The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-03 00:00:00

THE STATE OF TURKEY.

CONsTANTUsoBLE, Feb. 18.—This afternoon the
firman relating to the rights of the non-Mahome-
dan subjects of Turkey will be read at the Porte.
Several hundred copies have been already printed
of it in Turkish, which will be distributed. Trans-
lations into other languages of the empire are be-
ing prepared, which will likewise be printed, and
sent off to all the provinces. As it is wished to
give to the reading as much as possible the charac-
tei of a purely internal affair, emanating from the
free will of the Sultan, none of the foreign repre-
sentatives will attend, but all the Ministers and
high functionaries, civil and military, as well as
the ulemas and hadjis, the patriarchs and higher
clergy of the different religions, are invited to be
present. According to the usages on such occa-
sions the firman will be read afterwards in the
different mosques.
The firman is addressed to the Grand Vizier,
Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha, and, as usual in this
kind of documents, begins by a long allocution to
him. The Sultan speaks in the first person, and,
after this introduction, says that since the begin-
. ning of his reign he has had only one idea—namely,
to makoall classes of his subjects happy, and that,
thank God, his endeavours in this respect were not
without success, as the increasing prosperity of the
country shows. But he wants to give new vigour
and a greater extension to his reforms, so as to
satisfy all wishes and to raise the dignity of his
Government. He thus continues
By the efforts of my subjects and those of my allies,
the external relations of my Government have acquired
a new force, and I wish now likewise to augment its
strength in the interior and to make all my subjects
happy, for, united as they are by their common sacrifices
and their patriotism, they are ad equal in my eyes ; my
will is therefore that the following points be rigorously
enforced :
" I confirm all the assurances given by the Hatti
Bcberiff of Galhane, as to the security of the lives, the
property, and honour of all classes of my subjects, with-
out distinction of rank or religion, and I will that these
eAsurances be minutely observed.
" All the privileges and immunities which have been
given to the Christian and other communities which are
under my sceptre are again confirmed. A revision will
be effected without delay of the privilege s and improve-
ments made according to the spirit of the age and the
actual state of society, and with my sovereign sanction.
The councils which will be expressly established at the
Patriarch's under the-inspection of the Sublime Porte,
will have to discuss these improvements and submit them'
to my Government. The power given to the Patriarchs
by Mohamed the Conqueror and ray other glorious an-
cestors will be combined with this new position created
for them by me, and when the mode of election of the
Patriarch will have been ameliorated the Patriarch will
be named by diploma for life.
" According to a method devised by the Sublime
Porte, the Patriarch, and the chiefs of the Christian and
other communities, the patriarchs, archbishops, vicaries,
bishops, and rabbis, will have to take an oath of alle-
giance.
"All contributions and casual profits levied by the
clergy from the communities are forbidden. Fixed re-
venues will be assigned to the patriarchs, archbishops,
vicaries, and bishops, and a sufficient salary apportioned
to the lower clergy, according to their rank and func-
tions. The movable and immovable goads of the clergy
will not be touched.
"A council chosen by the clergy and laity of the
Christian and other communities will be intrusted with
the direction of the natisnal affairs of the community.
" No objection will be made to repairing the churches,
sehvols, hospitals, and cemeteries in the different towns,
villages, and hamlets according to the primitive design
which may still exist. If it becomes necessary to erect
new ones,' and the Patriarch or th. Aiefs of the com-
munities approve it, the plan will be submitted to the
Sublime Porte, in order that I may give my sovereign
approbation for its erection, or else that the objections
to which it is open might be made against it.
" If in some places there is a community quite isolated,
—that is to say without people belonging to another re-
ligion,—such a community may celebrate publicly its
religious ceremonies. But in the places inhabited by
people belonging to different religions each may in its
own quarter, adapting itself to the above-named prin-
ciple, repair its proper churches, schools, hospitals, and
cemeteries.
"As to building a new edifice the Patriarch and
Synod will demand the permission of the Sublime Porte,
which will be accorded, if there are no internal poitical
considerations which prevent it. But whatever is done
in these matters should be always done in a spirit of
charity and tolerance.
"Energetic measures will be taken to insure the freest
possible exercise of every religion.
" All epithets and distinctions which could tend to
show a difference between one class of my subjects as the
lower, and another as the higher one, are for ever abo-
lished all the documents of my Imperial Chancel
lery. It is likewise strictly forbidden to officials and
private individuals te use offensive and dishonouring
terms, and the offenders will be punished.
" As all religions can be exercised freely, no one will
be molested on account of his religion, and no one forced
to change his religion.
" As the choice of those employed depends on my Im-
perial will, all my subjects will be received for offices ac-
cording to the existing regulations and according to their
capacities, and if they satisfy the conditions demanded
by the regulations of the Imperial schools—namely, if
they are of the proper age, and pass the prescribed ex-
aminations—they will be admitted likewise into the mi-
litary offices.
"Besides, each community is free to erect schools for
arts and sciences. Only the studies followed there and
the choice of teachers will be subject to the inspection of
a mixed commission named by the Sublime Porte.
" All the commercial and criminal causes between the
members of two diffaent religious communities will be
',abject to a mixed court, whose sittings will be public.
The accuser and accused will be confronted there, and
the witnesses will take the oath, according to their reli-
gion, to tell-the truth.
"Civil causes in the provinces and sandjaka will be
examined in the mixed courts in the presence of the
Vali and the Cadi. The sittings will be likewise public.
"Causes between two of the same community, or
those relating to successions, will, according to the wish
of the parties, be brought before the Patriarch or the
Medjlis.
" A commercial and criminal code, as well as regula-
tions respecting the proceedings of the mixed courts,
will be as soon as possible •corapleted, and published
after being
.trasslated into all the languages which are
need in my empire.
"In order to combine humanity with justice, the state
of the prisons and other places of detention will be
ameliorated, and regulations made as to the detention of
those condemned for smaller mimes. With the excep-
tion of the police regulations of the Sublime Porte in
this respect, all ill-treatment and corporal punishment
or torture are completely abolished, and whoever should
dare to inflict them will be severely punished.
"The police in Constantinople, as well as in the pro-
vinces, must be so established as to protect most effi-
ciently life and property.
"As equality of taxation will be introduced, it will be
justice that the Christian and other subjects should fur-
nish, as well as the Mussulrnans, their contingent of
troops; they roust therefore submit to the decision which
has been lately taken in this respect. But in these
questions the system will be followed to give an equiva •
lent in money—that ie, to give money, and be thereby
exempt from active service.
" Regulations will he made shortly for employing al
the subjects in the ranks of the army, independently of
the Mussulmans, and when made these regulations will
be published.
" The Medjlis will be reformed in the provinces, in
order to place the election of Mussulmans and non-Mus-
sulmans on a good tooting, and to insure the free and
true manifestation of opinion ; and energetic measures
will be taken that the Sublime Porte may know the re-
sult of these opinions, and on which side the right is.
" As in commercial affairs, and as regards the pos-
sessien of landed property, the laws are equal for all my
subjects ; when the Sublime Porte shall have made an
arrangement with the foreign Powers, to the effect that
foreigners should submit this respect to the laws of the
country, and pay imposts at the same rate as the na-
tives, the right to possess landed property will be con-
ceded to foreigners.
" As the taxes are levied equally on all subjects, one
must think of the means to prevent the abuses in the
collection of these taxes, especially of the tithes, and to
establish, as far as it is possible, a direct system of col-
lection,instead of the system of farming the revenue
ow pursued. In the meantime, any public functionary
who should let such revenues
at a public auction, or
even take weber° in it, will be severely
u punished.
s in
" The local taxes must, aas possible, be die-
tributed so as not to do harm to ch
the production and to
the development of commerce.
" Imposts will be levied in the
provinces for generally
useful purposes, which will be applied for t e benefit of
advantage those provinces, which will have the antage of the
roads for their communication inland and their connec-
tion with the sea.
" As the Sublime Porte has lately made a badet of
its revenues and expenses, this budget must be followed
up and developed.
" The pay of each public functionary ought to be fixed,
"An employe will be appointed for every Christian and
other connuunity,,ia-order to take care of the affairs
which concern the generality of my subjects, and to as-
sist at the State Council. These employes are expressly
taken from the Ministry of the Grand Vizier; they are
named for a year, and have to take an oath before they
eater on their functions.
"The members of the State Council will be free to
manifest their opinions in the ordinary and extraordinary
sitting; and will not be molested for that.
"The laws against corruption will be executed against
all my subjects without distinction, and to whatever class
or rank they may belong.
"The Sublime Porte will do her best to establish a
good system of credit, and favour all things tending to
raise it, as, for instance, a bank, for which the necessary
capital will be procured.
"The Stiblinse Porte will construct roads and canals
for the tiffisPort of produce, and will give facilities for
the ex‘ension of agriculture by removing all impedi-
ments."
After this follows the usual conclusion, ordering the
Sadr Azine to see that the Imperial will be executed.

Wesfron, the murderer of Mr. Waugh, is, by the de-
cision of the Home-ofEce, to he condemned to penal
servitude for life. The jury, it will be remembered,
found biro guilty of the murder, but also found that be
wag iivredisposod to insanity;id