The subject of the Turkish and Egyptian "capitulations "has again
been brought up in Parliament. These capitulations are really treaties, under which foreigners resident in Turkey are exempted from the authority of the native tribunals, from the direct taxes, and from arrest without the Consul's permission. These privileges are considered necessary to protect merchants and others from extortions sanctioned by corrupt native judges, who would not scruple, for example, to arrest travellers by the overland route on false affidavits of debt, hoping the enormous loss involved in detention would induce the victims to pay. The Turks, however, complain with perfect justice that the treaties shel- ter a motley crew of Maltese, Levantines, and refuse of all nations, who under them commit crimes almost with impunity. The remedy, we imagine, is to either surrender the capitulations in exchange for a treaty allowing arrest, but ensuring immediate trial before an irremovable European judge, or to add a new clause, limiting the benefit of the capitulations to persons licensed by the Consuls, who, however, are not invariably the most trust- worthy of mankind.
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