, 1877-01-27
MISC Ell S.
From the Spectator

ASY was DNOiIoAAN0 VA Az buG SOIU
Dec. but its text has not yet reached Europe.
According to a precisofits contents forward.
ed from Constantinople, and we suspect,
doctored for Western consumption-a vi.
tai clause mentioned by the intens .ly
Turkish correspondent of the Telegraph,
that the Cheri, or religious law, is the
fundamental Law Of the Empire, being
omitted in the official resume-the Consti-
tuition is of the French Imperial tyre.
The Sultan's prerogative is that &c of the
Constitutional Sovereigns of the West, F."
officials are irremovable except for offences,
personal liberty is secured, and all crepds
are tolerated by the law while legislation
is committed to two Chambers, one con-
posed Of high dignataries, and one of elect d
representatives from all the provinces Of
the Empire. But the PashaS's preroga-
tives remain as before, the Ministers who
appoint them have the initiative in all
LEGISLATION, and are thus enabled to Ste
reotype, for instance, the system Of taxa
ton, and the Chamber of Pashas has CO.
ordinate authority with that Of Deputies.
Moreover, though men Of all creeds may
be appointed to public ofice-as they
may now, Just as negro Christians may
be elected P~opes-the equal right of all to
bear arms or enter the army is not speci-
hcally decreed in the Constitution. Out
of the $4,000, 900 inhabitants of the
Ottoman Empire, there may be $500, 900
who would in some degree understand this
document, and they would be Christians,
disbelieving utterly in the sincerity OF
those who framed it.
The proclamation of Queen Victoria as
empress of India will take place at
Delhi on New Years Day. The Viceroy,
Lord Lytton, arrived, and marched in
procession through the city, seated III a
eilded howdah on q tall elephant, with
LADY Lytton by his side. He is attended
by all the Governors, Lieutenant-Gover
rors, Chief Commissioners, and Governor
Generals Agents throughout India, and
bv $4,000 troops. The native princes
anpear universally to have Obeyed the
summons to be present, and some OF them
have brought armies with them, the camp
of the Nizam in particular covering Il mile
of ground. The browning ceremonial
is ito be performed in a plain three miles out
aide Delhi, and the talIest officer in the
Army has been selected to be herald. and
will be dressed in O costume strictly heral-
die, which cost 1900. 1t is to be hoped
he has not read " Quentin Durward," that
he does not laugh at inopportune OCCASIONS,
and that he eau read Persian without too
detestable an English accent. Mr.. Prlnsep
is to paint the scene, and DR.. Russell not
being in India, Mr.. Talboys Wheeler is to
write a full official account Of its incidents,
which will, let US hope, be printed on
white satin and " richly illuminated and
include o portrait of that forgotten but
useful British subject, the ryot, taS1G6Is ct
corrSeabe d misericorde.
The weather has been dreadful all the
week lending Dec. SOY, rain falling in the
South almost continuously, while In
Scotland gales and snow-stolms have pro-
duced an unusual amount of injury. On
Sunday a gale broke over Wick and
wrecked FIVE vessels. and the destruction
extended to the Aberdeenshlre coast, where
nine vessels were destroyed, eight of them
with all hands, while eight more at least
were lost among the Orkneys. At least
$50 lives are reported lost, while the inter-
ruptions to traffic have been endless. In
England, the rain and snow have swollen
all the rivers, till in some places, like the
-N1--. - A. O,~o "a - tho Loo tho