CHANGES IN TURKEY.
THE SULTAN DETHRONED.
SUCCEEDED BY A BROTHER.
ABDUL HAMID'S FORTUNE.
FIFTY MILLIONS INVESTED.
liy Telegraph.—Press Association. —Copyright
London, April 27. ilEUTEii's Constantinople Agency reports that the dethronement of the Sultan of Turkey, Abdul Hamid 11., has been decided upon by both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and that he will be succeeded by his brother, the heir-presump-tive, Mehemmed Rcshad El'fendi. Other reports received by London newspapers from their correspondents in Constantinople state that the movement to dethrone the "Sultan was hastened by the discovery that many of the prisoners taken when the Yildiz. garrison surrendered were in possession of sums ranging from £5 to £20.
The Sultan is accused of distributing £300,000 among the Palace garrison to encourage them to resist the advance of the army of the Committee of Union and Progress.
When the Sultan's personal entourage realised that the situation was serious and that the Palace guards had dispersed, the whole court fled, leaving the Sultan alone in the apartments of the harem.
Many of his servants escaped to Asia Minor, while those remaining pillaged the Palace.
The Sultan has a fortune of fifty millions sterling, which is invested abroad. It is expected that this will be utilised in placing Turkey's finances on a sound basis.
The Sultan stated that the. authors of the revolt against the Constitution were Liberals, who were adherents of the decentralisation movement, helped by the League of Mohammed.
It is suspected that the chief promoters of the plot were the Sultan's favourite son, Burhan-ed-rin, and the chief eunuch, Nadir Aga.
Kiamil Pasha's reactionary son, Said Pasha, is a fugitive.
The Sultan's personal guard, whose surrender was cabled yesterday, were to-day conducted, roped together, to the headquarters of the Committee, of Inquiry, where they will be examined as to their knowledge of the. organisers of the plot to overthrow the Constitution.
The soldiers at Erzeroum, in Turkish Armenia, have arrested 50 of their leaders.
"I EXPECTED THIS." THE SULTAN'S ONLY WISH. TO DIE WHERE HI-: WAS BORN. (Received April 28, 11 p.m.) Constantinople, April 28. At a secret sitting of the Assembly yesterday a fetwah (written decision on a point of the religious law), countersigned by the Sheik-ul-Islam (head of the Church), was read. Replying to a question whether a person guilty of tampering with the sacred writings and responsible for the shedding of the blood of innocents and squandering the wealth of the country could retain the Caliphate, the fetwah answered, " No, he must be dethroned or abdicate."
The Assembly immediately shouted " Dethrone him."
Two Senators and two Deputies thereupon proceeded to Yildiz Kiosk (the Sultan's Palace), and informed Abdul Hamid of the Assembly's decision.
Abdul Hamid answered, " I expected this. My only wish is that the lives of myself and family shall be safeguarded, and that I reside at Tschiraghan Palace, as I wish to die where I was born."
Sherkot Pasha (the Young Turk leader) announces that the great barracks at Pera will be razed to the ground.
Sherkot Pasha was offered the Grand Viziership, but refused, to prevent the belief that he was seeking his own advancement.
(Received April 28, 11.25 p.m.)
Constantinople, April 28.
The Tshiraghan Palace, where Abdul Hamid is to reside, is a building of marble, richly appointed. It was the scene of the assassination of Sultan Abdul Aziz in 1876, and of the imprisonment of Murad V.
A bridge connects the gardens of the palace with the Yildiz Kiosk.
Abdul Hamicl was deserted, save for a few women, before his dethronement.
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