British and Foreign State Papers

tants suffer under some difficulties and inconvenience, owing to their not having been yet placed under a separate and special jurisdiction, and to the natural inability of the Patriarch and chiefs of the sect which they have abandoned to administer their affairs; and whereas, conformably to the royal solicitude and benevolence which I entertain towards all classes of my subjects, it is against my Royal pleasure that any of them should be exposed to trouble; the Protestants now forming a separate community, it is my Royal will that measures should be taken for ensuring the proper administration of their affairs, and for enabling them to live in peace and security. It is therefore my Imperial will and command that a respectable and trustworthy member of that sect should be chosen by themselves and appointed with the title of Agent of the Protestants, and be attached to the department of the Minister of Police; that the register of the community kept in his charge should be deposited in that department; that the births and deaths should be there entered by their agent, and that their passports, marriage-licences, and other matters appertaining to the community to be transacted at the Porte or elsewhere, should be procured and transacted by means of memorials sealed with the seal appertaining to the office of the aforesaid agent; and the present Royal edict has been issued from my Imperial Divan to the above effect.

You, therefore, the aforesaid Mushir, on learning that such are my Royal commands, will attend to the strict execution of the regulations in question as afore stated. As the issue of passports and the assessment of the taxes come under a special regulation, you will not suffer anything to be done in contravention thereto; you will not permit any fees or "haratch" to be taken from them for the issue of their marriage-licences or for their registration. You will afford them every assistance and facility in the transaction of all their affairs, and in all matters concerning their burial-places and their places of worship, like unto the other communities which are subjects of my empire. You will not permit any interference whatsoever on the part of other communities in their religious rites or in their temporal concerns, in none of their temporal or spiritual affairs in short, but will enable them to perform the religious observances of their sect in security. You will be careful that they do not suffer any molestation whatever, either in this or in any other respect, and that proper means are taken to enable them to live in peace and security, with free access, when necessary, by their agent to my Sublime Porte.

You will be mindful that the present Imperial edict be registered at the proper office and confirmed in favour of the aforesaid subjects; and you will continue to pay strict attention to the injunetions contained therein.

Be it thus known unto you, and give full credence to my Imperial cypher.

SIR,

No. 84.--Viscount Palmerston to Sir Stratford Canning.

Foreign Office, December 24, 1850. I HAVE received your despatch of the 26th November, inclosing a translation of the firman in favour of Protestants in the Turkish Empire which has received the sanction of the Sultan; and I have to state to your Excellency that the version of that document inclosed in your despatch, appears to Her Majesty's Government to be as complete and as satisfactory as possible; and Her Majesty's Government look forward with extreme interest to the permanently beneficial effects which this firman must necessarily produce.

I am, &c.

H.E. Sir Stratford Canning.

PALMERSTON

No. 85.-Sir Stratford Canning to Visc'. Palmerston.—(Rec. Jan. 20.) MY LORD, Constantinople, January 3, 1851. THE Committee of Armenian Protestants, desirous of expressing their cordial thanks for the firman which, as your Lordship is aware, has been lately procured for them by this Embassy, have sent me an address which I take the present opportunity of forwarding in translation herewith. I venture to hope that your Lordship will see in the glowing expression of their acknowledgments to me, a natural effect of the sentiments which they are bound by every tie of sympathy and gratitude to entertain not only towards their own Sovereign, but also towards Her Majesty the Queen and Her Majesty's Government.

The original address is written in the Armenian language and deposited in the archives of the embassy.

Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B.

I have, &c.

STRATFORD CANNING.

SIR,

(Inclosure.) The Protestant Rayas to Sir Stratford Canning. (Translation.) Constantinople, January 3, 1851. WE, the Evangelical Christian subjects of the Sublime Ottoman Porte, through the infinite and unspeakable mercy of God, and by the special solicitude and activity of your Excellency, having been acknowledged by our compassionate and benevolent Sovereign as faithful and obedient subjects; and having obtained the favour of enjoying the individual and social privileges of good citizens under his protecting care, are constrained at the present time to make known to your Excellency, with unfeigned Christian love and respect, the deep and never-failing gratitude of our hearts.

We cannot conceal from you the strong and lasting emotions excited in all our hearts, when, in a full assembly of our community, one of our reverend presbyters related to us your Excellency's very kind reception of the 13 individuals who waited upon you; and especially when we heard those deeply affecting and soul-stirring words of counsel and exhortation designed for our whole community, which flowed from your Excellency's lips.

The many and widely-known and appreciated acts of kindness of which your Excellency, as the representative of Her Royal Majesty, has been the author, have spread your renown through the 4 quarters of the globe, and have justly made it conspicuous on the pages of civil history. But your sincere Christian love, and benevolent and unwearied efforts, worthy of everlasting remembrance, in behalf of freedom of conscience, have immortalized your illustrious name. Yes, and it will not only be written indelibly in the Church histories of the 19th century, but also engraven in imperishable characters on the hearts of ourselves and of our children.

Is it possible that we can ever for a moment forget the multiform acts of kindness you have so constantly shown to us in our humiliation during several years past, without justly exposing ourselves to the opprobrium of ingratitude? When, in consequence of our adherence to the simple doctrines of the Gospel, we fell under the power of civil and spiritual oppression, being driven from our houses and shops, and subjected to temporal punishments and prosecutions, and vexed on every side; and they strenuously demanded of us that against our own consciences we should obey the false and erroneous doctrines of human tradition; and not content with this, they even ventured to invent new confessions of faith, unknown to the ancient Fathers, to which they commanded us to subscribe: in one word, when, being in this miserable condition, we could by no means find protection for our rights in any quarter; and to whichever side we turned our eyes, and to whomsoever we looked for help, we were repelled as turbulent sectarians and rebels; then your Excellency kindly interposed for our relief. And if through the good and wise providence of God, you had not then extended to us your love and sympathy, and had not made known to the Porte the oppressions and persecutions we were unjustly suffering, and had not shown an interest in our case, humanly speaking, our very names must long ere this have been blotted from the earth. But instead of this, behold! we are recognized as an Evangelical Church and People, and enjoy all the liberties and privileges of a distinct community, and are permitted freely to worship God in obedience to the rules of the Gospel, and in accordance with the dictates of our own consciences.

For this we make bold to offer to your Excellency, as well as to Her Majesty and Her Majesty's Government, our sincere and hearty thanks; nor shall we ever cease to feel grateful also to our august Sovereign for graciously conferring on us such privileges.

And now, if there was an apostolic command to the early Christians to pray even for those kings and rulers who caused the earth to drink the blood of believers in Christ, and were sworn enemies of the holy Gospel, how plain and imperative is our duty to offer constant prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for the precious life, health, and prosperity of Her Majesty, who in this our age would seem to be the appointed champion of Truth, set for the protection of the oppressed in all lands, and especially for those who are suffering for conscience sake. How imperious is also our duty to make mention of your Excellency and your honourable family in our unworthy prayers, since you, in the high post you occupy, have not withheld your Christian sympathy and kindness from us in our low estate.

May a merciful and benevolent God preserve firm and immovable the Government of Great Britain in constant peace and prosperity, and also vouchsafe to Her Majesty the Queen a long and useful life.

Praying constantly for your Excellency, we remain, &c.
On behalf of the Evangelical Christians, subjects of the Porte,

H. H. SIMON, Presbyter, } Committee.

E. ZENOP,

H.E. Sir Stratford Canning.

SIR,

No. 86.-Viscount Palmerston to Sir Stratford Canning. Foreign Office, January 23, 1851. WITH reference to your despatch of the 3rd instant, inclosing an address from the Protestant Armenians, I have to state to your Excellency that it is very pleasing to Her Majesty's Government, and must be very gratifying to you, to receive from these poor people such fervent expressions of their deep thankfulness for the arrangement which, through your Excellency's exertions, the Porte has made in their favour; and it is satisfactory to see, that in making their acknowledgments towards their Christian protectors, they have not forgotten their loyalty to their own Sovereign. I am, &c.

H.E. Sir Stratford Canning.

PALMERSTON.

CORRESPONDENCE of Great Britain, relative to the Slave Trade, 1850, 1851; viz.;

CLASS A.-CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE BRITISH COMMIS

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