The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-05
GEN. LEW. WALLACE.
The Efficient Work of the American Repre-
sentative in Turkey.

The Efficient Work of the American Repre-
sentative in Turkey.
Constantinople Correspondence New York Herald.
General Wallace is about to leave Constan-
tinople on a well-earned holiday of some two
months or so, to be spent in Italy. Having
obtained the necessary permission from
Washington, he is now only waiting for the
final settlement of the petroleum question
that he has been so long fighting at the Porte
AN event which, according to all appear
ances, cannot be delayed beyond the next
few days. The commission appointed to ex-
anime the matter met on Tuesday for the
first time, and it's report is now before the
Grand Vizier awaiting the approval of the
Ministers in Council, in order that its provi-
sons may meet with immediate execution.
The report in question, while fully recognizing
the legality of the rights acquired by Sameh
Bey and his partners, strongly denounces the
tariff as excessive and recommends its re-
duction by something like 80 per cent-a
piece of news that should be highly agreea-
BILE to ali connected with the trade. AS the
settlement of this vexed question on such a
basis involves no surrender of imperial
rights or the payment of an indemnity, the
Porte will find it very difficult to frame any
excuses for further delay, more especially as
General Wallace has just received a fresh
proof of the estimation in which he is held
by the Sultan in the audience to which he
was invited on Friday last. More fortunate
than most of his colleagues, our minister,
while pressing disagreeable subjects on the
attention of the Porte, has managed to main
tain his hold upon the friendship of his
Majesty and thus many little knotty points
in the way of disputed claims that would
probably never have yielded to any amount
of official negotiation, have been satisfactorily
settled out of personal consideration for the
General
AS an instance of General Wallace's sue
cess as a diplomat during the two years and
half that he has been out here, 1 may mem
ton the case of Mr.. Warren Hidden, an
American employee at the mint, who had
bean kept for years out of his salary, and the
unexecuted contract of the Union Metallic
Cartridge Company" The Sultan not only
caused the money to be paid, but granted a
pension for life to Mr. Hidden of the full
amount of his salary as a reward for his fifty
years service. This is in strong contrast to
the treatment experienced by British COL
league of Mr.. Hidden who had served at the
mint for an equal number of years, and who
had received special marks of the govern
ment's approval of his services during the
reigns of the two previous Sultans. For two
years all the force of the British embassy
was brought to bear upon the Porte with a
view of obtaining the arrears of salary due
to Mr. Robertson. the gentleman in question,
who had been chief engraver at the mint
from the time it was organized on Euro
pean system and the new coinage adopted.
1t was only by sacrificing his contract and
agreeing to forego all claims upon the gov
eminent for compensation that Mr. Robert
son succeeded at lastin obtaining his money.