The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-13
A MAN wrrH A aRlEvANcE.

Claiming to be and recognized as American citi-
zen. las been known at Alexandria and Cairo
man with grievance. and like most men of that de-
scripton has given great trouble. both the Amer
can Consulate General and to the Egyptian govern
ment by his reclamations for u large indemnity
from the latter His history that many
foreigners in Egypt. Commencing with the estab
lishment of commercial sheet at Alexandria he
attacked the Egyptian administration and showed up
its shortcomings until the government found expe-
dent to subsidize that sheet and give editor
proprietor official position with salary attached.
In addition to this concession given him for
working certain mines which had been discovered
near suez. from which he had great expectations of
realizing rapid fortune. All this in the palmy
days of Ismairs administration, before the foreign
bondholders and their paternal governments began
to put the the Khedive and as a natural
consequence. the Khedve began to tighten the
on his own people. and button up his brooches
pocket against the foreign residents, whom he had
been subsidzing. Among the latter Miriam was
of the most bitter and.open his complaints.
accusing the Egyptian government of bad faith in
its dealings with him and the American Consulate
General with disposition to shirk the response
bility of protecting his rights or prosecuting his
claims against the Egyptian government.
SLAIN MAN.
The unfortunate man. who has persisted by his
.
disappointment. one-of the astute energetic
and inn uentisl of that exceptionally clever class
the Italian advocates Egypt AS the legal proceed
ings first in the old Consular Courts and subse-
quenty in the Mixed Tribunals, us well as a great
portion Of the evidence in all i'll Egypt have
been in the Italian and French tongues, these
Italian-Levantine lawyers. whose lives have been
passed in Egypt, have always had great dealsto do
with all disputed claims. and Dahan the Khe-
dives advocate and familiar friend in the reclama
tions made against the government on the Khedive
personally. In that position he accumulated
much money. welded great influence, and
essarily made many enemies. as he
great influence the Khedive. to whom he haos
the back-star entrance always. Consequently fail
sulate General present his reclamations against
the Egyptian government or khedive personally tor
their alleged breach OF contract with him in the
| non-pay ment Of the promised subsidy and with
drawal OF the promised concession for mining pur-
| poses chiefly. Miriam alleges. through the iu-
trigues Of the Greek Vice Consul General of the
United States, at Cairo (who will try him for his
in his affairs and through his influence get
at least partial payment of his CLAIMS. which
very considerable in amount. and of which ,
| could, therefore, afford q DIVISION
1t is in consequence Of the real or imputed bad
faith of the unfortunate advocate IN this regard
that has met his death At the hands desper-
ate sutton. who. by a strange computation. seems
also to have been serving distress warrant on his
former friend the time. thus goadnsg him des-
peraton and the full determination of destroying
nim For the poor wretch seems to have made
scarcely any resistance to the personal assault made
upon him. and was coming away when the fatal ball
was fired. which striking hm on the back Of the
cumstances connected with this case. IN so far
the public Is in possession OF the facts, and they
have been notorious to the freQuenters OF
Shepheards Hotel ut Cairo. as well on the Alex
sndra Bourse. the great centres OF Egyptian gossip.
for long time past though that they would
eliminate in tragedy no one ever dreamed. Mir
zan is swarthy, tall and excitable looking man.
He talked largely ana loudly, after the Levantinc
fashion but no one considered him. gerous.
And Dahan. one OF the most cautious insinuatng
and courteous of advocates Italians the last
han one would connect with any deed of violence.
1t is part of the legacy the late Khedsve (who
the most faihess OF men or princess has lett behind
him that his former tools aud dupes should thus
into collision, after hts safe retreat from the
OF his vilanies. for which the only retribu-
ton yet visited upon him by earthly powers has
been annual pension of quarter Of million OF
dollars to stay away.
QUESTION JURISDICTION.
A question. however. is raised by this tragical
event which is novel and important there seems
to have conflict of jurisdiction. in the first
place. over tho right OF judging the criminal who
surrendered himself up TO the American Consulate
law and usage his Consulate General alone had
the right to Judge him. This jurisdiction OF the
Mixed Tribunals being only in civil suits. the
local government, under the old pituations have
right to sit in Judgment on u Christian. the
subject of any foreign Power. even in OF muir
der or mansaughter. The French journal pup
lIshed at Cairo by NJ. Barber, French subjecD
La Reforme. in its issue OF tho 2lst Of July.
ticulars adds that NJ Miriam delivered himself up
at anu confined in the prison OF the Mixed
know that Mr.. Fairman. United STAKES CON-
sui General, before leaving tho country
congo. named Mr. Bsrringer Judge of the
Court of Appeals to act his representative in his
absence who will therefore preside the tribunal
which is to try NJ. Miriam" Per contra. however.
recent kilograms from Washington report that tho
Greek United States Vice Consul General in Egypt
has cabled TO ask Mr.. Eyarts whether, in the alb
scnce of Mr. Farman, he is not the proper person
culprit, and has Affirmative reply
from the State Department. IL 'in multitude OF
counsellors there is safety" according to the old
adage much more should there be in u multiple
ity OF judges, especially under such extremely
'Inixcd" tribunals as Egypt now enjoys.
JURISDICTION ooNsuLs.
Ever since the appointment OF American Consuls
General in Egypt, or whom General Mccauley was
the exclusive right of trying all cases. either civil or
criminal. in which American citizens proteges
adopted citizens. temporarily under Eastern usage)
were the defendants. which privilege (''exterrito
rality') had been given the representatives
ions under the old capituations. and had
been Loyalty and rigidly observed and re-
their dependencies. of which Egypt was one.
The civil jurisdiction exercised by all the foreign
consuls was curtAed. aud IN most instances taken
instituted under the auspices OF Nulmr Pacha. which
regulates the lawsuits OF the European residents.
about 100000 in number. in Egypt. leaving the
5000 900 OF natives to the tender mercies OF their
csdis aud native judges. whose decision must be
bascd on the Koran, not on law books. foreign or
indigenous. This new apparatus, enormously costly
1t u.s. does not exercise jurisoction in criminal
cases, which still must be judged by the Consulate
General to which the criminal belongs. and whose
decision is Anal III so far tho local government
other consulatcs general age concerned.
AMERICAN RIGHTS IN COURTS.
On that Reform tribunal the United States boasts
of Appeal Judge and three Judges OF the Courts
of First Instance receiving S2l 900 per annum paid
by the khedive) for their services which. consider
ing the fact OF there not being more than dozen
American residents in Egypt. is certainly n most
liberal allotment and substantial compliment TO
American influence in that Land of the SUM-"
These judges are all nominated by their respective
governments and paid by the khedive. each OF the
great Powers having the same number at the
same price The native judges are ut balf-price,
but before observed neither the controversies of
the natives nor criminal cases fall within the scope
Of their jurisdiction, and Miriam will have " Do