Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1840-11-24

,iv.n ,s gay .ioy ~ pay tso ,ap,,~sio'.
tax, which is not levied according to the real
number of the inhabitants of village, but ac-
cording to numbers at which il is rated in the
Government books; so that in one instance
with which was acquainted, a village, origin
ally rated at 200, reduced by Consumption TO
100, and by death or flight 10 40, was still
obliged TO pay the full capitation; and, when
went there, &c ofthe 40 had been just bastina-
doed TO cxtori from them the proportion of the
sum claimed. After the capiiation comes the
tax on the date trees, raised from 30 TO so
paras by the Pacha, and that of 200 piastres a
| year for permission TO use their own water.
wheels, without which the lands situated be-
yond the overflow of the Nile, or too high for
it TO reach, would be barren. Then comes an
infnity of taxes, on every article of life, even
| to the cakes of camels' dung, which the wo-
men and children collect and dry for fuel, and
which pay 25 per cent in kind at the gates of
Cairo and the other towns. Next TO the tax
es comes the corpee in the worst foim, and in
continual action; at any moment the fellahs
are liable to be seized for public works, for
the transport of the baggage of the troops, or
to track the boats Of the Government or its
officers, and this without reference TO the state
oftheir crops.
| When Mehemit Ali made his famous canal
from Alexandria to the Nile, he did it by for
chilly marching down 100000 men from all
parts ofthe country, and obliging them to ex-
cavate with their hands, as tools they had not,
or perhaps could not be provided. The exca-
walton was completed in three months, but
10000 men died in the operation Then
comes the curse of the conscription, which is
exercised in most cruel and arbitrary man.
ner, without any sort ofrule or law to regulate
it. An order is given TO the chief Of district
to furnish certain number of men; these he
seizes like wild beasts wherever he can find
them, without distinction or exemption, the
weak as well as the strong, the sick as well
as those in health; and, as there is no better
road to the Pacha's favor than showing great
zeal in this branch of the service, he, if, pos
sible, collects more even than were demanded.
These are chained marched down to the riy-
err, and embarked amidst the tears and lamen-
tations OF their families who know that they
: shall probably never see them again; for
change of climate, bad treatment, and, above
all, despair, cause a mortality in the Pacha's
army beyond belief mutilation is not now
considered an exemption, and the consequence
ofthe system is, that from Assouan, at the
first cataract, to Aleppo, you, literally speak
lag, never see young man in village, and
such is the depopulation, that fittings contin-
Z,
Pacha insists on keeping up his army to its
present force it will be utterly impossible for
the crops TO be got in, or for any of the ope-
rations Of agriculture to be carried on
The whole of this atrocious system is carried
into action by the cruelest means-no justice
OF any sort for the weak; no security for those
who are better off; the bastinado and other
tortures applied on every occasion, at the ar
bitrary will of every servant of the Govern
ment. In addition TO this, the natives of the
country are rarely employed-never in Office
OF trust-and the whole Government is en-
trusted TO Turks. In short, the worst features
of tie Mumeluke and Turkish rules are still
in active operations; but the method Of apply
ing them is much more ingenious, and the
boosted civilization of Mehemit Ali amounts
to this-that being beyond doubt man of ex-
traordinary talents, he knows how to bring in
to play the resources of the country better
than his predecessors did, but, like them, en-
tirely for his own interest, and without any
reference TO the well being the people; and
that with the aid of his European instruments
he has, IL | may say so, applied the screw with
master hand, and squeezed from the wretch
es under his sway the very last drop of their
/ blood.
Such is The state Of these Two Countries
Syria is perhaps the worse off of the two: fo
the Egyptians, used 10 oppression, bear il with
| out a struggles whilst the Syrians, who had
been less ha:shly treated in old times, with,
under and gnaw their chain. Mehemit Ali is
now II years old.