The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-04-25
THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT.
The Way Abdul Hamid Inaugurated
the Great Council.

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How / got into the Palace of Dolma
Bagtche to see the ceremony of inaugural
ing the new parliament is secret. There l
was, however, in the gallery of the north
transept of the great hall, almost alone, and
with a perfect view of the magnificent pro-
portions of that most splendid of throne
rooms. Like Jesse lated pavement below
me was a crowded mass of humanity, whose
many cOlored garments produced an effect
which, if not exactly picturesque, was
quaint and new. A word first about the
hail. | calculate that it is about 220 feet
long by 140 feet wide, and very lofty. Tall,
light columns, quasi-Ionian, seem to sup
port an architrave, from which spring the
arches which support the ceiling, the CEN
ter of which rises in vast dome. Up to the
architrave all is white and gold. the coloring
giving amplitude to the splendid proper
tions. The dome and ceiling are dis6gured
with the most execrable attempts at per-
spective painting, representing a mixture of
hanging chandeliers, flower baskets, drapery
and every hideous and incongruous combi-
nation of which painted upholstery is capa-
bic. This painting is the one blot of this
stately hall. In the center hangs a crystal
chandelier of leviathan dimensions con-
tanning 600 candles, and at intervals along
the sides crystal candelabra, at least 20
feet high matching with the center piece.
Yesterday the solid gold throne was
brought out and placed at the west end of
the hall; it is square sofa, its sides, back
and front quite plain, except here and there
indentated at equal distances and with
red cushion upon 1T, the whole conveying
no idea of Its vast value. | watched the
gradual gathering in the hall: il reminded
me of the filling of the stage in the second
act of aida" but we missed the trumpets,
and would have been thankful for some
thing to break the dead gloom of a specta-
Gle which 6pSOitQ its OranHQnr 0iunalIv
failed to be imposing. First came the 200
halberdiers of the sultan in scarlet tunics,
with rich gold embroideries and blue trous-
ers with black stripes; the effect spoiled,
like that of the hall, by the upper adorn-
ment, consisting of a red velvet saucepan,
to which is appended a tall bottle-brush
plume of sea-green and white. A few of
sweeping back, more hideous
than the upri yht feather of
the men. These formed in single line round
the hall. Behind them was ranged line of
riflemen in dark green. After them poured
in general officers in blue coats and red
trousers; the ecclesiastical hierarchy of Islam
in green and gold embroidered robes and
white turbans striped with gold; followed by
ministers and functionaries in dark blue
with profuse gold embroidery; then patri.
archs and bishops with their crepe weepers
accompanied by the priesthood of their re-
spective churches; last, not least the diplo-
matte body which, in the absence of
| ambassadors, presented a naked and half
fledged appearance. When all these were
ranged in their places the door of the sui
tan's apartment opened, and the padishah
came out, preceded by little Riamil waking
backwards on the tips of his little toes.
More years ago than l care to count saw
| the father of the present sultan, when on a
visit to the second city of his empire, de-
scend from his carriage and enter the house
of a prosperous English merchant, under
whose roof Abdul Medjid had condescended
| to take a few hours rest. l was a
| child then, but L was struck by that
monarch's uncertain gait. by his downcast
| eye, his depressed and timid look. bespeak-
| ing indifference so profound that / would
have given anything TO catch hold of him
| and shake him up into even momentary
efferyescence. When l saw Abdul Hamid
come out yesterday, His fathers son."
| said. He swayed on his stem, so to say, Just
as his father did, like reed shaken by the
wind; there was no more expression
on his countenance than on the
egg 1 cracked at breakfast. YEARLY
he took up his place. With down
| cast eyes with a weary gesture he sum-
moned the grand vizIer to his side, and with
| a languid hand he thrust scroll into the
sadrazan's hand-the scroll which contained
HIS opccCn-"llhOuI DetIdylnS the suBnVeSt
| interest, and so he stood during the 20 min
utes which were occupied in reading the
verbose document. A dead stiffness reigned
| in the hall, and, but for my extreme anx-
| iety lest one of the haldberdiers should drop
asleep and poke his eye out with the spike
of his battleaxe, l should have taken 40
winks. When the monotonous voice of
Said Pasha was hushed Abdul Hamid, who
had stood all the time swaying like a tulip
on its stem, made an awkward temdnd to the
assembly, and with duck-like steps regained
his apartments The whole ceremony was
| simply deathlike; not a smile nor a gesture
relieved it. Nothing was to be seen but the
whites of thousands of eyes turned upwards,
sideways forbidding to look full
upon the sovereign-and when the door
closed behind the august prince, the gilded
and bedizend throng melted silently away,
and in ten minutes the vast hall was empty.