de by the ambassador. They
remarked:--"We will concede that the first outrage was committed by
subordinate local authorities, whose acts might admit of excuse or
explanation; but the subsequent imprisonment was deliberately ordered
by a high public functionary, the official depositary-, in fact, of
the treaties existing between the two countries, one who could not be
ignorant of the privileges they guaranteed, and who was not ignorant
that in the instance in question he was grossly and intentionally
violating them. Considering, therefore, that the present is not the only
instance, although the most flagrant one, of personal violence offered
to British subjects, we cannot but see in their repeated occurrence,
more especially of late, an intentional infraction of the treaties, and,
indeed, the existence of some fixed design on the part of the Turkish
government to assume to itself a power of control in such matters which
it would be dangerous ever to concede." Before the determination of the
British cabinet could be known, the divan of Constantinople had resolved
to yield: the reis effendi was dismissed, with a monthly pension of
10,000 piastres; but it was on the pretence that bad health disabled
him from regularly attending to the duties of his office. It was said
afterwards, that the British ministry viewed the matter in a less
serious light than that in which it had been viewed by Lord Ponsonby;
and that they were not inclined to consider the demand he had made as
one on which it was necessary to insist. It is certain, indeed, that the
dispatches of the Turkish envoy ill London, subsequent to the dismissal
of the reis effendi, assured the divan of the readiness of the British
ministry to settle the controversy on conditions much milder than
those on which Lord Ponsonby had stated to be the only terms which his
majesty's government could consider proper reparation for the insult
offered to its dignity. It is also certain that the credit of the
British ambassador, whose successful firmness was neutralised by his
government, was greatly diminished at the Porte.

CHAPTER XLVII.

{WILLIAM IV. 1836--1837}

_Meeting of Parliament..... Consideration of the State of
Ireland..... Irish Municipal Corporations Bill.....
Question of Establishing a System of Poor-Law in
Ireland..... Irish Tithe Question..... Question of Church-
Rates..... The Church of Scotland..... Notices of Motions