20 1839.

Lord Ponsonby, No. 59, March 7, 1839.

Lord Ponsonby, No. 253, Dec. G, 1838.

reliance upon France and England; but confiding in the support of Russia, was resolved to triumph or perish; and that the Ministers of the Porte were not fully aware of the real state of things. Earl Granville, This account tallied with that received by the French Government, 1839 °7' March U' who were moreover informed that Ibrahim Pasha, although he would be cautious not to be the aggressor, was resolved in the event of being attacked, and of succeeding in repelling the attack, to march immediately upon Constantinople. No. 38 Marches' Lord Ponsonby was informed that his continued attempts to keep 1839. ' the Sultan quiet were approved, and he was instructed to press strongly on the Sultan that while, on the one hand, Great Britain would undoubtedly assist him to repel any attack on the part of Mehemet Ali, the question would, on the other hand, be different if war was begun by the Sultan. To Lord Ponsonby, Lord Ponsonby was further instructed in the following month, with No. 43, April 12, reference to M. Hummelauer's communication, to continue to co-operate 1839' actively with his colleagues, in endeavouring by all means in his power to prevail upon the Sultan to abstain from any hostile proceedings against Mehemet Ali.

Lord Ponsonby learnt on the 20th February, that the Sultan had sent a Hatti-Sherif to the Great Council, saying that Hafiz Pasha had reported that he could defeat the Egyptian army, and the Capitan Pasha that he could destroy the Egyptian fleet; and the Sultan called upon the Council to be courageous and do its duty. The Council replied that it would do all in its power to conform to the pleasure of the Sultan.

Lord Ponsonby, reasoning upon the probability of Russia, having contributed to inflame the warlike propensities of the Sultan, reverts to what he had written at the close of 1838, of an arrangement having been proposed to the Porte by M. BouteneiF, for the restoration of a good understanding between the Sultan and Mehemet Ali, on the basis of the surrender of Syria to the Sultan, and of the recognition of the hereditary right of the family of Mehemet Ali to the Government of Egypt. Nothing, however, had been done in the matter in December, 1838, though Lord Ponsonby understood that the Sultan was likely to consent to such an arrangement; which, in Lord Ponsonby's opinion, was impracticable.

At the present time, Lord Ponsonby conceives that there may be many reasons for Russia being inclined to abandon the policy of allowing things to remain as they are.

On the 2nd of March, Lord Ponsonby received a message from Nourri Effendi saying, that the Porte had some slight hope of a favourable result from Reshid Pasha's mission, but adding that the burthen and expense to the Porte of the present state of things was intolerable.

Lord Ponsonby concludes by saying, that he has done all in his power to persuade the Sultan of the advantage of delaying all hostile movements, and that he hopes that the Sultan will not act at present against Mehemet Ali. Lord Ponsonby, On the 18th of March, Lord Ponsonby received a message from the No. 67, March l8,Porte stating, that Hafiz Pasha had reported from Malatia towards the 1839. end of February, that a large body of Egyptian troops had arrived at Adana, under Kourschid Pasha, and that the troops at Aleppo were being reinforced; and that he had been advised by the Prussian Officers in his Camp, to move nearer to Adana, from which he was now GO leagues distant. The Porte wished Lord Ponsonby to advise what answer should be given to Hafiz Pasha. Lord Ponsonby replied that he was not competent to give an opinion on a military matter, but that he begged the Porte to act with prudence and caution, as a false step might occasion irremediable mischief.

It appeared, indeed, from information received by Lord Ponsonby that Hafiz Pasha and the Prussian Officers were urging the Porte to attack Mehemet Ali, alleging that there would never again be so No. 72, March 20, favourable an opportunity for driving him out of Syria; and the infor-! 8 3jp mation which the Internuncio received, led him to anticipate the speedy No. 7C, March 23, advance of Hafiz Pasha, in which case hostilities appeared inevitable. 1839. The Internuncio sebsequently communicated to Lord Ponsonby, M.

Lord Ponsonby, No. 71, March 19, 1839.

Lord Ponsonby, 21 de BoutenefF's instruction to his dragoman which is in the same sense as that Minister's despatch to M. de TatistchefF referred to in page 18 of this Abstract, but in transmitting it home Lord Ponsonby says that there can be no doubt that the Russian agents have been exciting the Porte to war.

His Excellency adds that he had received a message on the 21st of March from the Turkish Minister, indicating that his advice would be followed : and he thought that nothing would be done at present to (lis- Lorci Ponsonby, turb'the peace. In a subsequent despatch Lord Ponsonby says that he No. 79, March 2G, is inclined to discredit the report of' the Prussian officers with Hafiz 139. Pasha being instruments of Russia.

On the 4th of April Lord Ponsonby conveyed to the Porte the Loul Ponsonin, substance of a communication which he had received from Lord Palmerston, No; 88, Al)nl stating that he had agreed with Reshid Pasha on the principle of the L proposed Treaty, and was employed in preparing the details; and Lord Ponsonby added the best reasoning he could use to induce the Porte to abandon warlike policy for the present; and he urged delay. Nourri Effendi replied that the Sublime Porte could not be satisfied with the Treaty, which was not what Reshid Pasha wished to make it; that the Porte wished to destroy the status quo, and the proposed Treaty not only maintained it, but bound the Porte not to take advantage of any future favourable opportunity ; that the Treaty merely provided that England should unite with the Porte in case Mehemet Ali, or a successor of his family, should declare his independence or commit any aggression. Tahar Pasha, Chief of the Staff under the Seraskicr, was sent to the head quarters of Hafiz Pasha, after the Treaty had been under the consideration of the Turkish Ministers. Lord Ponsonby fears his instructions are not of a satisfactory nature.

Lord Ponsonby adds that he believes M. Bouteneff has been seriously endeavouring to prevent war ; and that the Internuncio and the French Ambassador have done the same. Lord Ponsonby's advice was that at all events the Porte should delay, if it would not altogether asbtain from everything that might commit the Sultan in a perilous enterprizc.

On the 18th of April Lord Ponsonby got from Nourri Effendi a Lord Ponsonby, copy of the draft of Treaty which Reshid Pasha had sent to his Govern- No; [VJ> Alnil —> ment. It consisted of a Preamble and 2 Articles, and professed to ' ' provide for the case of a renunciation on the part of Mehemet Ali of his obedience as a subject, and likewise for the case of similar disobedience being manifested by any member of his family; in which eases the Sultan grants permission to the British fleet to detain ships of war and merchantmen belonging to Mehemet Ali, while the Turkish fleet will visit, and, if necessary, detain neutral vessels employed by the Pasha for the conveyance of provisions and military stores j—the two fleets shall act in concert on the coasts of Egypt and Syria.

Lord Ponsonby, in the absence of any information from home as to the terms ofthe Treaty, still thought it right to endeavour to counteract the persons who advised'the Porte to reject it, and accordingly entered into a discussion with Nourri Effendi on the matter. The Turkish Minister said he was convinced that no Treaty would benefit the Porte which had not for its object the destruction of Mehemet Ali, and consequently that the Porte ought not to make any Treaty.

The Porte not having given Lord Ponsonby any answer on the 22nd, he determined to wait no longer, but to send off his Messenger with a report that the information which he had received from other quarters, authorized him to believe that no hostile movement would at present be made by the Porte; although he could not speak positively on that point.

On the 23rd of April, the Internuncio told Lord Ponsonby that he Lwi iWonby, had stated to the Porte, that an attack upon Mehemet Ali might be con- N"-(W3, April 23, sidercd by the Great Powers as a justification of their taking the part of b '' the Pasha. The Turkish Ministers urged the misery and ruin produced by the status quo; but the impression on the Internuncio's mind was, that the Porte would not at present begin hostilities, though they might arise from accident; and, at all events, the state of affairs in the Country could not be preserved as it was.

G