THE DEPOSITION OF THE SULTAN OF TURKEY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 104, 21 August 1876, Page 2

THE DEPOSITION OF THE SULTAN OF TURKEY.

The Constantinople correspondent of the Paris Temps thus relates the accession of the present Sultan and the deposition of his uncle :—" Murad Effendi, forwarned by Midhat Pasha at a nocturnal interview in a servant's house of what was brewing, was very uneasy. All this movement of ti'oops had not occurred without his perceiving some unusual stir. His agitation was extreme. He had warned Prince Hamid, his brother and friend, to be ready for any event. All at once he was told that Hussein Avni Pasha was there, demanding to speak to him instantly. The War Minister held a revolver in his hand. He informed Murad that the moment had arrived, and that he must follow him. Murad hesitated. Hussein pressed him to set out, first respectfully, then bluntly. The Prince yielded, and received from the Minister a revolver ready loaded. He set out, preceded by a faithful servant, and followed by Hussein. They soon reached the quay, where a fiveoared caique was in waiting. They embarked and proceeded at full speed for Stamboul, landing at the vinegar merchants' stairs. There was stationed a coupe in charge of a young aide-de-camp of Hussein, disguised as a coachman. The Ministry of War was hastily reached. Murad was received on alighting by the Grand Vizier and Midhat Pasha. He was immediately made to sign a decree, by which Sultan Murad ordered the ex-Sultan Abdul Aziz to quit Dolmabagtsclieh with his family and repair to the Top-Capon Palace. The aide-de-camp entrusted the caique in which Murad had fled, and went to Dolmabagtscheh. There handed the decree to Redif Pasha, and conveyed fresh instructions to him. The general immediately had the men's part of the palace occupied by the pupils of the military school. He himself knocked at the doors of the harem. The chief of the eimuchs presented himself very, angry, and asked who had dared te commit such a gross infringement of all rules. The General replied that Redif Pasha came to arrest Sultan Abdul Aziz. The eunuch's anger at what he considered an act of madness was unbounded. He roared with laughter, and became only serious on observing the armed group surrounding the General. Redif, impatient, entered the harem, followed by the military students. A few eunuchs tried to cry out and resist. Their hands and feet were tied and they were gagged. A few moments afterwards Redif, still escorted b;y the students, who were sensible of the importance of the affair, and of their patriotic undertaking, entered the Sultan's bedroom. Abdul Azzizsuddenly waking, sprang from his bed. Redif sent out his escort and respectfully begged his ex-master to dress quickly. At the same time informed him of Sultan Murad's order. Abdul Aziz flew into a passion and broke a looking-glass. His mother arrived with her hair in disorder. Her nature as a woman of the people, and a former slave, gained the ascendancy. She poured on Redif all the invectives of the Turkish language, so rich in insults. The old gentleman did not even knit his eyebrows. As his only answer, he remarked to Abdul Aziz that if he clung to life he must make haste. This threat stopped the anger of mother and son. They got ready and started. On entering the caique, which was to conduct him to TopCapon, Abdul Aziz cursed his nephew Murad. " Had I known," said he, " what kind of plant that Murad was, I should have watered him with poison." A few seconds afterwards he broke out against his two eldest sons, who were in his caique. To the first Yeussof, nineteen years old, he said ; —"I made you Marshal and Commandant of the Imperial Guard, yet you have not known how to defend me." As to the second, Djellal, who is fifteen, and was an Admiral, he reproached him with the defection of the fleet. It was a pitiable sight, according to the soldiers, that of the Sultan and his mother unable to support with any dignity the adverse fortune which they had themselves provoked by their misconduct. By this time the dawn had come. The gates were open at the War Ministry, where a great crowd had collected. They rushed forward to salute the new Sultan, who returned their salutation with the grace and kindness of expression he has inherited from his father, Abdul Medjid. The following characteristic incident occurred : A general officer was at the side of Midhat Pasha in the servile attitude which Turkish etiquette prescribes in the presence of the Sultan, the eyes cast down, and the hands crossed over the breast, Midhat, with an abrupt gesture, forced the officer to drop his hands to his sides, saying loudly so that everybody could hear him, "Just stand up like a man ; we have now, thank God, a Sultan who does not mind you looking him in the face." The Turks, who do not easily liberate themselves from old habits, and are not without a certain refinement, say that Midhat's words denote a man of independent spirit, but a poor courtier. The ex-Sultan could not endure Midhat, cisely because he would look his Highness in the face, and twirl his moustache in his presence, which is, according to the custom of the country, highly cesurable in an inferior. The public criers announced the change of Government rather curiously : —' Prince Murad is now proclaimed Sultan of the Osmanlis. The Sultan Abdul Aziz is dethroned. May God guide the former and pardon the latter !'

As to the future, the Ulemas and the intelligent class are expecting large concessions. They speak of nothing but a constitution. That is going rather fast. It has been much noticed that the English, French, and Italian guardships have been decked with flags ; while this is not-the case as regards those of the three Norwegian ships."