[Luxemburg.] No. 187.-CONVENTION between the King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxemburg, and the Duke of Nassau. Signed at Wiesbaden, 27th June, 1839. Preamble. Reference to Treaty of 19th April, 1839, and to the Family Compact of 1783. 1. Cession by Nassau of that part of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg ceded by Article II of the Treaty of 19th April, 1839. 2. Pecuniary Indemnity to be paid to Nassau. 3. Indemnity to be paid in 3 Months. 4. Rights of the House of Nassau over the Town and Fortress of Walraw to remain in force. 5. The Netherlands to take care that Federal Obligations imposed on ceded portion of Luxemburg are not imposed on the remaining portion. 6. Ratifications. (Translation.) Reference to Treaty of 19th April, 1839, and to the Family Pact of 1783. WHEN, in consequence of the deplorable events of the year 1830, the Cession of part of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg had become a political necessity for His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxemburg, and that part having effectually been ceded by His Majesty by Article II. of the Treaty of the 19th April of this year at London (No. 183), and His Majesty having requested, in accordance with the Family Pact of 1783, the consent of their Most Serene Agnates to that effect, have appointed as Plenipotentiaries, for the negotiations on the subject, on the part of His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxemburg, The Baron Hugo van Zuylen van Nyevelt, Minister of State and Chamberlain of the King, &c.; and on the part of the Most Serene Duke of Nassau, M. Charles Wilderick, Count de Walderdorff, his Minister of State, &c., who, under the reservation of the Ratification of their August Courts, have concluded the following Convention. ARTS. I. to VI. (See Table.) Done at Wiesbaden, 27th June, 1839. (L.S.) (L.S.) H. VAN ZUYLEN VAN NYEVELT. [Hatti-Sheriff of Gulhané.] No. 188.-HATTI-SHERIFF by the Sultan of Turkey, relative to the Administration of the Ottoman Empire. Gulhane, 3rd November, 1839.* (Translation.†) ALL the world knows that in the first days of the Ottoman Monarchy, the glorious precepts of the Koran and the Laws of the Empire were always honoured. The Empire in consequence increased in strength and greatness, and all her Subjects, without exception, had risen in the highest degree to ease and prosperity. In the last 150 years a succession of accidents and divers causes have arisen which have brought about a disregard for the sacred code of Laws, and the Regulations flowing therefrom, and the former strength and prosperity have changed into weakness and poverty: an Empire in fact loses all its stability so soon as it ceases to observe its Laws. These considerations are ever present to our mind, and, ever since the day of our advent to the Throne, the thought of the public weal, of the improvement of the state of the Provinces, and of relief to the peoples, has not ceased to engage it. If, therefore, the geographical position of the Ottoman Provinces, the fertility of the soil, the aptitude and intelligence of the inhabitants are considered, the conviction will remain that, by striving to find efficacious means, the result, which by the help of God we hope to attain, can be obtained within a few years. Full of confidence, therefore, in the help of the Most High, assisted by the intercession of our Prophet, we deem it right to seek by new institutions to give to the Provinces composing the Ottoman Empire the benefit of a good Administration. These institutions must be principally carried out under 3 heads, which are:-1. The guarantees insuring to our subjects perfect security for life, honour, and fortune. 2. A regular system of assessing and levying Taxes. 3. An equally regular system for the levy of Troops and the duration of their service. And, in fact, are not life and honour the most precious gifts in existence? What man, however much his character may be against * See also Hatt-i-Hamayoun, February, 1856. For French version, see "State Papers," vol. xxxi, p. 1239. [Hatti-Sheriff of Gulhané.] violence, can prevent his having recourse to it, and thereby injure the Government and the country, if his life and honour are endangered? If, on the contrary, he enjoys in that respect perfect security, he will not depart from the ways of loyalty, and all his actions will contribute to the good of the Government and of his brothers. If there is an absence of security on the score of fortune, every one remains insensible to the voice of the Prince and the country; no one interests himself in the progress of public good, absorbed as he is with his own troubles. If, on the contrary, the citizen keeps possession, in all confidence, of all his goods, then, full of ardour in his affairs, which he seeks to enlarge in order to increase his comforts, daily renewing in his heart his love for the Prince and the country, and his devotion to his native land. These feelings create in him the most praiseworthy actions. As to the regular and fixed assessment of the Taxes, it is very important to settle that matter, for the State which is forced to incur many expenses for the defence of its Territory cannot obtain the money necessary for its Armies and other services except by means of contributions levied on its subjects. Although, thanks be to God, our Empire has for some time past been delivered from the scourge of Monopolies, falsely considered in times of war as a source of revenue, a fatal custom still exists, although it can only have disastrous consequences; it is that of venal concessions, known under the name of "Iltizam." Under that name the civil and financial administration of a locality is delivered over to the passions of a single man, that is to say, sometimes to the iron grasp of the most violent and avaricious passions, for if that Contractor is not a good man, he will only look to his own advantage. It is therefore necessary that henceforth each member of the Ottoman Society should be taxed for a quota of a fixed Tax, according to his fortune and of his means, and that it should be impossible that anything more could be exacted from him. It is also necessary that special laws should fix and limit the expenses of our Land and Sea Forces. Although, as we have said, the defence of the country is an important matter, and that it is the duty of all the inhabitants to furnish soldiers for that object, it has become necessary to establish Laws to regulate the contingent to be furnished by each locality, according to the necessity of the time, and to reduce [Hatti-Sheriff of Gulhane.] the term of Military Service to 4 or 5 years. For it is at the same time doing an injustice, and giving a mortal blow to agriculture and to industry to take, without consideration to the respective population of the localities, in the one more, in the other less men than they can furnish, it is also reducing the soldiers to despair, and contributing to the depopulation of the country, by keeping them all their lives in the service. In short, without the several Laws, the necessity for which has just been described, there can be neither strength, nor riches, nor happiness, nor tranquillity for the Empire; it must, on the contrary, look for them in the existence of these new Laws. From henceforth, therefore, the cause of every accused person shall be publicly judged in accordance with our Divine Law, after enquiry and examination, and so long as a regular judgment shall not have been pronounced, no one can, secretly or publicly, put another to death by poison or in any other manner. No one shall be allowed to attack the honour of any other person whatever. Each one shall possess his Property of every kind, and shall dispose of it in all freedom, without let or hindrance from any person whatever; thus, for example, the innocent Heirs of a Criminal shall not be deprived of their legal rights, and the Property of the Criminal shall not be confiscated. These Imperial concessions shall extend to all our subjects, of whatever Religion or sect they may be; they shall enjoy them without exception. We therefore grant perfect security to the inhabitants of our Empire, in their lives, their honour, and their fortunes, as they are secured to them by the sacred text of our Law. As for the other points, as they must be settled with the assistance of enlightened opinions, our Council of Justice (increased by new members, as shall be found necessary), to whom shall be joined, on certain days which we shall determine, our Ministers and the Notabilities of the Empire, shall assemble, in order to frame Laws regulating the Security of Life and Fortune, and the Assessment of the Taxes. Each one in those assemblies shall freely deliver his ideas and give his advice. The Laws regulating the Military Service shall be discussed by a Military Council, holding its sittings at the Palace of the Seraskier. As soon as a Law shall be passed, in order to be for ever [Hatti-Sheriff of Gulhané.] valid, it shall be presented to us; we shall give it our approval, which we will write with our Imperial sign manual. As the object of these Institutions is solely for the purpose of reviving Religion, Government, the Nation, and the Empire, we engage not to do anything which is contrary thereto. In testimony of our promise, we will, after having deposited them in the Hall containing the glorious mantle of the Prophet, in the presence of all the Ulemas, and the Grandees of the Empire make Oath in the name of God, and shall afterwards cause the Oath to be taken by the Ulemas and the Grandees of the Empire. After that, those from among the Ulemas or the Grandees of the Empire, or any other persons whatsoever, who shall infringe. these Institutions, shall undergo, without respect of rank, position, and influence, the punishment corresponding to his crime, after having been well authenticated. A Penal Code shall be compiled to that effect. As all the Public Servants of the Empire receive a suitable salary, and that the salaries of those whose duties have not, up to the present time, been sufficiently remunerated, are to be fixed, a rigorous Law shall be passed against the traffic of favouritism and of appointments (richvet), which the Divine Law reprobates, and which is one of the principal causes of the decay of the Empire. The above dispositions, being an alteration and a complete renewal of ancient customs, this Imperial Rescript shall be published at Constantinople, and in all places of our Empire, and shall be officially communicated to all the Ambassadors of the friendly Powers resident at Constantinople, that they may be witnesses to the granting of these Institutions, which, should it please God, shall last for ever. Wherein, may the Most High have us in His holy keeping. May those who shall pass an Act contrary to the present Regulations be the object of Divine malediction, and deprived for ever of every kind of happiness. Read at Gulhané, 3rd November, 1839. |