The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-15 00:00:00

Reports are in circulation among the Turks of a pro-
jected coup d'etat, which was originally conceived by
the late Sultan Mahmoud, and consists in a plan for
the appropriation of all wakoqfs (religious founda-
tions and endowments) for the services of toe State,
by selling them as moolk (freeholds), or hating them
on long leases, guaranteed in the most formal manner,
to purchasers or tenants, without distinction of creed
or condition.
The literal meaning of the word wakoof is a dona-
tion. But as these donations are generally made for
charitable purposes, or through devotional motives, the
term is taken in the sense of " something sacred," and
the property is considered as " appertaining to God ;"
an interpretation which enhances the difficulty of their
conversion to fiscal purposes.
These wakoofs are of three kinds, subdivided into
various categories, all under the guardianship of the
church. The first and most important class comprises
those belonging exclusively to the temple.' of Mecca
and Medina, to the Royal domains, and to all mosques.
The revenues derived by the latter arc of great value,
though infinitely beneath their intrinsic worth. Thus
the imperial mosques of Santa Sofia, the Valideh, and
Shalizadele those of Sultans Achmet, Osman, Selim,
Mahomet, 13ajazet, &c., draw from these sources in.
comes s drying from 200,000 to 2,000,000 Turkish
piastres, and as the annual expenses of each, for repairs
and stipends to clergy, rarely exceed a third of the
receipts, the surplus forms reserve funds, either ex-
pended in the purchase of additional property, which
forthwith becomes wakoof, or is pocketed by the nazir
(inspector) or mootewelly (accountant). The former,
in most cases, is the kislar aghassy (chief black eunuch),
who, from this cause, bears the title of Inspector of the
Holy Cities. Tire latter is almost invariably some high
public functionary, originally appointed by the donor or
testator. In most cases these donations are made
duritig life, as the law forbids men to will away from
their direct heirs more than one-third of their property.
The second class embraces numerous public founda-
tions and charitable or pious institutions—such, for in-
stance, as lekehs (communities of dervishes), hospitals,
khans, colleges, schools, libraries, turbeks (tombs), louts=
tains, and establishments for distributing food to the
poor, besides pensions to foura'ers' kin, and to priests,
whose daily duty it is to read appropriate chapters of
the Koran for the repose of the said lout-1(1,1.5' souls.
In this class are also included the military wakoofs,
consisting of property given by officers or others for
the repairs of fortresses and barracks. This, as well as
the third class, has also its inspectors and accountants,
who in most instances are the Kislar Aghassy, Grand
Vizir, Sheik ul Islam, or some other superior Magiss
trate of the capital or town where the institutions aro
founded. In former times the Capon Aghassy (chief
of white eunuchs), who held the pest of master of the
Sultan's household, was intrusted with the inspector-
ship of the imperial wakoofs ; but the gross malversation
committed by these white personages became so flagrant,
that one of the Sultans dispossessed them of their charge.
The third c'ass is of more modern institution, and of a
more secular or private character than the two pre-
ceding. It may be likened to property left or placed
in trust under Chancery or the Church, with this
difference, that in default of issue, male or female, of
the first generation, the property devolves to the guar-
dian mosque, to the exclusion of all other heirs, direct
or collsteral. It thus results that the greater part of
these wakoofs fall to the church, in the process of time,
unless repurchased by the tenant for life, on payment of
certain fines to the mosque, amounting to a moderate
per centage. But in most instances the Moslem church
displays greater liberality than, perhaps, would be exhi-
bited under sired 1r circumstances by the see of Exeter,
or the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. That is to
say. supposing there be default of issue of the first gene-
ration, and that the property should legally devolve to
the Mosque, it frequently happens that the Imaums do
not insist upon the forfeiture, but permit the next heir
to repurchase the wakoof, on payment of the usual fine
of ten or fifteen per cent. on the capital. This wares.
sion, it need not be observed, is not without benefit to
the church, as, in the course of years, the wakoof being
unalienable, it is sure to revert to the mosque, which in
the meantime enjoys a tenth or more of the total value.
and an annual ground-rent.
The two first classes aro essentially established and
protected by religious legislation, confirmed by a con-
cession of fetters/is (rescripts); but the third class is
only founded upon usage, having no other sanction than
custom or sufferance, and no other authorization than
that of the reigning Sultan and Ullemahs. The pro-
perty assigned for the above purposes is not the less
" sacred." It generally consists of lands or tenements,
and is disposed of according to the will of the donor,
and the Nazis (inspector) is compelled in all cases to
follow the founder's dispositions, which are duly regies
tered in ono of the three offices exclusively assigned to
these objects in the Finance Dspattment. The re-
ceipts and disbursements of all wakoofs must be laid,
biannually, before the inspectors and accountants, by
the proprietors or life tenants, and the former decide
upon the mode in which the surplus is to be employed
or invested.

The causes for which these donations, especially those
of the third class, are made, arc as various as the manner
in which they are regulated. Some persons wishing to
guard themselves from all risk of arbitrary confiscation
and others, when in debt, being eager to escape seizure
by creditors, make over their property as wakoofs to
mosques, for themselves and heirs, and enjoy the re-
venues, on payment of a small ground rent. But if
they wi►h to sell or make over the life tenancy to
another, they must pay a fine of ten per cent, on the
capital, and without disengaging the wakoof, unless there
be a stipulated clause to that effect. Thus it generally
occurs that from deaths, losses, and changes, these
wakoofs change hands ten times in a century, and the
original capital is gradually absorbed by the church.
Other persons in want of ready money, or perhaps from
devotional motives, abandon their property to a mosque,
and are allowed the interest, or usufruct, for life, or for
a stipulated period, receiving in return a sum not es.
ceeding forty or fifty per cent. of the total value. A
portion of the Imperial domains and revenues of the
Sultan's mother and aunts belongs to, and are derived
from wakoofs ; and are thus secured from the effects of
those arbitrary proceedings which often follow the deaths
or depositions of Ottoman sovereigns.
The latter wakoofs are likewise under the inspection
of the Kislar Aghassy, who, after payment of the an-
nual rents, with which these trusts are charged, takes
possession of the surplus, and has frequently in his pos-
session vast sums arising from these sources. There
have been instances where the accumulations, kept in
the Seraglio treasury, have amounted to many millions,
and these have been employed either for private or
public purposes by the reigning Sultans. But as these
funds are declared " sacred," the monarch is bound or
supposed to replace them—a consummation, which, of
eourse, does not enter into the cycle of events.
It is, evident, therefore, that any attempt to d!,sturb
this system must not only be inimical to popitiar pre-
judices, but directly hostile to the influence and per-
sonal interests of the whole clerical body, who, in lieu
of these adt outages, would receive regular stipends, to
be paid by the Government (such is the plan) according
to a fixed scale. The scheme promises immense pe-
cuniary resources to the Porte, as purchasers and
tenants would readily come forward ; but it is fraught
with difficulties. There, as in Christendom, religious
fervour does not blind churchmen to self-interest. To
contemplate a measure tending to abridge the power,
and to curtail the ret enuei of a body so powerful and
bigoted, is consequently a bold conception ; and to
carry it out would require energies superior to those
exhibited by any previous Sultan or Turkish adminis-
tration. Mehemet Ali has certainly effected this ob..
jest in Egypt ; but, in the unfortunate Fellahs, he has
a different class of subjects to deal with than has tbs
ruler of the Ottoman empire. Besides, he has merely
substituted his own all grasping monopoly for that of
the church, an evil rather than a benefit, whilst the ob-
ject of the Sultan is to augment the resources of the
people, whilst he improves the finances of the State.

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PROSECUTIONS for BLASPH2MY.
BRISTOL, WEDNESDAY.—A true bill was find to-day,
at the Bristol Quarter Sessions, against Charles South-
well, for the publication of a blasphemous libel, and the
trial, which it is anticipated will run through two days,
is expected to conic on on Friday (this day). Much ad-
ditional excitement has been created by proceedings
being taken against five or six of the most respectable
booksellers in Bristol, for a republication of part of the
alleged libel, in a work called the Anti-Socialist Gazette,
and it is believed that the Grand Jury will find true bills
against all the parties in the course of to-morrow, and that
Bench warrants will be issued for their immediate arrest.
BRISTOL, DIURSDAY.--BRISTOL QUARTER SESSIONS.
—At twelve o'clock this morning the Grand Jury came
into Court and stated, through their foreman, that they
wished to ask a question of the Learned Recorder. The
Grand Jury wished to know whether the publication of
a passage from a blasphemous libel, made for the pnr-
pose of refutation, was an unlawful offence ?
The Recorder said that, in answer to that question he
should say, if the Grand Jury were of opinion that the
quotation from_the blasphemous libel was made, Bona fide,
for the purposes of refutation, then it was not in the
nature of a crime—it was not for the purpose of giving
currency to the blasphemy, but for the purpose of ex-
posing its character. The Grand Jury, however, must
be satisfied that the extract had been made for the pur-
pose of exposing, refuting, and putting it down, as other-
wise it would be an offence.

The Grand Jun' then withdrew.
At a late hour in the day the Grand Jury re-
ported that the Bill preferred against William Acland for
selling a copy of Brindletis Anti-Social Gazette, contain-
ing, a passage from an article in the Oracle of Reason, al
leged to he a blasphemous libel, and for which its editor,
Mr. Southwell, is under proseCution, had been ignored.
At the same time they returned a true bill against John
Field, for the publication of a blasphemous libel contained
in the Oracle of Reason.

DIABOLICAL OUTRAGE ON A FEMALE.--
_pth
Three men, named James Fenn, James Marehant, anti
Robert Penton's-, have been, committed to the Convict
gaol, Springfield, for trial at the next Assize, charged
with having severally committed a rape u on Elizabe
Steady, at Ardleigh.-77Chebntford Chronick.