From Constantinople the rumour comes that Safvet Pasha is to
be Prime Minister, instead of Aarifi Pasha; that Mahmoud Nedim Pasha (the old Grand Vizier of Russian leanings) is to be Minister of Marine,—a step towards elevating him to his old dignity—and that Khaireddin is to be made Minister of Finance, if he can be wheedled into taking the post,—as a con- cession, of course, to England and France. Further, the Porte has requested .England and France to select a few nominees for inspectors of the gendarmerie, collectorates, and judicial tri- bunals of Asiatic-Turkey. (Four out of ten financial inspectors- general are to be Europeans, and the other six Natives. The forty ordinary inspectors are to be all Natives.) We can imagine the cynical satisfaction with which this concession must have been made by the Turkish Government. It looks so well, and means absolutely nothing. Where is the harm of four European inspectors-general ? As much as can be known of the vices of Turkish government is known already ; and know- ing more of them will assuredly do nothing to remove them,— will rather deepen the despair of removing them without forcible annexation.
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