[Servia.] No.146.-HATTI-SHERIFF issued by the Sublime Porte to Servia. Constantinople, 1st October, 1829.* TABLE. Freedom of Trade in Turkey. Erection of Hospitals, &c. Prohibition to Mussulmans or Turks to Reside in Servia. Administration of Fiefs and Turkish Estates. Liberty of Worship. Election of Chiefs. Internal Administration. Reunion of Detached Provinces. Consolidation of Tribute. (Translation as laid before Parliament.†) To our intelligent and wise Vizier, &c., &c., Hossein Pasha, Governor of Belgrade, &c., &c., and to the eminent and learned Kadi, the upright and virtuous Judge of Belgrade, &c., &c. On the arrival of this Imperial mandate, it may be known to you that in Article V of the Treaty concluded at Ackermann (No. 131), between our Sublime Porte and the Court of Russia, it was agreed that, whether in conformity with her friendly intentions, or in accordance with the Articles of the Treaty of Bucharest, the Sublime Porte, in proof of her consideration and attention towards Russia, would complete and manifest her mercy and philanthropy for her subjects, who formerly paid her the capitation taxes. Thus, in order amply to remunerate the Servian nation for the firm submission and fidelity which they have always shown to the Ottoman Throne, the Sublime Porte has deemed it proper to fulfil now all the promises and provisions contained in Article VIII of the said Treaty of Bucharest, in favour and for the benefit of the Servian nation and country, and to communicate with the Servian deputies now at Constantinople upon the method and arrangement of the accomplishment and execution of those points, which were necessarily postponed for a period of 18 months for further consideration and investigation; and, as in accordance with the tenor of a Separate Agreement, these points, after conferring with the said Servian Deputies, have been brought to a Final Arrangement and method, it became necessary that an Imperial Firman, *See Note, page 842. For French Version, see "State Papers," vol. xxiii, p. 949. [Servia.] detailing and specifying those points and provisions, should be issued from our Imperial Divan, without delay, and be made public and known to the Court of Russia. We, therefore, in fulfilment of the said Article VIII of the Treaty of Bucharest, as well as of the contents of the before-mentioned Separate Agreement, have given our Imperial permission to the said Servian Deputies to represent to us the wishes and claims of their nation, and we have likewise decreed, and given leave to these Deputies, that the Servians might freely exercise in their country their mode of Worship, and follow their own Religion; that they might elect their own Chiefs from amongst themselves; that the administration of the Internal Affairs of their country might be under their own authority; that the Detached Provinces of Servia might be added and united to it; that the different kind of Taxes, Revenues, and Capitation Duties might be all consolidated and fixed into one sum; as also the direction or administration of Fiefs out of the Estates and Property belonging to the Turks, might be left to the management of the Servians; that, for the sake of free trade, they might have the liberty and permission, with their own Passports in hand, to pass and go through the dominions of the Sublime Porte as Servian merchants; that they might erect and build Hospitals, Schools, and Printing offices in their own country; and, lastly, the Mussulmans or Turks, except those who are to guard the castles, should be prohibited to reside in Servia. Similar other points, connected with the tranquillity and benefit of Servia, had been petitioned for by the Servian nation before now, from the Sublime Porte, but which points, owing to some circumstances as to their arrangement and regulation, have been left as they were. The Sublime Porte, however, in accordance with the good intentions expressed by her, in Article VIII of the Treaty of Bucharest, for the advantage and assistance of the Servians, had decided that all the said points, which they have demanded, might be granted to them, after being discussed with the Servian Deputies now at Constantinople, and brought under an arrangement, without infringing upon the rules of loyalty, as a reward, out of our mercy and generosity, for the fidelity and submission which they have always shown to us; and thus the fulfilment of the said Article VIII might be proved, on our part, to the Court of Russia. But while an Imperial Firman was on the point of being issued, with our Royal Signet, to this effect, and some Commissioner being appointed on our part to confer with [Servia.] the Servian Deputies, unforeseen hostile Differences appeared (between the Porte and Russia), and consequently the said conference remained unfinished. As now, however, in the Treaty newly concluded with Russia at Adrianople, it was agreed in Article VI, that the fulfilment of the Separate Convention concerning Servia, which took place previous to Article V of the Treaty of Ackermann, should be executed without delay, and the 6 Districts* which are detached from Servia should be immediately added and united to it, the Sublime Porte does now accordingly engage herself for, and promise the accomplishment thereof, for the sake of the happiness and tranquillity of her faithful and obedient subjects, the Servian nation. For this purpose, this Imperial mandate, with our Royal Signet, has been issued to you, our Vizier and Kadi, for your instruction and guidance, and that you may make it publicly known and explained to my subjects, the Servian nation, and act, with care and attention, according to its noble contents. Issued from our Imperial Divan, the beginning of Rebi-ulAkhir, 1245, A. H. (About the 1st of October, 1829.) * Kraina, including Klioute; Tzerna Jeka with Gourgouchevatz; Barvia, with Sverlic; Alexinitza, with Rosnia and Paroquina; Kruchevatz, known as Allaja-Hissar; a part of the Stari-Vla (Old Wallachia), with part of the District of Novi-Pavar, known by the name of Berveme; and the Districts of Drina, formed of Jadra and Radgevena. See Firman of the Sultan of December, 1833. [Peace. Russia and Turkey.] No. 147.-MANIFESTO of the Emperor of Russia on the conclusion of Peace with Turkey. 1st October, 1829. (Translation.*) By the Grace of God, We, Nicholas First, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias, &c. Thanks to the Decrees of Divine Providence, the Treaty of Perpetual Peace between Russia and the Ottoman Porte has been concluded and signed at Adrianople on the September (No. 145), by the respective Plenipotentiaries of the two Empires. 2nd 14th The whole world knows full well the irresistible necessity which alone could compel us to have recourse to arms. In that legitimate War, undertaken for the defence of the rights of our Empire, our faithful subjects, always animated by an ardent devotion to the Throne and country, hastened to place at our disposal the tribute of their goods, to support us by all their efforts; and God has blessed our cause. Our heroic warriors have given in Europe and in Asia, by sea and by land, new proofs of their heroic courage. They have triumphed both over obstacles created by nature, and the desperate resistance of the enemy; rushing forward from victory to victory, they passed the chain of the Saganlouk mountains, they saw beneath them the summit of the Balkans, and only stopped at the very gates of Constantinople. Formidable only to the armed enemy, they were, towards the peaceable inhabitants, full of clemency, humanity, and gentleness. In those days of battles and glory, always strangers to any desire of conquest, to all views of aggrandisement, we never ceased to invite the Porte to concur in the re-establishment of good harmony between the two Empires. The chiefs of our armies, after every victory, hastened, in compliance with our orders, to offer peace and friendship. Our efforts were, nevertheless, always fruitless; it was only on seeing our standards floating close to his capital, that the Sultan at last saw, by our conduct, that our object was not to upset his Throne, but to obtain the fulfilment of Treaties. Convinced from that moment of the purity *For French version, see "State Papers," vol. xvi, p. 904. [Peace. Russia and Turkey.] of our motives, he stretched out his hand to receive the Peace which had been so often proposed to him. To Russia that Peace promises happy and prosperous results; the blood of her warriors is bought by numerous advantages; the passage of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus is henceforth free and open to the commerce of all the nations of the world; the security of our Frontiers, especially on the side of Asia, is for ever guaranteed by the incorporation to the Empire of the Fortresses of Anapa, Poti, Akhaltzik, Atzkour, and Akhalkalaki; our 'former Treaties with Turkey are confirmed and re-established in all their vigour; just Indemnities are secured for the expenses of the War, and the individual losses sustained by our subjects; the scourge of the plague, which has so often threatened the southern countries of Russia, will in future be restricted by a double barrier, by the establishment, agreed upon by both parties, of a line of Quarantine on the borders of the Danube. Our solicitude was also extended over the fate of the co-religionist peoples subject to the Ottoman dominion; the ancient privileges of the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia have been sanctioned, and their well-being has been consolidated by new advantages; the rights granted to Servians by the Treaty of Bucharest and confirmed by the Convention of Ackermann (No. 131), were still suspended in their application; those stipulations will henceforth be faithfully fulfilled. The political existence of Greece, such as it has been determined by Russia, in concert with the Allied Courts of Great Britain and France, has been formally acceded to by the Ottoman Porte. (No. 144). Such are the fundamental bases of a Peace which has happily terminated a bloody and obstinate War. In making known to all our well-beloved subjects this happy event, a new gift from the blessings of Heaven accorded to Russia, we address with them fervent thanksgivings to the Most High, who has deigned to raise, by His Divino Decrees, our dear country to so high a degree of glory. May the fruits of that Peace develop themselves, and multiply more and more for the benefit of our faithful subjects whose well-being will always be the first object of our constant solicitude. Given at St. Petersburgh, the 19th September, 1829, of our reign the 4th. 1st October NICOLAS. * See Appendix. |