NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE Sultan has revenged himself for Sir H. Layard's lectures by inflicting on him a public humiliation. It will be remembered that Lord Derby, when Foreign Secretary, demanded the punishment of Hafiz Pasha for his share in the Bulgarian atrocities, whereupon the Porte took Hafiz into especial favour, and ultimately made him Minister of Police. He has ever since shown himself most hostile to England, and after the seizure of Dr. Koller's papers, Sir Henry Layard made his dismissal a condition of the continuance of diplomatic relations. The Sultan refused this, alleging that he himself had given the orders ; but Hafiz was directed to apologise, and did so, whereupon the Sul- tan presented him with the highest mark of favour at his disposal, the Grand Cordon of the Medjidie. In other words, he informed the diplomatic world and Constantinople that as England protested against Hafiz Pasha, he honoured and should protect him. A more striking proof of the contempt into which Lord Beaconsfield has brought the influence of Eng- land with the Sovereign whom he has so openly adulated, could not be conceived. We presume that on the opening of the Ses- sion, the Premier will add to his usual list of Abdul Hamid's good qualities, his devotion to Great Britain and his personal friendship for Sir Henry Layard. He has not forgotten his old apophthegm that " with words we govern men." It was truer than his readers thought.
