrived at Constantinople from the Pirxus. She brought
a copy of the note presented to the King of Greece by the
representatives of England and France at Athens, with re-
ference to the late events that have occurred. I learn from
a good source that this note is couched in very strong terms
—indeed, that it menaces Greece with an Anglo-French
occupation.
" Colonel Ardent, of the French engineers, and his aide-
de-camp, left for Schumla on Tuesday.
" Her Britannic Majesty's steamer Banshee, with de-
spatches for the British ambassador and aniria tbs, arrived
here yesterday morning.
Last week the Turkish Government intimated to the
Russian subjects who are staying here under Austrian pro-
tection, that the term of six months accorded to them was
drawing to a close, only twenty days yet remaining, and
that they must consequently make up their minds and
prepare for departure. bl, do Bruck, the Austrian into',

nuncio, sent It a demand to the Porte, in the name of
several Russian merchants here, for a further prolonga-
tion. The prohibition by the Russian Government of
the export of grain from Odessa will produce most
unfortunate consequences. There are no less than
four hundred vessels at Odessa waiting to take in car-
goes, which will now remain idle; independent of
which, the large supplies of corn heaped up there will be
spoilt. Greaefears of mercantile failures are entertained
here in consequence of this resolution. Turkey has also
prohibited the export of corn, These measures will be
severely felt throughout Europe. As regards the latter, it
may be said to have been resolved in self-defence. With
immense armies on foot, and large forces coming, provisions
are necessary. For the last six months the prices of every-
thing have greatly increased, and Constantinople is half as
dear again as it was before the war.
" The night before last a council was held at the Porte,
which lasted until four in the morning. Yesterday, after
the arrival of the Banshee, the ambassadors of England
and France had a conference with Reschid Pacha, which
lasted four hours. It is believed that the ambassadors re-
ceived very important instructions and full powers by the
Banshee. It is said that the following propositions were
laid before the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs :
" 'l. The Porte to hind itself for the future never to
treat with Russia without the intervention of the Western
Powers.

" 2. To ameliorate the condition of the Christian popu-
lation of the Ottoman empire in order to prevent the re-
currence of such events as the insurrection on the'Grecian
frontiers, and to paralyze the efforts of the enemies of the
empire towards causing insurrectional movements in the
provinces. The distribution of the Anglo-French forces
which are coming out to be left to the Sultan, to whose
aid they are being sent, and who will have the faculty of
placing them in those parts of his empire where he consi-
ders their presence most necessary and useful."
A special and separate treaty is to be drawn up, and
will comprise the four following points :
" 1. The abolition_of the poll-tax.

" 2. Admission of Christians as witnesses before the
Turkish tribunals.

"3. The right of possessing freehold property in Turs
key without regard to nation or religion.
`4 To accord civil rights to the Christians, i, e., to
admit them to civil and administrative offices, and into
the army, the same as Mohamedans."
As regards the possession of property in Turkey, it will
not be out of place to remark that a change in this respect
is most necessary. At the present moment a vast amount
of property is held under other names. Centuries ago,
when the Turks conquered this country, certain parts
were allotted to the Christians, in which they could
possess property. These allotments were not great.
Since then the Christian population has increased
immensely, so that they have positively no room ;
and owing to the law, they cannot build elsewhere,
not possessing the right of property. Independent
of these circumstances, there are numerous other conside-
rations connected with the possession of property in
Turkey which demand reform, but which it were useless
here to enumerate. It is also useless to observe that the
stipulation of such a treaty would be a new era in the hiss
tory of the Turkish empire, and the foundation-stone to
the spread of civilisation and progress in the East.
" We are looking out for the first British and French
troops-800 men are said to have already arrived at Malta.
The combined British and French squadrons are lying
quietly at Beycos, in the Bosphorus."