rating of one member to every 10,000 of the population, counting both sexes.' The duration of the Assembly is three years, but it may be dissolved at any time by the Prince, when new elections must take place within four months. The Assembly in 1883 assented to a proposal for the creation of a second Chamber. It was also enacted that no law can be published, supplemented, amended or repealed until it has been examined and voted by both Chambers, and sanctioned by the Prince.

The executive power is vested, under the Prince, in a Council of seven ministers, namely, 1. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Public Worship; 2. Minister of the Interior; 3. Minister of Public Instruction; 4. Minister of Finance; 5. Minister of Public Works and Agriculture; 6. Minister of Justice; and 7. Minister of War.

By vote of the National Assembly, July 13, 1881, the Prince was invested with extraordinary legislative powers for seven years; but the constitution having (September 1883) been restored, these powers have come to an end.

By the Treaty of Berlin the amount of the annual tribute and the share of the Turkish debt which Bulgaria should pay to Turkey should be fixed by an agreement between the Signatory Powers. So far (Dec. 1884) no amount has been fixed upon.

Military service is obligatory. The army consists of 4 battalions of infantry of 4 companies, 9 squadrons of cavalry, 12 batteries of artillery with 96 guns, 2 companies of fortress artillery, and 4 companies of engineers. The peace strength is 17,670 men, and the war strength 52,000. The fleet consists of 3 ships of war, 4 steamers with guns of small calibre, 1 steam cutter, and 3 transports. The personnel consists of 12 officers and 200 men.

Area and Population.

The estimated area of the Principality of Bulgaria is 24,360 English square miles, and the population, according to a census taken on January 13, 1881, was 2,007,919-1,027,803 males and 980,116 females. Bulgaria has been redivided into 14 districts, 56 arrondissements or circles, and 76 municipal and rural communes. The present capital of the Principality is the city of Sofia, with a population of 20,501. The other principal towns are Varna, with a population of 24,555; Shumla, with 23,093; Ruschuk, with 26,163; Razgrad, 11,625; Sistova, 11,540; Plevna, 11,474; Tirnova, the ancient capital of Bulgaria, with 11,247; and Vidin, with 13,714 inhabitants. Besides these, there are 15 to 20 small towns of from 2,000 to 3,000 inhabitants each. The great majority of the population live by the cultivation of the soil and the produce of their flocks and herds.

In the middle of the fourteenth century Bulgaria became subject to Hungary, until it was conquered by the Turks in 1392. Of the population 70 per cent. are of the Orthodox Greek Church, 28-79 per cent. Mahometans, and 0-72 per cent. Jews. Ethnically, according to language, 67 per cent. are Bulgarians, 26-26 per cent. Turks, 2-44 Wallachians, 1-87 Tziganes, and the remainder chiefly Greeks, Jews, and Tartars.

Trade and Industry.

The principal article of trade is corn, of which 1,500,000 tons are exported annually. The other exports consist of wool, tallow, butter, cheese, hides, flax, and timber. The principal imports are textile manufactures, iron and coals. The value of the imports in 1882 was 1,662,5407., and exports 1,368,8791. The number of sheep kept is very large, and their wool is exported chiefly to Austria, while the finer qualities are shipped to France. The principal mineral productions of the Principality are iron and coal. Deposits of coal have been discovered in the neighbourhood of Widdin, Travua, and between Varna and Balchick on the Black Sea. But,’ says a British Consular Report of the year 1877,' such has been the inattention of the Government to this important subject that little, amounting, in fact, to nothing, has been done to develop these valuable productions of nature. In the hands of respectable companies the working of these mines would be attended with very

favourable results.'

Bulgaria has one line of railway, from Rustchuk to the port of Varna, on the Black Sea, 140 English miles in length. There were 1,325 miles of State telegraph lines in 1883, with 52 offices; the number of messages was 311,185; receipts, 43,3147.; expenses, 62,5417. In 1883 there were 52 post offices, and the number of letters, newspapers, &c., carried was 2,533,172; receipts, 12,9301.; expenses, 55,3491.

British Agent and Consul-General.-Frank Cavendish Lascelles; appointed November 26, 1880.

III. EASTERN ROUMELIA.

Constitution and Government.

Eastern Roumelia was created by the Treaty of Berlin, signed July 13, 1878. It remains under the direct political and military authority of the Sultan, under conditions of administrative autonomy. It must have a Christian Governor-General. The Sultan has the right of providing for the defence of the land and sea frontiers of the province by erecting fortifications on those frontiers

and maintaining troops there. Internal order is maintained in Eastern Roumelia by a native gendarmerie assisted by a local militia. Regard shall be had to the religion of the inhabitants in respect to the composition of these corps, the officers of which are named by the Sultan, according to the localities. The Sultan engages not to employ irregular troops, such as Bashi-Bazouks and Circassians, in the garrisons of the frontiers. The regular troops destined to this service must not in any case be billeted on the inhabitants. When they pass through the province they will not be allowed to sojourn there. It was provided that- The GovernorGeneral will have the right of summoning the Ottoman troops in the event of the internal or external security of the province being threatened. In such an eventuality the Sublime Porte shall inform the representatives of the Powers at Constantinople of the decision, as well as of the exigencies which justify it.' Finally, it was ordered by Art. 17 that the Governor-General of Eastern Roumelia shall be named by the Sublime Porte, with the assent of the Powers, for a term of five years.'

Governor-General.-Gabriel Pasha Chrestovich; appointed May 18, 1884, installed July 3, 1884.

According to the organic statute of 1879, drawn up by an international commission, and consisting of 13 chapters, with 495 articles, the legislative power is in the hands of a single chamber, called the Provincial Assembly. It is partly official, partly elective, and partly nominated by the Governor. The official members are the chief judicial and ecclesiastical dignitaries, to the number of ten; the elective members numbering 36, and the nominated 10. Half of the elected members vacate their seats every two years. The electoral body consists of all men of Roumelian nationality who are of full age and possessed of a certain property qualification, either individually or through their parents. The minimum age of candidates for election is 25, but otherwise their qualification is the same as that of electors, certain public functionaries being excluded. The Assembly meets annually, on the second Monday in October, at the capital.

During the administration of Eastern Roumelia by Russia, till the end of May 1879, a reserve of T48,000l. was formed and handed over to the new government, to be expended by it. It was estimated by the European Commission that the public revenue in future years would amount to T800,000l. per annum, and as three-tenths of the revenue, according to the Organic Statute, must be handed over to Turkey, the East Roumelian tribute to the Sublime Porte was provisionally fixed at T240,000l. These estimates have not, however, been realized. In consequence of the ruined state of the country, the destruction of property during the war of 1877, and the subse

quent emigration of the greater part of the Mussulman population, the net revenue of the province has not exceeded T600,000Z. Applying to this last figure the proportion of three-tenths alluded to above, the Provincial Assembly, in its session of 1882, passed a bill fixing the East Roumelian tribute to Turkey at T180,000l. per annum. Competent authorities assert that the provinces cannot pay more, as the taxes are heavy, and not only the Mussulmans are emigrating to Turkey, but even the Bulgarians have begun to emigrate to Bulgaria.

In the budget for 1884-85 the revenue is estimated at T643,6501., including revenue collected for the account of the Turkish government. Two-thirds of this revenue come from direct taxes. expenditure amounts to T681,9767.

Area and Population.

The

The area of Eastern Roumelia is estimated at 13,500 English square miles, and the population, in official returns of the year 1880, is stated to amount to 815,946; in 1884, 850,000. Of this number 573,560 are described as Bulgarians (including 17,981 immigrants), 174,700 Turks, 42,654 Greeks, 19,549 Gypsies, 4,177 Israelites, and 1,306 Armenians. The city of Philippopolis, the capital, contains 24,053 inhabitants, of whom 10,909 are Bulgarians, 5,558 Turks, 4,781 Greeks, 865 Gypsies, 1,134 Israelites, and 806 Armenians.

Agriculture is the chief occupation, but it is in a very backward condition. With a view to teach the people a new and improved system of agriculture, the Government established in 1882 an Agricultural School at Sadovo, near Philippopolis. According to the last statistical returns about 1,663,000 acres are under tillage, and their produce for the year 1881 included about 2,543,292 hectolitres wheat, 1,365,609 hectolitres barley, 1,242,533 rye, 1,170,700 maize, and 399,779 oats. Eastern Roumelia is the only country in Europe which produces the otto of roses. In 1881 the production of this celebrated essence amounted to 1,422 okes. The average price of an oke of otto of roses in Eastern Roumelia is 601. Eastern Roumelia produces besides, wine (16,834,680 okes), tobacco (547,248 okes), cocoons (67,154 okes), spelt, vetch, millet, aniseed, sesamum, &c. The live stock is very numerous, including 1,639,039 sheep, 426,768 goats, 125,746 swine, 192,009 horned cattle, besides 36,536 buffaloes and 35,171 horses. There is a considerable native woollen manufacture, the chief products being the aba (a coarse woollen cloth) and the gaïtan (a woollen braid), which are exported to European Turkey, Asia Minor, and Bosnia. Two woollen factories have been established at Slivno. There are numerous saw

mills in the Rhodope mountains, and a great deal of timber is exported to Asia Minor. With regard to trade no exact returns can be had, as there are no custom-houses between Turkey and Eastern Roumelia. The exports and imports which passed, in 1882, through the custom-houses at Bourges and on the northern frontier together amount in value to about 683,000l. sterling, the chief articles of export being corn, wine, and woollen cloths. The trade with England alone is estimated at about 500,000l., but is chiefly carried on through Turkey, and therefore does not figure in the published statistical returns. The principal articles imported from England are cotton goods, copper, iron, and colonial produce.

British Consul-General.-Henry Michael Jones, appointed November 4, 1880.

Diplomatic Representatives.

1. OF TURKEY IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Ambassador.-Musurus Pasha, accredited Jan. 30, 1856.
Secretaries.-Paul Musurus Bey; Ferid Bey; Sezaï Bey.

2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN TURKEY.

Ambassador.-Right Hon. Sir Edward Thornton, G.C.B., born 1820; Envoy to Argentine Confederation, 1859-63; Paraguay, 1863-5; Envoy and Minister to Brazil, 1865-67; Envoy and Minister to the United States, 1867-81; Ambassador to Russia, 1881-4. Appointed Ambassador to Turkey, December, 1884.

Secretaries —G. H. Wyndham, C.B.; Sir A. Sandison, Oriental Secretary. Military Attaché.-Major H. Trotter, C.B.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The money, weights, and measures of the Turkish Empire, and the British equivalents, are :—

Large accounts are frequently, as in the official budget estimates, set down in 'purses' of 500 Medjidié piastres, or 5 Turkish liras. The 'purse' is calculated as worth 47. 10s. sterling. There exists a large amount of debased silver currency—which, however, it is stated, is being (Dec. 1884) gradually withdrawn-to which were added, during the years 1876 to 1881, 600,000,000 piastres of paper money, known as caïmé; but being refused by the Government,

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