The action of Turkey will, however, depend on the result
of .thin silent struggle going on in Constantinople. The European party there, beaded by Midhat Pasha, has been anxious for some sort of 44 Constitution," for the grant of controlling powers to the Great Divan, and for restrictions on the authority of the Khalif. The old Turks, headed till yesterday by Hussein Avni Pasha, are, however, opposed to these changes, and have obtained from the Sheikh-ul-Islam a fetwa declaring the limitation of the Khalifate contrary to divine law, and have compelled the Sultan to dismiss his private secretary, Zia Bey, who represented the innovators. They have, moreover, warned the Softas that they must lay down their arms, and have succeeded in defeating Midhat Pasha's claim to the Grand Vizierate. They appear at present to be predominant, though the murder of Hussein Avni may weaken them, and though the Sultan is re- ported to be on the other side. He is a weak man, however, chiefly intent on paying his debts, about £600,000, out of his uncle's treasure, and unlikely to desire strongly the limitation of his own powers. The struggle is not over yet, or nearly over, and some curious intrigue seems to be going on about the Sultan's investiture. His visit to the Mosque of Eyonb and the girding-on with the sword, which is equivalent to coronation, is postponed from day to day. So also is the appearance of the " Charter," which will, probably, when it appears, contain nothing but some very vague promises of a liberal kind. True represen- tation is, of course, impossible in European Turkey, as the first vote of the Christian majority would be the extinction of Mohammedan rule.
