TRIAL OF MIDHAT PASHA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3174, 31 August 1881, Page 3

TRIAL OF MIDHAT PASHA.

The Pall Mall Gazette has the following on the recent trial of Midhat: —

There were one or two sharp passages at arms between Miclhafc Pasha and the VicePresident of the tribunal which naturally did not appear in the official reports of the trial published by the Turkish press. Christophorides Effendi having taunted Midhat with not knowing the forms of procedure of the Ottoman criminal code, the latter held up a copy of the work in question, adding in an incisive tone, " I not know the Ottoman criminal code ? Sir, I was busy in framing its provisions when others were busy seeking to elude them." It was a straight hit and well aimed for Christophorides Effendi, who but a few years ago was fourth or fifth dragoman of the Persian Embassy, and has had a very chequered career, more successful than edifying. He is an accomplished specimen of the wily Greek, who has made his way in the Turkish service by tortuous by-ways and shady back doors. ; Midhat delivered another successful blow when, after expressing his satisfaction at being afforded an opportunity of defending himself in open court _nd thanking the Sultan for this fresh proof of his Majesty's love of justice, he proceeded to congratulate the judges on the zeal they had shown in condemning the defendants before they had been heard ; " a zeal," he added, " which he was glad to learn had already met with its reward." This was a smart allusion to the fact that before the trial was opened the judges received their arrears of salary — a favor which to tho suspicious foreigner seems open to exception, but which the unsophisticated Turk explains quite naturally as a mere necessary measure of precaution to prevent any danger of the bench being amenable to the corrupt influences which the families of the defendants have endeavoured to bring to bear upon them.