Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-04-29
Mehemmed v Succeeds Abdul
Hamid II and People Are
Jubilant.
MARTIAL LAW RELAXED
General Celebration in the City
Standardization Sets Forth n Long
List of Crime against the De.
posed SuItsn-Nake Up Of
New Cabinet Not settled.

Constantlnople. April G-trhe reign Of
Abdul Hamld II ended to-day with his
deposition and the accession Of his
brother. Mehemrned Reschad Enendi as
Mehemed variation Of "Mahornet'
It being considered in appropriate 30
assume the precise name Of the prophet.
Mehmed V is the 18th sovereign # Turkey
in male descent. Of the house of Osmau.
the founder Of the empire and the 29th
Sultan since the conquest of Con-
stantinople.
The two houses Of Parliament. meetine.
as a national assembly, In the forenoon
approved the decree OF deposition, which
was read by the Sheik- Ui-Tslam. chief Of
the Uleras and supreme Judge on
ecclesiastical questions. The document
reci,ed that Abdul Hamid's acts were
contrary 10 tho sacred law. and set forth
long list OF crimes the whole maxim ;
terrible Indictment The Assembly
! chose Mehemmed- Reachad as Sultan and
appointed committees to notify the
dethroned sovereign and his successor
Of It's action The firing Of 101 guns an
nounced TO the waiting people that a new
Sultan had heen proclaimed.
! The ceremonies connected with tho
transfer of the pewer were simple. The
| newly CHOSEN ruler Cdlllt 1IDlIl Ills ptl1't
in Galata through streets lined with
troops and cheering thousands and took
the oath nt the war office. He then pro-
ceeded to the Parliament arid later went
70 the -Kapou palace 10 kiss tho
prophets robe returning To the Dolma-
hagtsche palace as head Of the Empire
where for so many wears he had prac-
| ticalv been n prisoner.
Martial law was relaxed tonight ar1
the people gave themselves over to
celebrating the victory OF the Young
Turks party and the end Of Abdul
Hands reign. Many buildings We're Il
Illuminated and thousands Of rounds wers
fired by the soldiers for JOY. General
good humor prevails everywhere.
The question Of the new cabinet has
not yet been settled but It Is though.
that Ahmed Ria will be grand vizie-.
while some Of his associates will prob
ably be Hima Pasha, tho former premier
as minister OF the Interior Diavd Bev
as minister OF finance and Rifaat Pasha
as minister OF foreign affairs.
ISSUED THE FETvA
The SheikU1-Islam. supported by all
the principal personages OF the higher
| church administration issued the fetva.
as the decree Of deposition IS called. 1t
informed the Mehemmed- Reschad I:frerdi
that he was chosen Sultan by the will
Of the church, the will OF the Parliament,
the will of the army and the will 81 tho
pcople. II admonished him to serve God
and keep the sacred law. as commune
Gated by the prophet This Reschad
humbly promised to DO
The fetva was prepared last night. both
ABDUL IIamid and his brother Prince
Reschad. being informed at an early
hour this morning The SheikUl-Islam,
il is said. personally visited the sultan
and read him the decree. He Informed
IFS Majesty that the question having
been put in canonlcal form before tia
Slick and his associates. as 10 whether
Abdul Iamid had not forfeited the right
TO rule over the faith they had decided
| yes"
Abdul bowed his head saying: 1T Is
the will Of Allah"
At a secret sitting of tho national As
senbly in the morning the decree was
read. It declared that Abdul Hamid II
must ahdca,e or be dethroned. The As
sembly unhesitatingly shouted "dethro1e
him"
sULTAN'S ONLY REQUEST
A deputation. consisting of two sena-
tors and two deputies thereupon visited
the palace ut Yildiz and communicated
to the Sultan Assembly's resolution. Alb
dull Hamd replied:
IL expected this. II IS fate. Ny only
wish is that the lives Of myself and
family may he safeguarded and that
I may reside az the Palace of Cherashan.
ms | wish To die where | was born
A similar deputaton proceeded to tho
Dolmabagtsche Palace in Galata, and in
formed Mohemmed Rescahd Effendi ot
the nations wish The newly proclaimed
Sultan replied that he bowed to the
| will of the people.
MUST REMAIN IN CONSTANTINOPLE
Later the Assembly debated the
momentous question of Abdul Hands
future residence. The suggestion that
he be allowed to travel abroad was
strongly opposed on the ground that
It might cause complications. II was
finally decided that he must remain
in Constantinople.
Subsequently. in receiving n deputation
from the National Assembly, Mehemmcd
said
81 am pleased TO become the first con.
stltutonal sovereign. Doubtless my sue.
oessor will improve upon me, but YOU
may rely upon my doing my best. | also
have suffered oppression and can there
| fore enter into the feelings Of my fellow
! sufferers. Let us endeavor to work to-
| Eether FOR the welfare Of the country
| When the assembly deputation arrived
At the Yidiz the fetva Of the Sheik-Ul-
| Islam was handed to All Djevad Bey,
arst secretary for communication to Alb
dpl Hamd. who IN an inner apartment
was guarded by IL ounuchs. Djevad Bey
tried to gain admittance by knocking
end after this was continued Cor some
II minutes, the door was opened and
Abdul Hamid appeared He accepted
the fetva without comment, The depu.
tation was then ushered into his pres.
once. and the spokesman said:
You no longer reign over us"
Abdul Hamid gave a deep sigh of relief
upon being informed that no designs
we're entertained against his life.