Voilà, dit Réchid, à peu près ce que j'ai compris en donnant un coup d'œil sur la lettre de Méhémet Ali. Je retourne à la Porte pour tâcher d'avoir la copie de cette lettre, qui jette une nouvelle phase sur l'affaire Turco-Egyptienne. Je suis, &c., (Translation.) (Signé) F. PISANI. My Lord, Pera, March 6, 1841. THE news from Alexandria are not favourable. Muhib Effendi has remained at Alexandria. He has sent here a long report and a letter from Mehemet Ali to the Grand Vizier. These two documents have been sent to the Sultan. Rechid told me that as soon as he shall have them, he will give me copies of them. Mehemet Ali has rejected the principal points; that is to say, the succession to the Pashalic is to take place on the fixed basis that the eldest of the family shall be the successor, and that may be the brother, and not the son, of the deceased Pasha. The same system is followed in the Ottoman dynasty. The institutions of Gulhané are not practicable in Egypt. The fourth part of the revenues is too much. No Muhassil. All the stipulations between the Porte and foreign Powers are not applicable to Egypt. "This," said Rechid Pasha, "is about what I have understood on casting a glance over Mehemet Ali's letter." I am returning to the Porte in order to endeavour to have a copy of this letter, which produces a new aspect in the Turco-Egyptian affair. I have, &c., (Signed) F. PISANI. No. 202. Viscount Palmerston to Viscount Ponsonby. My Lord, Foreign Office, March 30, 1841. I HAVE received your Excellency's despatch of the 6th of March, by which it appears that the Porte had received intelligence from Alexandria that Mehemet Ali objected to certain of the conditions attached to the firmans, issued by the Porte on the 13th of February, for regulating the future Government of Egypt. With reference to the several objections which, according to M. Pisani's report to your Excellency, Mehemet Ali has offered to these conditions, I have to observe to your Excellency, that with regard to the order of succession in the Pashalic of Egypt, there seems no objection to the Porte fixing it now beforehand, subject to variation in cases of infancy or physical incapacity; but the principle should be maintained. that the appointment of each successive Pasha shall be a separate act of the Sovereign authority of the Sultan, as stated in the Note addressed by the Plenipotentiaries of the Four Powers to Chekib Effendi, on the 30th of January. As to the Hatti Sheriff of Gulhané, and the Treaties of the Porte with Foreign Powers, they must necessarily be carried into execution in Egypt. With regard to the amount of tribute to be hereafter paid by Mehemet Ali, that seems to be a matter of account, which must be determined according to the result of accurate statements of the net revenue of Egypt; of the aggregate cost of all the establishments, civil, military, and naval; and of the amount of surplus which is to be divided between the Sultan and the Pasha, in the shape of tribute for the former, and of means of maintenance for the latter. My Lord, No. 203. Viscount Palmerston to Viscount Ponsonby. Foreign Office, March 30, 1841. I HAVE received your Excellency's despatch of the 25th of February, reporting what had passed between yourself and the Internuncio, on the subject of the regulations to be established by the Porte for the future Government of Syria, and stating that you had deemed it advisable, before taking any steps with the Porte on this matter, to obtain from Syria full information on which to form your opinion; and I have to state to your Excellency, that Her Majesty's Government entirely approve the course you propose to pursue. The first step towards forming or suggesting a plan for the future, is to obtain full and accurate information as to the past. I am, &c., RST Sir, No. 204. Viscount Palmerston to Colonel Bridgeman. Foreign Office, March 30, 1841 I HAVE received your despatch of the 19th of February, reporting the complete evacuation of Syria by the Egyptian forces. Her Majesty's Government have learnt with great satisfaction this successful termination of the contest which has been carried on in that country; and they are fully sensible of the services which the officers and men of Her Majesty's forces, employed on shore, have rendered in the execution of the measures which have led to this result. Her Majesty's Government are especially pleased with the exertions of Her Majesty's officers to prevent any unnecessary loss of life which might have arisen from the mutual distrust of the contending parties; and they feel confident that the intercourse which Her Majesty's officers have had with the Turkish and Egyptian troops, will induce both parties to entertain the most favourable opinion of the British army. I have to instruct you to acquaint the officers and men under your command, that Her Majesty's Government fully approve their conduct throughout the military operations which preceded the evacuation of Syria; and are equally persuaded that their conduct during the short time they may still remain in that country, will continue to be honourable to themselves and advantageous to the public service. I am, &c., (Signed) PALMERSTON. No. 205. Viscount Palmerston to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. My Lords, Foreign Office, March 30, 1841. I HAVE had under my consideration the letter of your Lordships' Secretary of the 12th of March, inclosing copies of two despatches from Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, dated the 28th of February and the 1st of March, the former reporting the evacuation of Syria by the Egyptian troops. Her Majesty's Government duly appreciate the zeal and activity shown by the officers and men of Her Majesty's squadron on the coast of Syria, during the operations which preceded the evacuation of Syria; and I would suggest to your Lordships, that Sir Robert Stopford should be directed to acquaint Captain Stewart of Her Majesty's ship "Benbow," the commanding officer on the Syrian coast, that Her Majesty's Government approve his conduct during the late transactions, and have received with much satisfaction his report of the zealous exertions of the officers and men of Her Majesty's fleet serving under his immediate command. I am, &c., Viscount Ponsonby to Viscount Palmerston.-(Received April 2.) My Lord, Therapia, March 6, 1841. I INCLOSE a letter I have received from Mr. Wood, reporting the steps taken to put an end to the evils occasioned by the Albanians in Syria. My Lord, Mr. Wood to Viscount Ponsonby. Beyrout, February 22, 1841. I HAVE the honour to state to your Lordship, that in consequence of the information transmitted by Mr. Moore to head-quarters at Jaffa of the proceedings of the Albanian troops on their march from Tripoli to Beyrout, which had forced the mountaineers to arm themselves at different points for the defence of their villages, and of the consequent alarm that it had created in the minds of the people, his Excellency the Seraskier Pasha and myself repaired to Beyrout to examine into the disorders committed by them, and punish the offenders. His Excellency held a Council on the 19th instant, in the presence of the principal inhabitants of the town, and on the following day a meeting was held, to which were invited the Consuls of the Foreign Powers, who represented to his Excellency the bad impression the conduct of these disorderly troops would have in the country, if they were allowed to commit disorders with impunity. Great credit is due to his Excellency for the promptitude with which he exerted himself to restore tranquillity, dispel the fears of the inhabitants, and restore confidence to them. The Albanians will be gradually removed from Syria to Malatia,-a measure which will impress upon the minds of the people the anxiety of His Imperial Highness's Government to remove every cause of annoyance to them. My Lord, No. 207. Viscount Palmerston to Viscount Ponsonby. Foreign Office, April 2, 1841. IN reply to your despatch of the 6th of March, inclosing a copy of a letter from Mr. Wood, respecting the proceedings of the Albanian troops in Syria, from which it appears that the Commander of the Ottoman forces in that country intends gradually to remove those troops to Malatia; I have to state to your Excellency, that it appears to Her Majesty's Government to be highly desirable that these Albanian troops should be removed from Syria immediately, and not gradually. I am, &c., (Signed) PALMERSTON. No. 208. Viscount Ponsonby to Viscount Palmerston.-(Received April 2.) (Extract.) Therapia, March 6, 1841. I INCLOSE a report from Mr. Wood on the conduct of Ibrahim Pasha, and his refusal to deliver up the Syrian conscripts and the Turkish marines. Inclosure in No. 208. Mr. Wood to Viscount Ponsonby. My Lord, Head-Quarters, Jaffa, I HAVE the honour to state, that from the latest news the total amount of Egyptian troops still at Gaza, does not exceed 4,000 in all, intended to be embarked the moment a sufficient number of vessels can be procured for that purpose. There are already thirteen ships of war at Gaza, and others are expected daily with a steamer for the conveyance of Ibrahim Pasha to Egypt. I had the honour to transmit to your Lordship, in my letter of the 2nd instant, a copy of a written promise signed by the Seraskier Pasha, General Jochmus, and the Mustechar Effendi, pledging themselves to conform to the formal declaration given to the Egyptians by Captain Stewart, of Her Majesty's navy, and Colonel Alderson, that no further hostilities should be attempted against them by the Turkish army, provided that the total evacuation was effected within seven days from the day of its date, viz., the 30th of January. Not only has this condition not been fulfilled up to the present date (as I anticipated it would not unless it suited the convenience of Ibrahim Pasha), but, moreover, he has refused to deliver up the Syrian conscripts, and the Turkish sailors and marines of the Turkish fleet that had been embodied in the Syrio-Egyptian army. Rechid Pasha wrote to me on the subject from Gaza, and I submitted his letter to the Council; but as the error had been already committed of allowing the Egyptians to assemble at that place with their arms, contrary to the instructions of the Sublime Porte, and other engagements had been entered into both in Syria and in Egypt, the Council evinced no disposition to protest energetically against all the acts of the enemy that were at variance, or in direct opposition, with the stipulations agreed to at Alexandria between Mazloum Bey and Mehemet Ali, on the faithful execution of which de pended solely the suspension of hostilities. The Syrian conscripts, therefore, and the Turkish sailors and marines, have been compelled to accompany the troops to Egypt. These embarrassing questions might have been obviated at the commencement, had the Council followed the suggestion of taking possession of the pass of Beshairi, with 1,000 or 2,000 cavalry, which would have obliged Ibrahim Pasha to have continued his retreat to Egypt through the Desert, or, if too weak to have made that attempt, to conform to our conditions previous to being allowed to proceed to Gaza. All the deserters declare that he could not have remained in the desert two days more, and that the men were too disheartened and too weak for want of nourishment to have endeavoured to force the aforesaid pass. By this simple manoeuvre, without the renewal of hostilities, or infringing in any manner the stipulations,-for the road through the desert would have been left open,-Ibrahim Pasha would have been compelled to accede to all our demands. The total loss of Ibrahim Pasha is reported to amount to 63,500 men, 619 guns, and 148 field pieces: but as I am aware that very full reports on this subject will be transmitted to your Lordship by General Jochmus, I will not presume to enter on a subject on which I have not before me the requisite data to form an opinion. I have, &c., Viscount Ponsonby to Viscount Palmerston.-(Received April 2.) (Extract.) Therapia, March 9, 1841. I HAVE this day received the translation made by Mr. Frederick Pisani of the letter written by the Pasha of Egypt to the Grand Vizier on the subject of the firman conferring the hereditary Government of Egypt upon the family of Mehemet Ali, and of the conditions annexed by the Sultan to that grant; and I have the honour to inclose copy thereof. Inclosure in No. 209. Mehemet Ali to the Grand Vizier.-(Communicated to Viscount Ponsonby, March 7, 1841.) (Traduction.) J'AI eu l'honneur de recevoir la lettre de Votre Altesse, par laquelle j'ai appris que mon empressement à prouver par des faits mon dévouement et ma soumission à celui qui est l'ombre de Dieu sur la terre, lui ayant été fort agréable, il a daigné me réintegrer dans le Gouvernement de l'Egypte avec hérédité, et que le firman Impérial qui renferme quelques conditions attachées à cette hérédité, et qui est orné en haut d'un rescrit Impérial, m'était envoyé par son Excellence Saïd Muhib Effendi, un des Principaux Employés de la Sublime Porte, et Ministre de la Justice. Conformément à mon devoir de sujet dévoué, j'ai ordonné la formation d'un cortège d'honneur, que j'ai envoyé à la rencontre de son Excellence; j'ai fait tirer de nombreux coups de canon des batteries de terre et des bâtimens, et pavoiser les vaisseaux; réjouissances qui ont rempli de contentement et de joie le cœur des sujets de la Sublime Porte, qui ont adressé des prières au Très Haut pour la conservation des jours et la prospérité de Sa Majesté Impériale. Veuille le Suprême Ordonnateur de l'univers faire en sorte que notre très Auguste, très Grand, et très Puissant Padichah et Maître répande à jamais ses faveurs sur les hommes, et brille dans le royaume de la justice et de l'équité. |