NEW WINE IN AN OLD BOTTLE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 411, 21 January 1909, Page 9

NEW WINE IN AN OLD BOTTLE.

wIK^P^MODE^ .>PSpyEtEcVIONS ; 'IN^ S;/PAtbens;'stands f speaks, ':■' J of : . past; but-.Jerusalem'. 7'-P standsP as ithe : ,1 igj&j pf ytiioP; nations : , ofP the -'-.: : : eart^ : ':Sb6iii : :a ; hid; '■■■' ; the-nairics^ofTher ,]iißs(Bi:are;jv)Usoh6ld words; P'the'."message's^t'W^lWl^t 3 / e :'. w^r^s - of ,? ' : Christ Paiiid ; 'His' y ;ApastUsi;.vspokeii P in,P. hei ''■ C'streets/:afFect.>^i^gatipß : ,fin : 'eyeTy.,part of the: ;^ipn'.are : sung -, in synagogues '■■;. ; ineachTof ■thtffoSw.- ; quarters;.of:.the:. earth. '■, P Tliel - history.;ofi Jerusalem.; is • inseparably,. in:.;;P; •'.' Vhpfore.'heri'TOlla;tho?,fiercest -.''battles-o£-hi#br^ y- '] of; every/colour pofsk in- hayo. struggled irto-■::--;gain>pbsie'B^i6n'Jif:tiejH6ly;'City; time; upon ;.■ $time he^jwallsPhayeTf alien; and her enemies. /■'• P of'her ;' ;: her. modern ■; ;.;.walls,.argf'buU};i.%qn':the;:ruins of'the. ancient rr:^t^^.\&-^lU :^^^^r /-P..-- '';• of the travel-■> ier'is- Jerusalem, for ,:; : P the first; tinie?% The' city as. enclosed', by .a.. ':" . vaßtf ; *all, s oH'-TThich'are towers.and-bastions, i; -.' ; and entrance is'gained'thrp'ugh thb six gatepublic '.' '.'■ buildings, including churches ; ■ There are min- , P'arets,-' from which/are. heard, the -call for.,- '■ /prayei^btit''the:jrfaost'-conspicuous .object is : -,' the-.-'^mbiis'■'mos'qub; of ,iOm'ar," - ; : built.;-,' upon P i Mouiii? >foriahi..andPoccupyihg -'part of tnc '/■. anci^a^ , -t')niple' ; area.-- v Jerusalem -looks -more' ■; : ■"." pictui>ij ,'%-li-dm than ffom.within., - 'ltß : *ti , ici;s^Sra'-'narfow; : dai'kyi and:' dirty j >nd '-. is faf from'clean in its , : ;.;;.' ;;:;^^Kvi i Barred.pp;P;'/ ; ;:: '>■: very -little, thatpis • y'modern in •;'. '.''Jerusalem',;;.: The. Sultan hasiforbidden thpin-' ;';tr6ductio'n'of.some.modern phases of civilisa■P- ■?"lti6h^-^P-yn!otor;-barsf-are,vaDpwed,'.'and,;,re- > :' . memberingtho 1 narrow;streets, this;may.beya ;' ; .'.'wise prohibition-i'The.us'e; of; the telephone .is, ; ;' ;forbidden,^^ i (the;;'JSirk ; ;feih&:.suspicipusof',what i , talking through;-a .;. .'small:hole,;ho..can:speak jn the'ear.of a man, '■'" a few miles away. '-A thing .of that.sort could P ,■ not -; be' admitted; 'it allows '; such" possibilities •'•:'■' :6f quickly.and' sccretlyhworking up' a. plot, or }i .'PPposea'td- such'a. modern .innovation... - • ■^ThePmeansj of.;locomotion;are largely ■ -the .;, game.asVa thousand years ago.,;,lt'-is".true that ''■'.":. ■;■■' the:traveller can 'proceedjfrom;, Jqppa;;.to : .Jerusalem/'-' a distance" pf forty:- miles, •'■ by h P : train/ but thef- ■isV:wel-;loutsido ,' the; '•.--; -v', Pity;;< ; :-Ther'e ; rare-' also;-a 'few : modern'; buggies' . ' to' be hiredVat'.'.the several hotels, but-.most ;■:•,- or;the'travellirig:is-:d6ne -upon.'donkeys..There ■are hundreds'.of.; these 'animals ridden inthe 'It is;aii interesting:sight to -,"■■'-. Ippk-dpwn a narrow and,-busy; street .and see ■':.'.'. thb; walkers- abputv.by^^-the;^^dpn-:;.;^'keys/and-their;riders.; ;*There'-;are f no carts V : -r: or buildings -being ■■■.•..-.. erected",', and the;.material.was conveyed', by ■; ;. ~{ camels:'.;'' Sprite, eight - or'tenrlarge" stones were • .•tied;on the back of the;animal, 'and wheri.it :;:-. arrived.atfits.destiriationy'-at theVPry.of the ;driverVit knelt down:whi]st:it was unloaded; -■■•':,.-'• Thev.streets, arb i.too ..inarrow; for our' kind 'of ;dray;'to- be-jfsed,. 'arid..'i:he'. : ro'ads: , ;are."full ; 'of ,'-'holes;;; The 'rpads:are';kept'in: : repair;^?J. by '. .contract,'.Wt,/acpbrding!tp-,the;^^corrupt.mode. ■ .;;i;6f, ; the ,;. ;V' ':.ambunt':pfv ! mbriey,-r.is, : ; spent--tippn:.;them2.as;;is; ; ''■•'■'■ '"•" paid: 'to;the. contractor .v.: If : ,a'' riian/receives, - '' ■: - say, ; £IOOO- : -to : vkeep- ; : thb r ;r'o'ads'-inVrepair ; for 'a ;; - :; .": year,s'fh"e '• jvjll' .^fp.b^blfciaufeleiijthe: ioiitract, •?-."i for-£Wj(-.andS.prpbably : thei.(xintract:,w;ill.;be ■'■ ■! ;sub-leti'rflpeate^ly'riuntiLJittle'; ::■ ;.the ■.:.' . : spent,^ ; and':the--publiCi.axe.made:'tb'dsuffer;for-.. ~:';■;: the; corruptVpractices' Jflf .;■ About -two ;-' was-, .... recalled: ,:ilb. ; boai'dediithb;;ship '...at- Beyrbutj ; : but" heiwas then' He 'never .'; ;.arrivediatftGopstantinbple.,\iand his;end .was shrouded in%ystery: ; 'v i'^-P:-;: ■;' ''.'_'■■'"■'. •.';".-';•!■". ;•; "ReatiihgiiofwNew .(Constitution; V:; ":,', .'/',:Jerusalem;was .erii'bjyj'ng'tne-"escitemerit-';'of' \ ; V*. new when were' there a -'few. ', '' p^ :,'Young"Turks'- are;in",'wwer,V'arid r great: cbn- " 'ititutibnal J '.' ; Defendiritrbduced : . ■--';. rithinHhe' I 'Ot'tbmari'; > Empirei : . -On -July 24 ''■ .-:" (he;^ew : publicly; by ■■'-■> the' Governor of - anjid-j'a 'gfeat.-excitement.andi'enthDsiasm.,'; Many ■•■. nationalities were; sthe;- ruling ~ . . ■; ■'.>eopley;'native'Arabs—andithis.-,term includes.: ■- : ': i•'. obmbmatioiiFof P the i Hevites,x; 'Perizzites;' i: : - \- ; . Philistiries-7-aud..:'alsb';)Arriien.iaris r ;:;6reeks, -* '■ ;: Cbpts, ? Abyssinians ' and?; -Europeans, from. ■; .-.'.--.: many . > countries'..' ; .:;;-;Jerusalem , .the.'cbsriibpblitan.cbaracter of :its ;';;!"■" popula'tibri. ,sTherß : a'fe :! nb." fewer-than thirteen .:'■'■'-. foreign';'Consuls;.in "the' city.' f A •' nuihber; of, '.' ■^the "smaller'-:Europ'eari:l'owersi'';such : .a's'SwitV; zerlarid; 7^elgium,- ;;PoftUgalrPetc., '~-> are;'ribt- : represerite'd.y;We m^^ '' ; it';.was;through";the. kindness':bf:''brie;bfVthe; :;.- ; consuls';that'-'we ; s'eciire'd-'mucn v bf''the-'infbr-; '.. : article'.-:.Within the, ■■'-.■eity^tHere'is now; a'population'of seventv. to: ..'-.•; , Beventy-'fiVb":thousand ; pers'pns : ;; seven;;thbu-. •V; : '..*and'.'of"thesff ; '''are:.s : Mohammedans;'.'; forty :'-: '■-" ".thQUsaiidV'Jews','; aiid the; are%lassed [as -.-^UChristians;^'/t:' : -:'' v :.-;'.':-'?'''> ; -: i; - ; «'''■' ' .'; yr ' r ' '■', ."■■■-,' ■.:': After;'tneTi eadin'g''bf tlib-new';constitution, -; : rival religionists,-'/fraternised,;< an'':.unusual S , thing'in tho. kingdom; where^'men:.have. been, T : ':'iwithin''late,years, persecuted,' and. murdered " r : of.;their-.rehgiou?;'.pfinciples.'-', The ■ '"■ : mbsq'up.of Omar open,and Chris-. ' .;'tiarisVvarid .Jews were ;at, "liberty : : tb;;walk ■■•'■ : ' through '•tlie'i'libly'. arid'on "July-, 24 ; ■ -fullyv-fiye-tliousand-''Jew's 'arid;.' Christians .;> ■,walked;thTOUgh : ;tha ■'■'";'.: noVons-.;.excepty,a;.VMohamm i edan',-;^o^ '-,•': through/the ;rii'psque;;without .'an .'eseortpof,::twpj'soldiers,.;arraug'ed; ;for;by; a:consul. -.To. .■•■■. throw-.the, mbiquebpeit' for anypne'to, freely ;•' enter".;marked -iattCepoch Jn/thb"history pf. .;•;'.;: V /';.';;,/;;: ; ' !; -;V/..'•- ;;; a - -;•".; ■:, P;TheP/inain provisions of the Constitution ' -; PPare,that,:';fl).:All. Ottemari.'subjebtsi'ar'e.riow- ;; ,VP equal PinpthePsight 'of ;.the;law,Vregardiess'pf .;;- : religion.;'.;jThcPpreader4las;'only. to' remember ;;: : /thb : ;wh;olesale';inurdir c ;bf;Armenian; Chris- ■■'■) tiansPfptPthe sake; pf : their .religion.by.r.lie .p;;'.;'-Tu'rla''ib'.lsee;.hbw..- : impqrtant' is this;clause in .-;',';, the.-new..;Cbnstitutiou. -f Until, thb' reading' of Pthe-Coristitutibii" Christians- could. nbtP'enter ; j fvPthe Turkish army,'even if they; wished; They, .yjwere: looked. upon :by : the Turkpas:his enemy," ;:P;;arid';cPuld /not be trustedpinpthe PtiiriePof , • .vP;'- war; '' ;'Now.-.-.the : ; barrier has■ r been' removed,; ..and toleration has.been granted to all. ■ „■" '■" ;(2) -Freedom of speech, press and religion, ; P.nas;;been';'granted'.P;-There;"has ; been-.a'.strict ■-.-'. 'censorship;of.'the/:daily .and '";•■■' P; some;-portions' of the Bible.have been objected ,'..t0,:- but;^nbwrliberty;-has- been giycn.;:j,: '\ r/3),''Representativa; ; 'goyernnient has' been ■'■~.'■- r granted',.;.-AllPOttpmari;.male-.'subiects';oyer..S6 -years, <Jf,.;a'ge,;.whp,,are not.undcr. judgment, '.and;who pay;:l2s. ; per year. in.rates, have a ;."■-,vbte.jijThb;proportion of...representation .is' ' to,bePon^momber.-of VaTliament: for- 75,000 ; ; ',-: ; of.the-population,:.-This-will'mean that et : .the first.ParlianJtmtto.be'heldin Constanti- '■;■ ;.noplePthere Twilli bo .600''.'members;'.' Towns ;':; and/districts, Jiaye been grouped, together for . ' 'Prepresentatipnp; _ ; ; Jerusalem, "~, Bethlehem, . :..Hebi-bri,P'Gaza,'-.Nazaretl], and,,:' Jaffa: have . -.been'-formed,'.into.one constituency;, and entitledPto seridp three members. V.Np foreigners .. ;.can. vote,- .unless; they . are. subject to the law pf tho .Ottoman. Empire. There are thou-, p '•:Bands'ofpei'spn3 ; ,whfl;claimPttiepratectiori'of. "','".■:"■ thep, flag; representing, .the;,- land,.they "have '■: comeVfrom'.j'.fbr instance,/there .arp a large .., nuinber.bf .Jeys; whb -claim., the pretection ,qf.the.-English/.or: American, jflags, ( andsuch . ' v persons: are, notP counted :as;subjects of the .■■'■■. -; :'^;p^y:) VvpEleotibhs' Without-^pecches/' "'■ . Tlie electioriPof-membersv;of :■ Parliament ■'• is asv-follows":—Each- .fiye'lnindred voters '■■'. elect a-;delegate,-.whb':'prbceeds : -tp the town.or. '■'■•■■■ city Pbf the, electoratei'-say,.Jerusalem, arid

there elect the members of Parliament. The vote' is takers by ballot, and overy precaution observed to seouro its secrecy. The ballot boxes wero sealed with the seal of. allthe'Vepresontatives of. religion in Jerusalem, . and; after ■" tlio voting,- and before the boxes were opened, eaoli .representative examined the seals to see if they had boon broken. The "elections had been held just previous to our visit; teii. names, had been submitted .to , the electors, and three had been elected, including tlio Mayor, of Jerusalem. There had i been no electioneering, the! candidates having agreod that it would be unwise to make, oloctiori speeches,' as they might ib'e quoted against them when they arrived in Constantinople. As the new Parliament was an experiment, and.men. had'in the past.lost their :heads'for'expressing, their thoughts, it was : ' considered wisest, not to say''anything which ■would-be calculated to : put: their heads in 'danger. In* November ;last, the; elected memjbers .wero expecting at''any time to be summoned to Jerusalem to form the first Parliament. ■:" ■;:;.'■;."■",:.:'.': ; ] Reforms In View. ';.. "But." we asked,' "are 'there no reforms needed? Is there no change'required in the .Constitution?" , ."Yes,";replied' one of our 'informants, • who bad lived ih Jerusalem for over' forty years,' "the"nieriiber'sof the Young Turk'party, wish--(l) To get .the.franchise 'extended to all male, members over 21 years of: ago, without any taxation qualification. (2) That, the Sultan. shall not : have power to dissolve Parliament at his own will. (3) That Parliament shall control all finance. (4) ; That tho;Sultan shall only choose -onethird of the members of the Upper House. :Tlio-.present Constitution enables- him to. choose: the 'whole of the members of the "Houso of Lords;" There' is every probability of ; lively ■ times when the House meets. ■Whether it, will share the fate, of the Russian' Duma remains to b 0 seen.; '.' ; . "Has tbo new order of things affected the people? Do they understand the change? Have they been sufficiently educated to thoroughly appreciate and rightly .'-. use , their liberty?" "No," replied one_-of the. consuls, : the Mohammedans have'mistaken liberty, for license. Since. July 24 'robberies in the street are far.more-numerous than theywere ■before that date,'and the police are not so .active; in bringing offenders to justice as they were. : It" is. far more difficult for, justice to bo secured owing to the strange ideas abroad concerning: the liberty which ■has-been cpnv ferred upon thorn:" Jerusalem is .passing ■through'an important period in its history, and the result will be watched with consider-: able.interest,,,;; ''"_'.-. \ . ; •', •Gratitude to: England. '•"•'• Tho. English Constitution has been the--model that ; members of the':' Young '.Turk' party, have had before them" in their efforts • to orihg about, representative government. Eng-land-has: shown, her sympathy: with the as-.' piratibns of the party, and to-day she stands m.high favour with, tho Turks.; On-Novem-ber. 9 we were in Joppa.. About noon we hoard a' loud noise in' the street, and we found a:great procession, which ■ filled -the street and stopped all traffic. At the head ,'the Turkish flag and the English ."Onion Jaok wero carried. : >:A number of: persons, worebeatigg tom-toms, ; and tho crowd were loudly talking in Arabic: I inquired what it all -'meant,/'and I Was told that it was a demonstrationyto -celobrate. the• birthday'; of' King Edward. I c at' once joined "the proces- ; sion. -At the front of the Park Hotel a halt was .made, and .from, the balcony several , -representative men,' including .the;' English' Vice-Consul made: speeches'.in.Arabic; Whcnthe crowd isheered,:r ttoX dff i.rriy,,hat..:: ; 'andi .'cheered. .'At' 6ne' '-.point, the crowd? laughed, and.l turned to a big Turk and;..asked,-, "What: is the' joke?"'- He .turned upon me. . and- said'somewhat savagely:'-' "No "joke; at all; no joke at all:. :Enf;land..a .berry good; country. KinK Edward'a berry good,.man., He : /a--friend :of .ho looked 'at.'-me'; ,as fierce.as-ra\Turk.*.' Evidently; England .stands well. with'-, the :Turks justhow;' -A *