CHAPTER XXI.

Yallo Kiosk - Zerpanay-Coins -Debt-Crown Revenue -Resources-Revolt of Satalia-Extortions of Pacha-Haratch, or Capitation-taxRetrenchment.

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WE crossed over the Golden Horn a few days since to visit some of the lions of Stambool. We landed just above Seraglio Point, near a green building resembling a large tent, and which is known under the name of the Yallo Kiosk. The sides of this building are of painted canvass, which is rolled up during the feast of Bairam, when the sultan takes his stand here to enjoy the festivities of the seaThe open space around it is the scene of various gymnastic exercises and sports among the lower orders, for the entertainment of the sultan and court. A short distance from this we attempted to pass the outer gate of the seraglio, leading to the zerpanay, or royal mint; but not being possessed of the requisite permission, we were civilly requested to make a retrograde movement. Instead then of attempting to describe what we did not sce, a short notice of the operations of the mint must be taken in its stead.

The coins of the Turkish empire are of copper, silver, and gold. The purse is an imaginary standard of value of 500 piastres, equivalent at present to 25 dollars. The only copper coins now in use are paras, forty of which make a piastre, or, as the Turks call them, groosh. The para is so small and thin as to be exceedingly troublesome, getting in under the nails, in the handle of your penknife, among papers, &c. At the present moment 800 paras equal a dollar; and it was long before we could ascertain that for one of them we could purchase a single article: one para,

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however, will purchase a pipefull of tobacco, a glass of water, or of sherbet, a few grapes, or even a small loaf of bread. Let no one, therefore, despise this apparently insignificant coin, although eight of them only equal an American cent. The asper, which was a coin of still smaller value (three equalling a para), has now totally disappeared. The silver coins are piastres, with their subdivisions into halves and quarters. There are also 21, 5, and 10 piastre pieces of silver. Of gold coins, they have now pieces of three piastres, termed rubiehs, and others of the value of 10 and 20 piastres. All these coins bear the attributes of the sultan, and the year of his reign; the workmanship is very indifferent, but quite good enough for the material of which all the Turkish coins are composed.

The system of issuing adulterated coin has been pursued of late years to a prodigious extent. The gold and silver is usually purchased at Vienna; although the former is said to be obtained from the mines of Ergahni and Guayban, in the pachalik of Diarbekir, and from Goomosh Khannay, near Trebisond. The mines of Kooray, in the pachalik of Trebisond, furnish a considerable quantity of copper. I am not aware that there is any silver mine in the country. Whenever a supply is wanted for ordinary purposes, such as paying off the troops, the mint is put in operation, and the requisite quantity is turned out at a short notice. This may be a good scheme of finance; but although sanctioned by the practice of Austria and Russia, it seems hardly reconcilable with ordinary notions of honesty.

The business of the mint is conducted by an Armenian, who, by the simplicity of his life and the uprightness of his conduct, has acquired the confidence of the government. The fate of his predecessor Tinghir Oglou was a melancholy one, and might serve as a warning to all future officers of the mint. He was sent for one morning to the Porte, and his head taken off without asking him a single question. As this case has frequently been cited

as an instance of the horrid cruelty and barbarity of the Turkish government, we took some pains to learn the particulars. It appears that the style in which he lived, and his immense expenditures, induced the government to suspect that his revenues were improperly derived from the mint. Upon being more closely watched, it was discovered that whenever a given quantity of gold was placed in his hands he doubled the alloy, and, of course, coined as much for himself as for the sultan. His death was the immediate consequence of this discovery.

Of the operations of banking the Turks are profoundly ignorant; they have no public stock, and, I need hardly add, no national debt. We are in the habit of regarding our own small national incumbrance with much complacency, as unparalleled in the history of nations; but we are excelled in this particular by the Turks, who not only have no debt whatever, but, as far as we could ascertain, never have had a national debt at any period of their history. Nor, indeed, do they seem at all anxious to learn any of those important truths in political economy by which posterity are made to feel in a tangible pecuniary shape the follies and blunders of their predecessors. The ordinary revenue is about $14,000,000, and is more than sufficient for the ordinary expenses of government, which rarely exceed two millions. Whenever there happens to be an extra demand for unforeseen emergencies, the sum is obtained by levying a general contribution upon the pachas and other great officers of the government.

An attempt was recently made to endoctrinate the Turks with some of the modern notions of stocks and public securities, but without success. By the terms of the treaty of Adrianople, the Turkish government were compelled to pay large sums to Russia, and it was generally supposed that their previous heavy war-expenses would prevent them from paying it at the stipulated time. The liberal and disinterested race of money-brokers were immediately on

the alert, and an agent of Rothschild appeared at Constantinople in the spring of 1830, with an offer to loan the government any amount of money which they might require. The council deliberated upon the proposal, and finally declined it. The terms of this proposed loan were never made public; but it is said that the entire monopoly of the opium and silk-trade was only one of the items required under the head of collateral security. Notwithstanding this refusal to accept the loan, the various instalments of the Russian contribution were punctually and promptly paid as they became due.

One of the most cogent arguments used by the Turks against incurring this debt was, that the stock would be owned by foreigners, who would, of course, exercise an undue influence over the government. This subject appears to have been regarded in the same light by some of our own statesmen in the discussions connected with our national bank. To form a correct estimate of the dangers to be apprehended from foreign ownership we should undoubtedly take into consideration the character of the people, and the circumstances and political condition of the country to which it is to be applied.

Aside from this public revenue, or miri, the sultan has a fund of his own, which is termed ilsh hanay. It is impossible to form any correct estimate of the amount of this fund, which is considered sacred, and transmitted unimpaired from one sultan to another; each one endeavouring to exceed, if possible, the additions made by his predecessor. It is increased by royal revenues derived from his domains, from presents, fines, and forfeitures. We could obtain no positive information respecting it, and are rather disposed to class it with those marvellous inventions which lead the rabble to attribute the possession of unbounded wealth to their royal masters. The tale is improbable on other accounts. Exigencies have occurred in the history of this country when a fund like this must certainly have

been wanted; and it would argue great stupidity on the part of the Turks not to have so applied it; to say nothing of the absurdity of retaining such an amount of idle capital, and thereby exciting the cupidity of their hostile neighbours.

Notwithstanding this absence of a national burthen and the undoubted resources of the country, its finances are far from being in a flourishing condition. This is justly attributed to the imperfect and often iniquitous manner in which the revenues are collected, and to the frequent rebellions of large districts against the. government; by which, not only the revenues of these districts are lost, but large sums are expended in reducing them to submission. The tenth of all produce is granted by the Koran to the sultan : the pacha of each district is responsible for the collection, and, like the proconsuls of ancient Rome, he farms it out to various inferior officers. Formerly every village had its governor, whose duty it was to collect the tithes and maintain the police; and a judge to determine civil causes. The governor, however, soon began by deciding upon police cases, and then upon all others, whatever might be their nature. Those who had been oppressed in the collection of taxes had formerly a shadow of redress by appealing to the judge; but the same individual is now the collector and the judge. In the larger towns there was formerly a municipal body, of which the chief was chosen annually like our mayors, thus presenting the singular spectacle of a republican institution in the heart of a despotic government. It is not meant, however, to convey the idea that this choice was made by formal vote, or that they had handbills, tickets, inspectors, and all the apparatus of a democratic poll. Public opinion designated beforehand the most worthy, who accordingly took possession of an office which was neither to be "sought nor declined." Every vestige of these institutions has disappeared, and the pacha, musselim, or aga, according to the extent of his jurisdiction, appoints and dismisses all officers at his pleasure. The