THE TABLET

A IVeekly Newspaper and Review

D um v o e i s g r a t u l a m u r , a n i m o s e t i a m a d d i m u s u t i n i n c c e p t i s v e s t r i s c o n s t a n t e r m a n e a t i s .

From the Brief of H is Holiness to The Tablet, June 4, 1870.

Voi. 48. No. 1916. L ondon, D e c e m b e r 30, 1876.

P r ice sd. B y P ost 5 ^ d .

[R e g is t e r ed a t t h e G en e r a l P o s t O f f ic e a s a N ew spaper.

C h ro n ic le o f t h e W e e k :—

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The New Ottoman Constitution. — The Sultan and the Ministers. —The Legislative Bodies.— The Judicature.— Court of Accounts— and Provincial Administration.— Merits o f the Scheme as a Reply to European Demands.— Present Demands of the Powers.—The Critical Moment of the Conference.— The French _Senate and the Votes for Religion.— Mgr. Dupanloup on the Grant to the Clergy.— The Conflict between the Houses.— Opinions of the Government.— The New Cardinal Vicar— Cardinal Patrizi.— Other Appointments in the Sacred College, &c., &c............................. 833

C O N T

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L e a d e r s :

The Crisis at Constantinople . . 837 The Mitchelstown Judgment . . 837 The “ Patronage Work” of the

Society of St. Vincent de Paul 838 The “ Liberal ” Apostasy in the

German Reichstag . . .. 839 Russia and Turkey.— X II. .. 840 The Powers and Turkey .. . . 842 P ic tures :

The Institute of Painters in

Water Colours . . . . . . 843 R e v iew s :

Père Deschamps on the Secret

Societies .. . • •• • • 844 A Manual of the Historical De­

velopment of Art . . . . 845

E N T S .

S hort N otices :

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Bertha, a Historical Romance . . 843 Woman and her Work in the World . . .. .. .. 846 Leaves from my Sketch-book . . 846 Literary, Artistic, & Scientific Gossip 846 C o rrespondence :

Children’s Fees in Catholic

Schools . . . . . . . . 846 An Inquiry . . ......................... 846 The Polish Mission . . . . 847 Increase of Catholicity in

E n g l a n d .................................... 847 R ome :— Letter from our own Cor­

respondent . . . . . . 849

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D io ce san N ews Westminster.. . . . . . . 850

Southwark . . . . .. . . 851 Birmingham.. . . . . .. 851 Clifton . . . . .. ., 851 Salford .. . . . . . . 851 Scotland—Western District . . 851 I r e lan d

Letter from our Dublin Corre­

spondent .................................. . 851 F oreign N ews ;—

Germany . . . .

, , 852

Portugal .................................... 853 M em oranda :—

Religious .. . . .. . . 853 Educational . . . . . . ... 854 Gen e r a l N ew s . . . . 855

CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.

TION. w

THE NEW OTTOMAN CONSTITU­

'H EN the Conference met for the first time formally on Saturday under the presidency of Safvet Pasha, the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs, and had begun to verify the powers of the Plenipotentiaries, the cannon announced to the world the promulgation of the new Charter of the Ottoman Empire. The Imperial Firman was brought to the Porte with great ceremony and a blare of trumpets, and proclaimed from a loggia by Midhat Pasha himself, surrounded by all the great State officials, to the troops and an immense crowd of spectators. We have an analysis of the new Constitution sent by the Turkish Foreign Office to its representatives at Foreign Courts. Not the least important feature of the document is the affirmation at its beginning of the fact denied by Sir George Campell. The Sultan is declared to be “ the Supreme Khalif of the Musul“ mans,” as well as “ the Sovereign of all Ottoman sub“ jects.” And consequently, the firman being accepted by and published in the presence of the Sheik-ul-Islam and the Ulema, and the ceremony being consecrated by religious forms, we may suppose that point to be settled as far as the religious law of Islam is concerned. It does not much signify whether the Sultan of Turkey can be made out to be the successor of the old Khalifs, and thus of the Prophet; what is really important is that he is recognised as such by Musulmans in general and by the authorised expositors of the Moslem sacred law. But even this is not all that is involved in this declaration. The Sultan himself, in a document which claims for him this sacred character, and which is received, approved, and sanctioned by those whose office it is to expound the Moslem law, expressly abolishes all inequality before the law, as far as their religion is concerned, between the subj ects of the Turkish Empire, who areto be called “ without distinction Ottomans,” and are to be equally admitted to the service of the State. This, it may be said, is a principle which was theoretically in force already, but it has probably never been proclaimed under quite such solemn sanctions. Moreover, while Islam is declared to be the religion of the State, it is asserted that no provision investing the institutions of the Empire with a theocratic character exists in the Constitution. There is in the summary supplied by the Turkish Government no express mention of the right of Christians to serve in the army and police, but the declaration that all Ottoman subjects, without distinction of religion, are admitted to the service of the State, taken in connection with the context, that “ all enjoy the same rights " and have the same duties towards the country,’’ can hardly

New Series, Vol. X V I . No. 425.

be understood as meaning less than that the obligation of military service is to be extended to them. Lastly, there is to be an equal distribution of taxation, property is guaranteed against confiscation, the domicile is to be inviolable, and no person can be taken from the jurisdiction of his national judges. These are the points in the new Constitution which may be considered more especially to affect the Christian populations.

THE SULTAN AND THE MINISTERS.

We have next to mention the provisions which concern the general machinery of Government. It is declared that the Sultan is irresponsible and inviolable, and that his prerogatives are those of the Constitutional Sovereigns of the West. The Ministry and Legislature follow as nearly as possible the Bonapartist model, except that the Grand Vizier as Prime Minister, not the Sultan himself, presides at the Council of Ministers. Each Minister is responsible for the conduct of his own department, and Ministers may be impeached by the Chamber of Deputies, when a High Court is to be instituted to try them. When the Government is beaten in the Chamber of Deputies on an important question, the Sultan is to change his Ministers or dissolve the Chamber.

THE LEGISLATIVE

BODIES.

The Legislature, styled “ the General As“ sembly of the Ottomans,” is to consist of a Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The Senate is to be named by the Sultan and have the power of approval or rejection of laws, but no initiative. The Deputies are to be elected by ballot, one for every 100,000 inhabitants, and public functionaries are to be ineligible. The “ mandat impe'ratif ” is forbidden, and complete freedom is assured to the members of both Chambers in the expression of their opinions. Parliament is to be opened on the 1st of November in each year with a Message from the Sultan, and it is to sit for four months. It is to be quadrennial in its duration, and, whenever a dissolution takes place, the new Legislature is to meet within six months from the date of dissolution. Laws are to be voted by articles, and the Budget by chapters; the Budget is to be voted at the commencement of each session, and for one year only, and no tax is to be established or levied except by virtue of a law. Finally, every bill requires the assent of both Chambers and the Imperial sanction.

The judges are to be irremovable, the sittings the judi- of the tribunals public, and the advocates cature. privileged. The jurisdiction of the different courts is to be exactly defined, all exceptional tribunals or commissions are prohibited, no interference on the part of the Government with the administration of justice is to be permitted, and the office of Public Prosecutor is created.