, 1865-02-07

no part of this sum il spent on roads and other
public works but, as in the time of King Ohio,
the greater part is wasted in direct opposition
to the wishes of the taxpayers.
There can be no doubt that an able and hon
est administrator could easily find means to
make Greece a model kingdom. The future
prosperity, and | think the immediate tranquil
itv Of the country depends more on the sue
cess of the rural communes in their present en-
deayours to escape from vassalage to centrali-
cation than on the existence of a Council of
State or on any change which can be made in
the persons of the Ministerial phantasmagoria
at Athens. The result of conducting the To-
cal business of the rural communcs by the cen
trail authorities is this :-Thirty years taxation
at the rate of % drachmas a firmly has been
wasted 10 salaries to useless officials. What
would be the state Of Canada or Australia if a
similar system of government had been pur-
sued in those countries
Causes o! irritation Ike those which | have
mentioned exist in every rural commune in the
Hellenic kingdom, and a spirit oil opposition to
the central government is growing up, which if
not soon assUaged can hardly fIft 10 involve
this country 10 serious troubles There have
been rumourso of Republican plots and Of attempts
to propagate socialism. Such rumours must be
countenauc,d by tie supporters Of centr4l2'-
ton, for, if any plots exist, they arc tn plots Of
Othouists and of the ptiiorthodox, and not Of
Republicans. Those who Sc, k political change
can 10 longer trad OH The "grcat idea," 50
that a new w~atchword must be invented. That
political i|ntriguers are actively at wplk is PROV
ed by the rapid increase Of b,igandagc. This
time last year there WAS hardly a case Of brl-
gandage, in the Peloponnesus, but in the las
two numbers Of La Gr6ce We are informed IN
cidentally Of the existence or dispersal Of seven
independent bands Of ~b:igands in the Prninsu-
la. KizYs has remained unmqles'cd il the
Attica for the whole year, in spite Of :he horrid
murder he committed aud on Friday last he
carried off an Athenian npmed Athana sios Va
gianellcs, and {, mands 10000 drachmas, up
wards of 1000 guineas, for his ransom.
Under al their sutferings the feelings Of the
people are decidedly RoyaliSt, 1t is easy to
see why the Greeks desire to be governed by q
King, and to understand in what way the Royal
authority offers to their minds the simplest and
most ~effectual means of removing those abuses
in the central Administrator from which :bey
suffer most severely and continuously. The
Greeks generally agree in asserting that their
King must govern as we'll as reign otherwise
they say, why should we want a King they
argue that in a highly centraiized government
like that Of Greece the people have little pro"
lection against the abuse Of power by Ministers
auQ NOuldlCuo tNCCPI ~ ~ N'N"0 NN-
a controlling authority by the Grown acting
publicly aud Systematically. This may be IL
Illustrated by application to the case of the COM
munal administration which | have mentioned.
The municipal law renders the authority of a
Monarch absolute over the smaller commune
in Greece. He can impose on them a budget
and force them to carry their local taxation as
high as 2 per cent. on their income, and against
his decision they have not even a right Of ap-
peal. So that the Monarch of Eubea has
greater powers of oppression in all matters re-
lating to local administration than his neigh
bour the Pasha Of Larissa. His power is at
tended with no benefit, for the roads in Eubea
are worse than those in Thessaly. The Turk
ish communal system under the h~atti-humayoun
invest the Chris ian subjects Of the Sultan with
moro extensive powers of self government than
the new municipal lay con(ers on the citizens
of the Hellenic kingdom.
The consequence is that the Greeks look 70
their King for protection against the evils Of
contradiction. 1t is idle to talk to them of
Ministerial responsibility. Their reply is that
they do not want a republic, but a King to rule
them. They feel that the true Interests of
the King are identified with their good 60
vernmenf, and 80 years experience has con-
vinced them that the interests of Ministers,