been strongly recommended both by Shakir and Djevad Pashas, and are ardently desired by the Mussulman as well as by the Christian population at large. As the refusal of the Porte cannot arise from fear of opposition from any quarter in the island, it can only be presumed that the Imperial Government is actuated by the wish to keep to the letter of the Firman, which intrusted to the General Assembly the care of introducing the necessary judicial reforms. But this policy may involve a longer delay than the Porte seems to expect, as local politicians consider that the election of Deputies would be an acceptance by the Christian population of the Firman; and the population generally fears that the holding of elections would revive the now dormant political factions, and for many reasons considers that General Assemblies have hitherto produced much evil and very little, if any, good results. As for one reason or another the whole population is disinclined to elect Deputies, according to present appearances no Assembly will take place this year, and in that case it is impossible to foresee when another Assembly will be convened by the population. Under these circumstances the question is, whether it is good policy on the part of the Porte to keep this island for an indefinite period with Tribunals which satisfy only those who obtain unjust sentences in their favour, or whether it would not be better, in the absence of a General Assembly, to make reforms in the Tribunals in accordance with the spirit, if not with the letter, of the Firman. It would be a mistake to suppose that the much-desired judicial reform may serve as an inducement to Cretans to elect Deputies, or that the scheme can be carried out after it is ascertained that no Assembly will take place. It will have no influence whatever in the first case, and in the second it may happen that the Christian population may not be so well disposed as it is now, and that what is perfectly easy to-day will be impracticable one or two months. later. This island is so subject to sudden changes that it is imprudent to postpone any measure which offers a reasonable prospect of success if immediately carried out. I beg at the same time to call attention to my despatch of the 17th June last, on the subject of reforms. The Marquess of Salisbury. I have, &c., ALFRED BILIOTTI. No. 12.-Sir E. Monson to the Marquess of Salisbury.—(Received January 29.) (Telegraphic.) Athens, January 29, 1891. THE action of the Hellenic Government in persuading the holders of cartridges not to send them to Crete, and in stopping filibustering expeditions to that island, appears to me to be entirely correct; but M. Deligeorges thinks that the present would be a favourable moment for the return to the condition established under the Halepa Pact, and the appointment of a Christian Vali, with guarantees such as those secured in the case of the Lebanon, and that at the same time a general amnesty should be proclaimed, &c. Should nothing of the kind be done, he anticipates that there will be a revival of disturbances next spring, and fears that the maintenance of repression here will encounter serious difficulties. I have repeated this to Sir W. White. No. 13.-Sir E. Monson to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received January 30.) MY LORD, Athens, January 23, 1891. IN recent despatches from Canea Mr. Consul Biliotti reports the arrival of, and the outrages committed by, Liapis and his associates, and I am sorry to say that in the Athenian press these deeds are described as heroic, and that the dissatisfaction which Mr. Biliotti mentions as being caused by them among the Christians in the island does not seem to be in any way reflected here. On the contrary, there is a rumour that more armed Cretans are about to follow Liapis' example, and M. Delyanni is bitterly attacked, even by some of his own supporters, for having lately ordered the seizure of a quantity of cartridges intended for the use of these guerilla bands. There has at the same time been a considerable movement homewards of peaceably disposed refugees, and this movement is continuing, and is likely to be even augmented, inasmuch as the Government have decided to stop the subventions. This measure is due, I imagine, not so much to political motives as to the necessities of the Treasury, and the extreme difficulty of finding money for other and more pressing purposes. The Marquess of Salisbury. I have, &c., EDMUND MONSON. No. 15.-Consul Biliotti to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received February 3.) MY LORD, Canea, Crete, January 26, 1891. WITH reference to my despatch of the 12th instant, I have the honour to report that on Thursday last I received by the post from Rethymo, in a sealed envelope addressed to me, a manifesto addressed by Liapis to the Consuls of the Great Powers of Europe. and America, dated White Mountains (i.e., the main range between this and the south coast), 11th January, 1801 The contents of this mani festo are as follows: 30th December, 1890 Within the last ten years Cretans having obtained by arms an autonomy of some sort, have lately asked for a reform of certain abuses. In answer the Porte has adopted military measures which have opened an incurable wound. The fanatical native Mussulmaus have taken to plunder and incendiarism and to dishonouring Christian women. The Local Government, acting with the greatest partiality, attributed all the evils in the island to Christians, some of whom were tortured or imprisoned, while others were exiled or murdered. Ever since the condition of the island has been unbearable. Murders of Christians, desecrations of churches, and other barbarous affronts are the order of the day. As if all these outrages were not sufficient, Greek Orthodox churches were closed, owing to the Turkish Government wishing to abolish the privileges granted by Mahomed II. Liapis says that Cretans being slaughtered like animals, their wives being dishonoured, their churches being tampered with, and finding no protection, he and his companions, following the example of their forefathers, have taken up arms in order to maintain the political liberties and rights of the island. He ends his manifesto by stating that he gives these explanations to the Representatives of the Great Powers and of America in order that his present move may not be misrepresented by those who have an interest in so doing. Liapis is being hotly pursued by three small corps of soldiers and gendarmes of about sixty men each. There are in each corps an officer and a few native gendarmes, and the Vali is sanguine that Liapis will be either captured or killed, a price of £ T. 100 having been set on his head, dead or alive. But it is not likely that serious steps will be taken by the native gendarmes, who, owing to their knowledge of the individual and of the country, are alone in a position to act effectively. At the same time one of Liapis' relatives told me that the native officers aud men would send word to him to return to Gre ce in order to relieve them of their difficult position, and he is expected to do so shortly, the more so as the promised contingent of armed Cretans from Greece has not made its appear[1890-91. LXXXIII.] 2 Y ance. In the meantime, Liapis has divided his band, which seems now to consist of nine men, into three corps, so as to render detection less easy. It would appear that Liapis was under the impression that the dissatisfaction created by the ecclesiastical question would have induced several of the Christian inhabitants of the island to join him, but in this he has been disappointed. Nothing has been heard of Liapis for the last fortnight, but I cannot say whether this is due to his being pursued by the gendarmerie or to some other cause. I have, &c., The Marquess of Salisbury. ALFRED BILIOTTI. No. 16.-Consul Biliotti to the Marquess of Salisbury.—(Received MY LORD, February 3.) Canea, Crete, January 27, 1891. WITHIN the last ten or twelve days a succession of outrages has taken place in the Province of Rethymo, which are thus described by Mr. Vice-Consul Trifilli, in a despatch dated the 19th instant. In the village of Milidoni, district of Mylopotamo, while the gendarmes stationed there were playing cards in a neighbouring café, some Christians, who have not yet been discovered, entered the deserted station and carried off some rifles, which the Vali stated to me to have been four in number, together with their respective cartridges. During a Christian wedding at Garazzo, another village of the same district, some gendarmes who were there got drunk and killed a Christian with whom they had quarrelled. His relatives in retaliation killed one and wounded another gendarme, but according to Djevad Pasha the number of gendarmes killed was two, and they were attacked in their station after the murder of the Christian. The Governor of Rethymo, the Colonels of the troops, and an officer of gendarmerie proceeded at once to Garazzo with a sufficient number of troops and gendarmes to maintain order and make an inquiry. About the same date, in the village of Platania, district of Amari, a Christian returning at night from the café to his house was murdered by a Turk. I further heard yesterday, by telegram from Mr. Trifilli, that a few Mussulmans had migrated from the country to the town of Rethymo, and that the Christians of the neighbouring villages having protested, the Government had promised to put a stop to the movement. Two fresh murders, one of a Mussulman, the other of a Christian, have taken place in the district of Amari, but, bad weather having prevented the mail steamer from calling at Rethymo, I have not received a detailed report on the occurrences from Mr. Trifilli. The Marquess of Salisbury. I have, &c., ALFRED BILIOTTI. No. 18.-Sir E. Monson to the Marquess of Salisbury.—(Received MY LORD, February 5.) Athens, January 29, 1891. THE presence at this moment of a squadron of Her Majesty's ships in Suda Bay led M. Deligeorges to refer this morning to the persistency with which rumours are put about of the designs of England upon Crete. His Excellency said that, of course, he himself attached no credit whatever to these rumours; but he believed that both at Athens and Constantinople there are many who place credence in them. I told M. Deligeorges that I was glad that he, at any rate, was one of the unbelievers; adding that I really could not understand how such an idea could still appear credible to any one in the face of all the trouble which Her Majesty's Agents abroad had taken to show its absurdity. M. Deligeorges observed that no public official denial had ever been given to it, and he made the same remark upon the subject which M. Tricoupi has done, that Her Majesty's Government might some day find themselves driven to an occupation of the island by the force of circumstances. He then proceeded to refer to the existing condition of affairs in Crete, and the action taken by the Government here to prevent filibustering expeditions. He presumed that I knew that all the cartridges accumulated by the Cretan Defence Committee had not been, and would not be, delivered to the insurgents, and that the Greek squadron had again been patrolling the coasts to prevent the passage of more desperadoes of the Liapis type. All that could be done had been, and would be, done by the Government; but as the spring advances, and the snow melts on the Cretan mountains, the temptation to guerilla warfare will become stronger, and as ammunition can easily be procured and landed in Crete in sufficient quantities to carry on such irregular warfare, he fears that unless some step is taken by the Ottoman Government to do away with all pretext for it, by re-establishing the pre-existing condition of affairs guaranteed by the Halepa Pact, it will recommence, and will bring back all the troubles which have for the moment ceased. His Excellency said that Djevad Pasha has reported to Constan |