Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-08-17

up. Tomorrow morning or the morning af-
terwards, the shed will be found open.-
Something will be said about robbery this
will supply great deal of energetic talk; and
afford an excellent opportunity for abusing the
Turkish authorities. Those who know a
great deal more about the robbery than they
would care to own, will be the loudest in this
abuse-and there the matter will end. So let
it be 7! Everything is settled in this way in
the East. Why should the sale of bank
rupt's effects be an exception to the general
rule Delay hangs like mist over every
thing and everybody. Nothing ever termi-
mates, and if were asked to describe the gen.
eral state of affairs in the East in one word,
the word should use would be Muddle.
| asked person met in my afternoon ride,
what might have been the circumstances of
the bankrupt whose property had seen SO
wantonly damaged and pllfered. The sub
stance of what heard, is worth recording, as
illustrative of another phase of manners in
Turkey.
The bankrupt had been prosperous man
until he married widow of considerable Ian
ded property. This had been his ruin and
a very snug and comfortable ruin it was-but
still ruin. He fancied the property Of his
would be improved by laying out little mon
ey upon it. The idea was natural it was
also correct For this purpose, therefore,
the trader borrowed small amount, and had
little difficulty finding it, for he offered the
security of his next years growth of olives.
Stay said the money-lender, as you have
olives will not lend you money. will buy
your olives. 1t will make the transaction
simpler 1t did not make the transaction
simpler, however. When the time came for
the olives to be delivered to the buyer, they
did not happen to be grown. A winter of Sc
we're cold had destroyed the olive trees by hun
dreds, and the trees of the debtor had not put
forth leaf. He offered, however, to repay
the borrowed money. Pray, don't trouble
yourself about me, said the obligng money
lender it is not money you owe me; it is
olives. To be sure bought your fruit rather
cheap; but, if / had it, would make an inn
mense sum in the present scarcity. Iwant the
olives therefore, not the money , 'Impos-
sible.' Well, then suppose we fancy that
them, they will cost so many piastres at the
current price. To be sure it is nearly FIVE
times what lent you, but you need not hurry
yourself about payment-we shall merely
have to add the interest, and you can give me
bond for the whole. So the affair is settled,
and the discounted debtor finds himself in the
position of hundreds of others. He has been
borrowing at an interest Of about six hundred
per cent; and his ruin is sealed. He knows
this but he is Greek, and has all the trick
cry and cunning Of that people born with him.
He will be ruined, indeed, but he will contrive
even to turn his ruin to account. He will inn
prove and beautify his wife's property until it
becomes the wonder ofthe neighborhood. He
will buy everything that is to be sold, and
dispose of it again at any price, to obtain
the money he requires. He will carry
on a wholesale system of swindling for
the next year; and the Frank merchants will
suffer most. One fine morning he will declare
himself bankrupt, rub his hands, chueke a
little, and leave his creditors to fight out their
differences. He will have no books or ac-
counts. He will answer no questions, and
there is no law to make him. He will ac-
knowledge, indeed that it is bad business for
somebody but as far as he is concerned, he
knows nothing at all about it, and washes
his hands of the whole transaction. His prop
erty belongs to his wife, and though he has
improved it with other peoples money, nobody
can touch it. By and by, in some round
about way, the Greek money-lender will Of
course contrive to be paid, but nobody else
will. In few years, or perhaps sooner, my
friend will set up in business again, and
live in the odor Of sanctity until he gets into
a scrape again; and then he will contrive to
get out OF it, in some equally felicitous and
honest manner.
The fact is, there is no law in Turkey which
may not be evaded by an ingenious man.
Some trumpery present will always secure
the suffrage Of anybody where suffrage is worth
securing. For, the Aga and Cadi, with all
their coadjutors and train, live entirely by lit
tie jobs of this kind without them they would
not be able to live at all. There is no gazette.
no list of bankrupts, no report of law proceed
ings, no way of any kind, so far as know,
for keeping backsliders in the ranks. won
der whether things would be altered to the
benefit of the Frank merchants, if we gould
persuade some sensible commercial man like
/ Baron Bruck, the Austrian lnternuncio, to go,
some of these days, as our ambassador to Tur-
key There is talk that the Austrian mer-
chant-diplomatist is already busy with new
commercial treaty. wonder if British
merchant could afford him few hints,
| COMPARATIVE Cosr OF SOLDIERS IN EUROPE
The following statement, which is founded on
data afforded by Marshall Marmont. will show