NEWS OF THE WEEK.
TURKEY is rapidly becoming disintegrated. The Mussulman population of Albania, irritated by the recent defeat of Islam, has virtually revolted. It has established a "League," whose leaders have become a Provisional Government, seated at Prisrend, and threaten to resist Austria, Servia, and Montenegro. They can place about 25,000 brave and powerfully-armed men in the field, and as an earnest of their policy have murdered Mehemet Ali, the Commissioner sent by the Porte to Albania to carry out the Berlin Treaty. He was specially distrusted as Plenipoten- tiary at the Berlin Congress, was requested to declare war on the Christians, and on his refusal, was massacred at Ipek, with his suite and a guard, who remained faithful. It is stated that the rebels are supported by a party in Constantinople, who are also arming the Mussulmans in Thessaly, and inciting the insurgents in Bosnia and the Rhodope chain. The Sultan's authority in Europe has, in fact, disappeared, and is replaced by that of fanatical Committees, who at once commence attacks upon all Christians, driving them, as in Bosnia, to emigrate. As this state of affairs cannot last, the movement excites grave attention both in Vienna and Berlin, where it is foreseen that a more thorough settlement of the Eastern Question by the extinction of the Sultanet has become inevitable. The German Government has already proposed, or is immediately about to propose, that the Porte be compelled to carry out the Treaty of Berlin, and has received, according to rumour, a refusal from Great Britain. This last statement, though probable, still requires confirmation.
