The Cretans and the Greeks are furious with the Sultan's
Firman granting a nominal amnesty. It practically covers nobody, as all who are already punished are excluded from its operation, and all who offend against the laws, which everybody does who can be accused of treason. The Firman, moreover, makes the Executive worse, because, although the Governor-General is to be a Christian, he is to do nothing without the consent of a Mussulman lieutenant, who will, in fact, control him, under penalty of a hostile report to Constantinople, which would be followed by arrest and exile. At the same time, the Mussulman representation in the Repre- sentative Council is increased, and half the Customs duties, which hitherto went to pay the gendarmerie, are to be paid to the Porte, which in return will supersede the native gendarmerie by Albanians, the fiercest of all Mahommedans. A formal remonstrance will be addressed by M. Tricoupis to the Porte ; but remonstrances not backed by cannon are regarded by the Pashas, quite justly from their point of view, as idle words.
