Washington telegraph., 1854-05-24
From the London Times, .4pra 7M.l
"A Sweeping Reform in Turkey,

When we stated that the changes now in
troduced in the Ottoman empire by the in
fluence of the powers which have allied
themselves for its defense amount 10 revo-
luton in its social condition we did not fore
see the very strong confirmation of this re-
mark which reached us few hours later by
telegraph. We are informed by a commu-
nication from Constantinople, dated the 9Th
of March, that the possessions of the mosque
are to be declared the property of the State,
and the refusal of the Sheik ul-Islam to
consent to this measure was the cause of
his deposition.
IF this statement be correct. it is beyond
all comparison the most important resolution
taken by the Turkish Government since the
declaration of the PanissarieS, for it is Il
measure from which Sultan Mahmoud him
self reconcied, though he had often con-
templated it as one of the most essential
conditions Of the regeneration of the en-
pire. In fact, q measure so contrary to the
preiudices of the Musselmans and the in
terests of the Ulemas could hardly have
been attempted with any chance of safety
to the Sultan or his Ministers, unless he had
the support of considerable force in the
immediate nei ghborhood of the capital !;
and even now we shall not be surprised to
learn that coup d 'etat Of this description.
has been followed by agitation and excite
ment among the Musselman population
The mosques and religious foundations of
the Ottoman empire form important spiritual
corporations, exercising an independent, le-
gal and theoretical power in the State
The Ulemas, or masters of the law and the
Koran, are sole proprietors OF the vast wealth
belonging to these foundations and at the
same time, as expounders of the faith and
fundamental laws of Islam, they enjoy an
authority to which the highest powers in
the State are compelled to bow The inse-
curity Of property under an arbitrary Gov
ernment and many other causes, have in
duced Turkish land owners from generation
to generation to ASST on over the fee simple
of their estates TO mosques, reserving only
the usafruct to themselves and their direct
mail decendents. Lands thus held by the
mosques or religious corporations, become
rdc09f, or, as it is termed in India, lcukf
and is held forever in mortmain.
Such lands have hitherto been exempt
from taxation and personal confscation, and
this tenure has SO increased and extended
by the mere influence of duration and Sc
curity in an empire where all other proper
ty is huctuating and insecure that full three
quarters of the soil of the Turkish Empire
are said to be held in this manner. TO dis
possess these powerful corporations of land
ed property which they have held for centu-
ries by the two-fold bond of legal usage and
religious veneration-to resume the direct
authority of the Sultan over so large por-
tion of the lands of the empire one-thrd
of which was allotted to the mosques by
Mahomet the Conquerer-ard to defy the
whole power which the Ulemas and religious
orders may be able to put forth in defense
of their vested rights, is certainly one of the
boldest measures ever taken in great emerg-
ency.
But we entertain no doubt that this re-
sumption of lands is an indispensable pre-
liminary to the real reform and progress of
the country. sooner or later in It's history
Every Christian State has undergone it, and
the vast superstition or the rapaaity of for
mer ages placed in the hands of the church,
have been restored to the common Uses of
society. The social revolution which is be-
ing effected in Turkey by the emancipation
of the Christians, and the establishment
of principle of equality between all races
and religions of the empire, lead by an in
evitable consequence to the abolition of the
exclusive supremacy which the Musselmans
have hitherto exercised over the largest
portion Of the soil, except in the Archapela-
60 and in the provinces from which they
are excluded by treaty. And. although
changes Of this nature are never accomplish
ed without the dangers and sutferings INSOFAR
able from revolutions the full strength and
Independence of Turkey depends on the in
PRODUCTION of a system totally distinct from
that which has reduced so magnificent an
empire to the verge of dissolution