the command of an irregular force. He possesses
great energy of character, and is free from the taint of venality;
but he is at the same time somewhat proud and vindictive. His
predecessor in the ministry of the interior was M. Ilia Garashanin,
the rising man in Servia. Sound practical sense, and unimpeachable
integrity, without a shade of intrigue, distinguish this senator. May
Servia have many Garashanins!

The standing army is a mere skeleton. The reason of this is obvious.
Servia forms part of one great empire, and adjoins two others;
therefore, the largest disciplined force that she might bring into the
field, in the event of hostilities, could make no impression for
offensive objects; while for defensive purposes, the countless
riflemen, taking advantage of the difficult nature of the country, are
amply sufficient.

Let the Servians thank their stars that their army is a skeleton. Let
all Europe rejoice that the pen is rapidly superseding the sword; that
there now exists a council-board, to which strong and weak are equally
amenable. May this diplomarchy ultimately compass the ends of the
earth, and every war be reckoned a civil war, an arch-high-treason
against confederate hemispheres!

The portfolios of justice and finance are usually in the hands of men
of business-habits, who mix little in politics.

The courts of law have something of the promptitude of oriental
justice, without its flagrant venality. The salaries of the judges are
small: for instance, the president of the appeal court at Belgrade has
the miserable sum of L300 sterling per annum. M. Hadschitch, who
framed the code of laws, has L700 sterling per annum.

The criminal code is founded on that of Austria. The civil code is a
localized modification of the _Code Napoleon_. The first translation
of the latter code was almost literal, and made without reference to
the manners and historical antecedents of Servia: some of the blunders
in it were laughable:--_Hypotheque_ was translated as if it had been
_Apotheke_, and made out to be a _depot of drugs_! When the translator
was asked for the reason of this extraordinary prominence of the drug
depot subject, he accounted for it by the consummate skill attained
by France in medicine and surgery!

A small lawyer party is beginning in Belgrade, but they are disliked
by the people, who prefer short _viva voce_ procedure, and dislike
documents. It is remarked, that when a man is supposed to be in the
r