THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT AND THE PRESS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5330, 27 April 1878, Page 3

THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT AND THE PRESS.

Tho Turkish Parliament is already in a difficulty with' the reporters. A short time ago 'a charge was brought against the VaJeit by one of the deputies that it is the habit of that journal “frequently to put into the mouths of the deputies words they never uttered, or, on the contrary, changing tho sense of what had been said.” The complaint, however, did not lead to any suggestion for restricting ths freedom of the Press. On the contrary, in the course of tho debate Agop Effondi (who represents the capital) advocated it in eloquent language. “We should never,” he said, “attempt to forbid the criticism of the public Press ; on the contrary, we should endeavor to encourage and provoke it. It is by contrasting ideas and drawing comparisons between the sayings and doings' of different men that light is obtained. We are jealous of the liberty of speech which we now enjoy here. Should we, deavor to curtail tho liberty of the Press ? That would certainly be a strange way of showing bur ideas of liberty. We do not," ho added, “seem to understand the importance and usefulness of the Press,'which has done so much for the education of the entire world. We may inadvertently commit errors and faults, hut free criticism will act as a check • upon us by which we nuty benefit. It would therefore be a great mistake to shackle the Press. It is our duty, on the contrary, to extend its liberties by every means in our power.” ■■ Opinion was not, however, quite unanimous. Yenicherli Zadi Effendi said he “could not read newspapers in foreign languages, and therefore could give no opinion as to them., Ho would only speak of the Turkish journals, and hs had no hesitation in'saying

that they were hardly worth reading. They generally wrote notlr—.g but nonsense, and told little eke than lies. It was a great mistake to suppose that any instruction is to be derived from reading these journals. For this reason he had left off reading them, and consequently he attached no importance to what they said.”