[Constitution.] Primary Education. ART. CXIV. Primary education will be obligatory on all Ottomans. The details of application will be fixed by a special law. Execution of Constitution. ART. CXV. No provision of the constitution can, under pretext whatsoever, be suspended or neglected. Modifications in Constitution on Certain Conditions. any ART. CXVI. In case of duly proved necessity, the Constitution may be modified in some of its provisions. This modification is subordinated to the following conditions: Every proposal of modification, whether presented by the Minister or by either of the two Chambers, must be, in the first instance, submitted to the deliberations of the Chamber of Deputies. If the proposition is approved by two-thirds of the members of the Chamber it shall be forwarded to the Senate. In case the Senate also adopts the proposed modification by a two-thirds majority, it shall be submitted for the sanction of His Majesty the Sultan. If it is sanctioned by Imperial Iradé it shall have force of law. Articles of the Constitution, which it is proposed to modify, remain in force until the modification, after having been voted by the Chambers, shall have been sanctioned by Imperial Iradé. Intepretation of Laws. ART. CXVII. The Court of Cassation will interpret the civil and penal laws; the Council of State administrative laws; and the Senate the articles of the Constitution. ART. CXVIII. All the provisions of the laws, regulations, usages, and customs now in force shall continue to be applied so long as they shall not have been modified or abrogated by other laws and regulations. Provisional Order concerning General Assembly. ART. CXIX. The preliminary order of 10 Cheval, 1293 (18th October, 1876), concerning the General Assembly, will cease to have effect from the end of the first Session. Promulgated the 7th Zilhidjé, 1293 (December, 1876). [Conferences at Constantinople.] No. 477.-PROTOCOLS OF CONFERENCES between the Plenipotentiaries of Great Britain, Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Turkey, for the reestablishment of Peace between Turkey, Servia, and Montenegro, and for the Amelioration of the General Situation in the East. Constantinople, 23rd December, 1876-20th January, 1877.† Protocol. ABSTRACT OF PROTOCOLS. "State Papers," vol. lxviii, page No. 1. Opening of the Conferences. Meeting of Plenipotentiaries of Servia and Montenegro. Andrassy Note (No. 456). In- Armistice. No. 2. Prolongation of Armistice (till last day of February, 1877). Observations of Ottoman Plenipotentiaries on Report presented by Conference. Observations of Russian Plenipotentiaries. Servia and Montenegro. Little Zvornik, Servian Boundary. Meaning of expression "speaking roughly." English Proposals for Pacification:-1. Servia *The Plenipotentiaries were : For Great Britain. The Marquis of Salisbury and Sir Henry Elliot. Austria-Hungary. Count Zichy and Baron de Calice. France. Count F. de Bourgoing and Count de Chaudordy. Germany. Baron de Werther. Italy. Count L. Corti. Russia. General N. Ignatiew. Turkey. Safvet Pasha and Edhem Pasha. For the full text of these Protocols see "State Papers," vol. 68, page 1114. Protocol. [Conferences at Constantinople.] "State Papers," vol. lxviii, page and Montenegro. 2. Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bulgaria. Constantinople, 28th December, 1876 1124 No. 3. Turkish Counter-Project. Delay in presentation to Conference. Bulgaria. Bosnia. Servia. Speech of French Ambassador: Integrity of Ottoman Empire. Provincial Organizations. International Commission. Occupation of the Country by Foreign Troops. Precedents in which one Foreign Nation has been appealed to by another for Intellectual or Military assistance.* Appeal to the Ottoman Government to give a more attentive examination of the Proposals of the Powers. Speech of Russian Ambassador: -English Basis maintained. Provincial Organizations. Proposals of the Cabinets constitute for Russia a final and irreducible minimum. Appeal to the Ottoman Government to accept with reserve the Proposals of Europe. Speech of the Marquis of Salisbury, who joins in appeals of French and Russian Ambassadors. Assent of Austrian Ambassador to above Declarations. Adhesion of German and Italian Ambassadors. Explanation of President of delay in presenting Turkish Counter-Project. Sitting suspended for presentation of Turkish Counter-Project. Constantinople, 30th December, 1876 1136 No. 4. Turkish Counter-Project. Speech of the Marquis of Salisbury. Objections to Counter-Project. Observations of 1st Turkish Plenipotentiary. Observations of French Ambassador. Adhesion of the Ambassadors of the 6 Powers to Lord Salisbury's Observations. Speech of 2nd Turkish Plenipotentiary. Inability to discuss certain points. Observations of the various Plenipotentiaries. Discussion of question as to positive rejection by the Porte of the Propositions of the Powers. Constantinople, 1st January, 1877 Annex. Turkish Counter-Project 1143 1148 "France has long borrowed from Italy the services of diplomatists and statesmen; from Switzerland excellent soldiers. Russia has done the same, and only to cite two examples respecting this, did not the Duc de Richelieu administer a province and found a town in Russia before bestowing on his country the eminent services of which France has preserved a grateful recollection? And did not France, almost in our time, grant Count Rossi, an Italian, Letters of Naturalization, so as to employ him as Ambassador ?” [Conferences at Constantinople.] Protocol. "State Papers," vol. lxviii, page No. 5. Explanation by 1st Ottoman Plenipotentiary of motives which caused the Ottoman Government to decline European Proposals. International Commission. Foreign Gendarmerie. Administrative Divisions. Cantonment of Regular Troops. Finances. Administration of Justice. Nomination and Powers of the Governors-General and Governors. Circassian Colonization. Observations of the Marquis of Salisbury and other Plenipotentiaries thereon. Constantinople, 4th January, 1877 1152 No. 6. Observations of the Italian Minister, in the name of the 6 Constantinople, 8th January, 1877 1163 No. 7. Territorial Division of Ottoman Empire. Observations of Constantinople, 11th January, 1877 1180 No. 8. Firman of 12th December, 1875 (No. 455), included in the Constitution (No. 476). Explanation of the 1st Turkish Plenipotentiary. Speech of the Marquis of Salisbury. Summary of Proposals adopted by Guaranteeing Powers :Montenegro. Rectification of the Frontiers of Montenegro with the addition of the Banyani, Piva with Niksich, Drobniak, a part of Charanzi, the District of Kolachine, the Kutchi-Drekalovitchi, the Kutchi-Krïni, the Vassoïevitchi from Zievna to the Lim, the Maly and Vely Brdo, Spouze and Zabliak. International Commission of delimitation ad hoc. Free Navigation of, and Neutrality of the Forts on, the Boyana :-Servia. Status quo ante bellum for Servia, with a Settlement of the Boundary difficulties on the side of Bosnia by a Commission of Arbitration in conformity with the Hatti-Cherif of 1833 (No. 169). Evacuation of the two Principalities by the Ottoman Troops and those of the Principalities of the Territories *See Note, page 2481. 1188 Protocol. [Conferences at Constantinople.] "State Papers," vol. lxviii, page beyond the fixed Boundaries. Exchange of Prisoners of No. 9. Address of 1st Ottoman Plenipotentiary. Observations of [On the refusal of the Porte to carry out the recommendations of the Conference, a Note was addressed by the Russian Government to each of the Great Powers stating that, before determining on the steps which it might be proper to take, the Emperor of Russia was desirous of knowing the limits within which the Cabinets with whom the Russian Government had till then endeavoured, and still desired so far as might be possible to proceed in common, were willing to act. A copy of this Circular Note was communicated to the Earl of Derby by Count Schouvaloff on the 5th February, 1877. See "State Papers, Vol. 68, page 1104.] |