The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-18 00:00:00

TURKISH EXCHEQUEEt FRAUD.

CONSTANTINOPLE, JAN. 17.-A fraudulent transaction
lately discovered, in connection with the public trusts
and deposits of the Bezestan, has created as great a sen-
sation among the Turks as the recent affair of the Ex-
chequer. bills produced in England. The Bezestan, as
many of our readers must be aware, forms a part of the
b mars of Constantinople, and, from the solid and fire-
proof nature of the masonry of which it is constructed,
has been selected as the locaL of a sort of bank of de-
posits, which bears no interest, however, but consisting
chiefly of gold, jewels, and other valuables, placed
there merely for security. Should the proprietors of
these effects die without heirs or intestate, the whole
of the amount reverts to the Imperial treasury. The
. most singular. fenturc of the Institution, and one alto-
:, ether Oriental, is, that its keepers or trustees are all
Kurds, belonging to a particular tribe in Kurdistan,
which is responsible for their integrity. A certain indi-
vidua4 about 20 years ago, was proceeding on the pilgrim-
s ge to Mecca, made a deposit of the value of two to three
thousand pounds at the Bezestan. On his return, which,
fbr some cause or other, had been so long deferred, to COO -
stpntinoplu, he applied to the keepers fur his property, but
v as informed, to his great dismay, that it cold] nowhere
1 e found ; the place was searched, rummaged, and ran-
sacked again and again, but no such deposit could be dis-
covered. Still the Hadgi, little satisfied with the result
of the sear,-h, however zealously it had been pursued,
be thought himself of applying to the Grand Vizier, who at
once undertook to investipate the matter, and, accompa- •
nied by a whole train of cam ashes or policemen, set out
immediately on this voyage of discovery to the Bezestan.
His researches, it appears. were attended with much
better success ; for, on examining the registers of the in-
stitution, it was found that there was not only this, but
many deposits whose disappearance could by no means '
be satisfactorily accounted for. The fact was, that though
there was no previous instance of fraud against indivi-
duals, yet many deposits, of which it was presumed the
proprietors were dead, lead been appropriated by the
keepers, instead of being transferred, as the law directs,
to the Imperial Treasury. The effects of the Hadgi iyt
question had, it seems, been also embezzled in this man-
ner. The upshot of the affair is, that nine of these res-
pectable Kurdish bankers have been sunnily bastinadoed
and sent to the bagnio ; and that in future the Govern-
ment, while taking charge, through its own functionaries.
of then trusty deposits, will not lose sight of its own
interests. The amount of private property in the Bows-
tan has been found to be upwards of 300,000 purses, or
a million and a half sterling. Similar measures will be
adopted with respect to Mosque deposits.

Perrier, a stocking-maker, and a woman named
Veille, had for some time lived together at Uzcs, in the Gard, as
in and wife, but, a short time ago, removed to Nimes. They
had been at their new lodging only two days, when the woman was
found dead in a well, into which she had been thrown, after re.
c.tivine a severe wound over (me of her eyes, and having her throat
e t, the blood being received into an earthen cooking,.vessel.
P •rrier and a cousot of his have been arrested on suspicion, for
which there are strong grounds.
CORONER'S INQUEST.—Ott Monday a length.
ened investigation took place at the George, Castle street,
Leicester-square, before 111 r. Higgs, on the body of Mr John
Dale, aged 70, formerly a clerk in Somerset House, who died
under circumstances Of zreat misery and destitution. John
Boffin, polide-constable F 41, deposed that between nine arid
ten o'clock on Thursday night, he discovered the deceased
leaning against a wall in Long-acre. He was in a state of
great exhaustion, and appeared dying from destitution. Wit-
ness obtained asbistance, and. he was removed to St. Martin's
workhouse. He was clad in rags and was covered with ver-
min. Mr. J. N. Baiubridge, surgeon to the parish, deposed
that he saw the deceased
w hen brought
state
ofinto
He was insensible, and in a_ greatexhaustion, lie was
placed in bed. and wine siren him, but he gradually sank, and
died- about JO i,
o'clock on riday morning. lie was of opinion
that be died from the want of the
trhcioe.imheefm.aodrlienecessaries
tohfelife.
e
The Coroner inquired of Groover,ceased bad ever applied for parish I
Verdict—" Died for
had not. He was a very proud man.
• want of the common necessaries of life.',
- • .
-." The last number of the Courrier of Dijon appears
1.:.. --"with two columns in blank, in consequence of the refusal of its
Printer to print a political article.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS.
ORDERS OF THE DAY FOR FRIDAY, FEB. 18, 1842.
I. Municipal Corporations Bill;—second reading.
2. Belfast Election Petition ;—adjourned debate.
3. Corn Importation Act;—Committee thereupon.
4. Supply;—Committee.
5. Duchy of Cornwall Bill ; Committee.
NOTICES OF MOTIONS, Fur. 18.

I. Mr. Estcourt—To nominate the Select Committee on Stand-
ing Orders :—Mr. F_:stcourt, Mr. Wilson Patten, Mr. Pendarves,
Mr. William Miles, Sir Matthew Wood, Mr. Robert Palmer, Sir
George Strickland, Mr. Cumming Bruce, Sir Robert Ferguson, Mr.
Ord, Mr. Trotter, Mr. Octavius Morgan, Mr. Childers, Mr. Acland.
(At the time of private business.)

2. Sir Edward Knatchbull—Bill to regulate the sale of parish
property.
3. Colonel Sibthorp—To call the attention of the House, and
more particularly her Majesty's Government, to the policy of sub-
stituting the payment of the several duties on the importation of
fortign corn at the period that they are entered into, instead of
the present system of payment of such duties when taken out of
bond.

4. Mr. Villiers—To present petition from certain persons assem-
blingin London from different parts of England, Scotland, and
%Vales, toprocure the repeal of the Corn and Provision.laws.
5. Mr. Villiers—ln Committee on importation of corn, to move
the following resolution :
" That all duties payable upon the importation of corn, grain,
weal, or flour, do now cease and determine (in lieu of the resolution
proposed by Sir Robert Peel)."

6. Colonel Sibthorp-In Committee on Importation of Corn,
to move that the Duties on Corn be levied or paid at the period
of Importation, instead -of when taken out of bond.
7. Mr. Christopher-In Committee en Corn Importation, to
substitute the following Scale of Duty :-
501. and under 51s. Duty 255.
51s. and under 525. - 245.
525. and under 535. -23 s
535. and under 545. - 225.
545. and under 555. -21 s.
555. and under 565. -20 s.
555. and under 575. -19 s.
575. and under 58s. -18 s.
58s. and under 595. -17 s.
595. and under 60s. -16 s.
60s. and under 61s. -14 s.
61s. and under 625. - I 3s.
02s. and under 635. -12 s.
635. and under 645. - Ils.
64e. and under 658. - les.
655. and under 665. - 9s.
665. and under 675. - Os.
675. and under 68s. - 7s.
68s. and under 691. - 6s.
695. and under 70s. - ss.
70s. and under 71s. - 4s.
71s. and under 725. - 3s.
725. and under 735. - 2s.
735.... ls.

S. Mr. William S. O'Brien—ln Committee on Corn Importa.
tion, to move, That all sorts of Grain, the produce of the Colonial
Possessions of Great Britain, be admitted at all times at a duty of
one shilling per quarter.

9. Sir Valentine Blake—ln the event of Mr. Villiers' motion
being rejected, and in consideration of the unexampled depression
of trade and manufactures, to move, that Corn be admitted free of
duty for one year, or for such other limited period as Parliament
may deem fit and proper.