, 1877-03-03

A-'G1 ohC@fA ~ CAAa@ ~ lA0
Sultan In Constantinople, that four Of The
Servian fortresses should be garrisoned by
Turkish troops, that the number Of the
Servian forces should be limited, that
oervla should pay either az indemnity or q
larger tribute, and that the Porte should
have a right to construct and work q rail-
way through the Principally. These de-
manda were declared to be inadmjasible BY
all the Powers. P%rofting by the suspension
ofhosilities to which the Porte had agreed,
although it had refused a regular Ar
mistice, Lord Derby proposed, on the DIST
September. a new basis Of discussion.
The status quo, roughly speaking, should,
he suggested, be maintained in Seryia
and Montenegro. Administrative reforms,
for the purpose Of establishing local self
government, but not Independence Of The
Porte, should be established in Bosnia and
Bulgaria. Turkey offered to proiong the
suspension of hostiHties till the 2ud Of Octo-
Der, but, much to the dispiea8ure Of the
English Government, Prince Milan reject
ed the proposal on the plea that bis inter
ests would suffer from any arrangement
less definite than O regular Armistica. So
war broke out again. A considerable rein
forcement Of Russian voluntears-men
az well as oticers-gaye greater steadi.
nosa 10 the Servian Militia, aud it managed
to resist the Turkish troops till the 3lst
Of Oc;ober, when AIeXinatz fell, and Rus
aja Interviewed With an ujt5matQm.
Mere important proposal than any Of
tAo fosmer plans were being discussed by
lie Powers while Tie Turkish troops were
attacking AleXinatz. On September 26
Cognt ScbouYalolf informed Lord Derby
.Laf, in the opinion Of Tie Car, force
should BE- used to stop the war and put an
end to Turkish misruie. His Majesty
proposed That Bulgaria should be occupied
by Russian troops, that Bosnia should be
occupied by Austrian soldiers, and that the
united Fleet Of the powers should enter
The Bospborus. The Gar was willing to
abandon the idea ol4ny occupation " if the
naval demonstration were considered suAi-
Gent by Her Wajesty's Government" On
the 3rd Of October Lord Derby intimated
that tho Cabinet would propose an Ar
mistico of not less than 4 month, but that
It would not support the plan Of an armed
demonstration. On the 9th Sir Henry
Elliot was instruc cited to press the Porte to
grant such Cd Armistice, and, in case Of
refusal, to leave Constantinople, Gas it
would be evident, - said Lord Derby, in a
despatch to Lord Adolphus LOTUS. THAT
all further exertions on the part of Her
Majesty's Government to save the Porte
from ruin would have become useless"
Lord Derby also suggested that the grant
ing OF an AImistice should be followed by
the meeting of a Conference. Turkey
suddenly confused the diplomatic ~calcula.
tons by offering an Armistice for six
months, and by promulgating o general
scheme of reform for the whole Empire.
England accepted the six months truce.
So did France and Austria but Prince
Gortchakoff telegraphed from Livadia that
Russia could not ask Servia to accept so
long an Armistice, because the Principali-
ty could not keep its army on the war
footing for such length of time without
putting too severe a strain on its resources.
Hence be insisted that the Armistice
should be granted for a month or six weeks.
italy took the sans view as Russia.
Then followed al incident which has met
with less attention than it deserved,
Lord Derby appealed to Prince Bismarck
to use the influence Of Germany in order
"to procure the acceptance Of some COM
PROMISE" and thus prevent the out
break of the great war which tbap COON,