in Macedonia. They have insisted that the Sultan shall allow
them to take the financial control of the province, and so terminate at least one of the many causes of disorder there, and have even appointed Agents to early out reforms. The Agents have met at Uskub, and are considering what to do next. The Sultan, however, who regards this demand as an interference with his sovereignty, steadily refuses his consent, and the Powers are left in this quandary. If they recede, they
will be considered beaten, and all future demands will be similarly rejected ; while if they persist., they must use force, to which they are not all quite inclined. The Sultan knows that, and is therefore obstinate ; and all manner of plans are discussed for surmounting the difficulty. The best would be for Great Britain and France to take possession of the Custom-house of Smyrna, which receives large payments with which the Turkish Treasury cannot dispense; but as no one knows what Germany might in that event say or do, the Powers are reluctant to adopt so decided a course. The Concert of Europe is, in fact, baffled upon the field of its choice by the refusal of one of its members to keep in harmony with the remainder. The Times correspondent at Constantinople believes, we see, that in the end the Ambas- sadors of the Powers will insist on acting together ; but that is not certain, their interests not being identical. Suppose they warn the Porte that in the event of continued refusal they will be reluctantly compelled to ask as an alternative that Macedonia should be placed in the position of Crete ?
