TURKEY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 657, 23 February 1859, Page 3

TURKEY.

A Constantinople letter of October 20 gives an account;of an act of violence perpetrated by some Turks on a Frenchman:—"A few days ago a Frenchman, a professor of languages, took a walk to'a. favourite promenade at a quarter of a league from Biiyukdere, and seated himself; near a fountain, at a" short distance from a group of Turks, All

at once, one of' the latter, without any provocation, snatched liis pane from him, ami when lie demanded it hack, the whole hand fell on him. und beat and kicked him in a savage manner. Three cavnsos (policemen) were near,'but instead of rendering assistance to the victim, they continued calmly smoking their pipes. When, however, the Turks had quitted the. professor, the cavases seized the poor man, and; with many a blow and kick carried him off to gaol. The affair, having become known, excited profit sensation amongst the population of Buykudere, which is chiefly Christian, and a complaint was made to the French ambassador. At his request the Minister of. Police personally instituted an investigation, and he had the three cavases arrested, dismissed the chief of the police of the district, and caused a young Turk, who had been one of the assailants, and had followed the cavases when they carried the Frenchman to prison, and to be placed in irons to make: him reveal the names of his accomplices. But a 1 this was only apparent severity; tho men were two days after set at liberty." In a letter of a more recent date, the correspondent of the « Express' gives the following account o£ an outrage perpetrated upon the English'ambassador, Sir Henry Butwer, in the streets of Constantinople:—" On the afternoon of the 29th of October, Sir_ H. Bulwer was the object of an outrage in the main street of Pera, which has created a considerable local sensation. Attended by a black groom, his excellency was riding down this narrow thoroughfare, when he met one of the court carrriages filled with ladies, and escorted, as usual, by a troop of eunuchs and palace servants. As these lumbering vehicles filled up nearly the whole -width of the street, Sir Henry's groom called out to the coachman to draw a little to one side to let his master pass. Coacliee, with t\\e usual insolence of these palace menials, replied that he would not move an inch for a Giaour, and kept on till Sir Henry was ia imminent danger of being crushed against the side of the adjoining house. Seeing this, the groom struck the near carriage horse, to turn the vehicle aside, whereupon the driver returned the blow across the shoulders of the former, who, showing fight, was speedily beset by the armed servants and eunuchs in attendance. A s short work -would have been made of the poor, black if left to the mercy of these ruffians, Sir Henry Bulwer rode into the melee to the rescue; but although, the groom and the bystanders called out to the palace people that it was the English ambassador, it was not until, I believe, more than one blow had fallen upon his excellency, that the spectators succeeded in putting an end to the outrage. During the latter part of the squabble the confusion of the scene was enhanced by the discordant screams of the veiled occupants of the carriage, who, to do them justice, however, encouraged their myrmidons right loudly with shouts of Aferim! aferim! (Well done, well done) till they heard.that the object of the indignity was the redoubtable English El'ehee. Fear of the result then took the place of vixenish glee, and encouraging laughter gave way to screaming orders to desist. The principal actors in this disgraceful outrage have, it is said, been severely punished; but till something more than flogging and an apology is exacted for these brutalities, which are of frequent occurrence even in the heart ot this Frankish quarter, their pampered perpetrators are not likely to practise better manners. As it is, their praetorian insolence is beyond all toleration." Mehemed Aji and Ali Ghalib have been restored to office, and Ali Pacha, the Grand Vizier, has sent in his resignation. All this is attributed to Lord Stratford and the reaction; The British ex-minister was greatly courted by the party expelled a short time since.' [Ali Ghalib enjoyed his honours but a few days. He has been drowned in the Bosphorus in a collision between two vessels.] The 'Nord' announces-Lord Stratford de Redcliffe's recent an ival at Athens, and his presentation of a letter from Queen Victoria to King Otho,