veritable grounds of complaint, on which the petition in question
did not touch, it is within the power of the government to remove; and
this, we may confidently anticipate, will be done.

Equality before the law is the principal and first thing to be
established, and such at present is not the case. Christian evidence,
for example, is received in criminal, but not in civil causes, i.e. in
questions concerning property. Moreover, even in criminal causes of any
importance, the decision of the inferior courts, where Christian
evidence is admissible, is referred for confirmation to superior courts,
where such testimony is not accepted. In defence of this it is urged,
that Turkish property would be endangered, if, in the present
demoralised state of society, Christian evidence were admitted. But,
while advancing this argument, it is forgotten that this state is
traceable to the lax and vicious system pursued in the Mussulman courts,
where, as the only way of securing justice for the Christians, Mussulman
witnesses are allowed to give false evidence.

Another abuse, of which the most is made by the enemies of Turkey, is
the forcible abduction of Christian girls by Mussulmans. The practice
has, however, almost died out, except in northern Albania; and yet it is
this alone which formed the groundwork of the most important of Prince
Gortschakoff's charges, viz. the forced conversion of Christians to
Islamism. It would, doubtless, fall into disuse in that part of the
country, were the offence dealt with as an ordinary police affair; but
the clumsy machinery of Turkish law, however sincere may be its object,
has done little to diminish the evil. Many schemes have been devised for
its prevention. One was to make the girl appear before the court which
rejects Christian evidence, and declare herself a Christian or
Mussulman. If she confessed her faith, she was returned to her friends,
and the ravisher nominally punished; but, as they almost always declared
themselves to be Mahomedans, the Christians complained that fear or
other undue pressure had been put upon them. To obviate this, it was
decided that the girl should be sequestered in the house of the Bishop
for three days previous to her making her profession of faith. This has,
however, been discontinued, as it produced much scandal; and the
question remains undecided.

Instincts of race are far stronger in Turkey than is generally supposed.
In Albania, where the Mussulmans a