be the attainment of certain lines of commercial communication across the Turkish provinces in Europe, by the aid of which she may find new markets and outlets for her products and manufactures. Beside the countries of Roumania and Servia, with which she is already in communication both by the Danube and by railway, there are large interior districts into which run the railways from Constantinople and from Salonica. Turkey seems to have desired not to extend these roads so far as to connect them with the European system, or even to make them easily accessible to the rest of Europe. The old Roman Empire left everywhere there its monuments as a road-making power. The Ottoman Empire on the contrary has usually left its monuments as a road-obstructing power. Jealousy of foreign approach is a universal Asiatic characteristic. Austria wishes to break this system as it exists in the Turkish provinces, and to connect these isolated railways with her own system. The one from Constantinople points to Belgrade and Buda-Pesth; that from Salonica, through Bosnia toward the Ægean and Vienna. The latter railway will run through the strip of territory lying between Servia and Montenegro. For this reason, also, as well as for that heretofore given, Austria desires a wide street between those two principalities for the security of this communication. While she hopes to control the upper portion of this one line by her military occupation of Bosnia, she hopes by special arrangements with the other principalities to provide for the completion and possible extension of the railway system. Although the immediate object of Austria in this respect appears to be the establishment of increased commercial facilities for her people, one easily foresees how largely the accomplishment of this object will augment her political influence and power over the Oriental provinces, and will facilitate any projects of future territorial extension which may now exist in petto. Austria, like England, appears at the congress to be controlled by her special material interests. If any high sentiment affects any power now sitting at the congressional table, it would seem to be Russia alone, who has sacrificed both blood and treasure for the emancipation of the Sclavic race beyond her own borders. The cry of Roumania against the proposed mutilation of her territory finds the ear of Austria as deaf as the other powers have shown themselves to be. Whether the congress will even establish a rule for the liberty and equality of religious worship and of race in the provinces of which they assume the reorganization, is still a matter of doubt. The reports are conflicting, and we can only await the official declaration of the result. I have, &c., No. 36. JOHN A. KASSON. No. 96.] Mr. Kasson to Mr. Evarts. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Vienna, July 13, 1878. (Received August 22.) A SIR: The Shah of Persia, returning from his visit to Paris, has sojourned some days at Vienna as the guest of the Emperor. Through the Austrian functionaries in intercourse with him I learn that both he and his suite give evidence of great improvement since their former visit to Europe in 1873. His manners were formerly impetuous and imperious, indicating a full appreciation of his Persian title as ruler of rulers and central sun in the political firmaments. The air of contempt for all coming in contact with him has greatly passed away under the softening influences of his contact with western civilization. The great powers of the Christian world, and especially the gracious manner of the Austrian Emperor, have shown him that the authority over many more millions of people than he or his ancestors ever ruled may be exercised without the outward show of a despotic will. The Persians have also lost much of their disregard for cleanliness, and manifest more conformity to the rules of a regulated household. They still refuse the use of beds, sleeping on carpets, but avoid the domestic disorder which characterized their former visit. They travel with heavy boxes of gold for their expenses, declining the convenient usage of bills of exchange. The Shah's suite consists of twenty persons besides six inferior servants. Of these twenty, sixteen were designated for invitation to the first dinner given to the Shah by the Emperor. From this list the Shah scratched the names of four, leaving only twelve of his suite as of sufficient dignity to sit at the table with him. His grand chamberlain took post behind his chair, where he remained throughout the dinner. Only one or two of the company have the pure Persian race-type, the others indicating more or less mixture of Turcoman and alien blood. One, the cousin of the Shah, and the chief of an ancient distinct tribe, and who acts. I think, as treasurer, reproduces much of the old Assyrian type of face and head as recognized on ancient coins and images. If the United States desired a commercial treaty with the Shah, it is very probable a favorable one could now be obtained, which might be of especial advantage to our cotton manufacturers and to some other branches of trade. If, as is reported in the English journals, they [the U. S.] are already introducing their cotton fabrics into England, they ought to be able, on equal terms, to supersede the English manufacture in Persia. In the absence of diplomatic or consular representation of our country there, I can give only partial statistics relating to the probable consump tion of these or other American articles in that part of Asia. The whole external trade of Persia can only be roughly estimated. It is considered to amount annually to about $18,000,000 to $20,000,000, of which some $12,000,000 are imports against some $7,000,000 exports. Its amount is seriously affected by the occasional failure of the silk product, which is of the greatest importance in Persia. Cotton goods and cotton yarns form a large item of the imports, to which are added cloths and manufactured silks. Doubtless American fire-arms and other specialties would be profitably introduced by special representations of the trade. Tabreez is the principal center of Persian trade, and attracts merchants from Samarcand, Cabul, Bokhara, and Beloochistan. I gather from English statistics that in the three years 1873-1875 the average value of English cotton goods annually imported for the Tabreez market was about $4,000,000. The usual commercial route to Tabreez is via Constantinople to Trebizond and thence by caravan to destination. England, France, and Russia have missions at the Persian capital. To these Austria is about to add a fourth. The imperial government has just designated Count Zaluski as their envoy, a gentleman who speaks Arabic and Turkish and is partially acquainted with the Persian language. By invitation of the Shah he will here join the royal party, hav ing excellent opportunity on the journey to secure a favorable influence with His Majesty and with the principal chiefs of administration who are with him. They travel from Vienna in a special train as far as the Volga; thence in a government steamer to Astrakhan, and thence in a Russian ship of war to the Persian port on the Caspian. I note these observations upon the Shah's visit as one of the indications of the surely-advancing influence of Western arts and ideas upon the almost stagnant condition of Asiatic society. I have, &c., No. 37. JOHN A. KASSON. 97.J Mr. Kasson to Mr. Evarts. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Vienna, July 13, 1878. [Received July 30.] SIR: I inclose herewith a copy of the original text, with a translation, of the formal notification by the imperial government of the acceptance by Austria and Hungary of the invitation extended to them on the part of the United States to participate in the international conference on the relations of gold and silver as money; an invitation communicated to this government by me on the 8th of April last. This reply was to-day delivered to this legation. There appears no objection to Paris as the place, or the 10th of August as the time, for the meeting of the conference. I have, &c., JOHN A. KASSON. [Inclosure to dispatch No. 97.-Translation.] Count Orezy to Mr. Kasson. In his esteemed note of the 8th April last, the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, Mr. John A. Kasson, was pleased to communicate to the ministry for foreign affairs the law passed by the Congress of the United States of America relative to the coinage and circulation of silver money, and in the name of his government to address to us an invitation to a conference upon an international introduction of a double currency. The envoy was similarly pleased, in his subsequent notes of the 2d and 4th instant, to propose Paris as the place, and the 10th of August next as the time, for the assembly. of the conference in question. Upon this conference the ministry for foreign affairs has not omitted to place itself in communication with the imperial and royal Austrian and the royal Hungarian ministers of finance, and it affords pleasure to the undersigned this day, in accordance with his previous oral declarations, to formally advise the envoy that the government of His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty accept with thanks the invitation received; and although it is not unaware of the difficulties of an accord upon the subject, still it is willingly disposed to enter upon a discussion of the proposed question. It is not less agreed as to the time and place of the proposed conference, and will adopt such arrangements in order that its delegates, whose appointment will soon take place, may be in Paris on the designated day. In regard to the actual meeting of the conference, and not less in regard to the programme of the conference, the government of His Imperial and Royal Majesty believes that it is entitled to expect a detailed specification from the American envoy. The undersigned avails himself of the occasion to renew to the envoy the assurance of his distinguished consideration. Vienna, 12th July, 1878. For the minister for foreign affairs. OREZY. No. 101.] No. 38. Mr. Kasson to Mr. Evarts. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Vienna, July 24, 1878. (Received August 10.) SIR: Inclosed herewith I transmit a copy of my response to that clause of the communication from the minister for foreign affairs of which a copy was sent to you in my dispatch No. 97, which read as follows: In regard to the actual meeting of the conference, and not less in regard to the programme of the conference, the government of His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty believes that it is entitled to expect a detailed specification from the American envoy. It seemed to be my duty to take notice of this request, and in the absence of advices from the department I could only indicate what I believed to be the natural sequence of the late day at which invitations were accepted and appointments of delegates made. It is to be hoped, however, that the delegates of the United States, as the government taking the initiative, may be prepared in Paris with a programme to be submitted for the organization and for the course of discussions of the conference. The designation of a president, secretary, &c., masters of the French and, if practicable, of the English language; the topics to be referred to commissions of the body for report; the place of meeting; the hour for the first meeting, &c.-all these are subjects on which foreign delegates will naturally look to the inviting government to take the initiative. Without doubt your delegates have instructions on these points, and will, in special consultation with the French delegates, who by custom would furnish the president, be prepared with preliminary propositions. But being myself without advices, I could only leave the subject where my note to the foreign office has left it. I have, &c., J. A. KASSON. [Inclosure to dispatch No. 101.] Mr. Kasson to Count Andrássy. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, referring to the communication from the ministry for foreign affairs, accepting the invitation to the international conference proposed by the Government of the United States, to be held at Paris on the 10th of August next, has taken note of the expectation expressed therein, that the Government of His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty will be furnished by the undersigned with a detailed specification of the programme of the conference. In the absence of advices from his government respecting this programme, the undersigned only feels at liberty to assume that the delegates of the United States, who are the Hon. Reuben E. Fenton, the Hon. William S. Groesbeck, and Prof. Francis A. Walker, will bring with them to Paris the further propositions of their government, and that the detailed programme can only be arranged by the delegates of the several governments in consultation after their arrival in Paris. The law, of which the undersigned had the honor to transmit a copy to the ministry for foreign affairs at the time of communicating the invitation-at the same time calling the attention of his excellency Count Andrássy to the particular paragraph of that law proposing this international conference-this section of the law indicates in general terms the objects of the conference and the central points for discussion. Beyond this the undersigned is without instructions, and believes that, owing to the distance from Washington and the brief time intervening before the date of assemblage, the further instructions will be in the hands only of the delegates of the United States at Paris. The conference being held in Europe, instead of at Washington, has doubtless dis posed the government of the undersigned to leave the question of a detailed programme more freely to the deliberation, or perhaps to the initiative, of the conference assembled. The undersigned will be glad to be advised of the names of the Austrian and Hungarian delegates, that he may transmit them to his government as well as to the delegates of the United States who are expected at Paris about this time. And he avails himself of this occasion to renew to his excellency the assurance of his distinguished consideration. JOHN A. KASSON. No. 105.] No. 39. Mr. Kasson to Mr. Evarts. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Vienna, August 3, 1878. (Received August 22.) SIR: In concluding my review of the negotiations at Berlin, and of the action of the great powers in the Oriental question, I now beg your attention to those points of the treaty which may affect the conventional, the commercial, or the religious interests of the United States. As you will soon be in possession of an authentic copy of the treaty, I content myself with attracting your notice to the articles of the treaty without copying the text. I. BULGARIA (Articles 1-12).-By Article 7, as soon as the constitutional regulations of this principality shall be completed (within nine months) a prince is to be elected; and so soon as he shall be inaugurated "the principality shall enter into the full enjoyment of its autonomy." The language of the eighth article is not so clear in the French as it should be, and it is still more obscure in the English translation as published at London. But it is clear that our treaty with Turkey remains in force over Bulgaria until our consent has been obtained to its modification. And it would seem that Bulgarian autonomy includes the exclusive right to agree with foreign powers upon such modifications. Consular jurisdiction continues as heretofore until changed, and perfect equality is established among foreigners of the different nationalities. The doubt is whether this autonomy, while the Sultan remains suzerain, excludes the Porte from all right of intervention in respect to new conventions between Bulgaria and foreign powers. I believe that to be the intention. II. ROUMANIA (Articles 40-49).-Roumania as an independent government has full treaty-making powers (Article 46), but rights already acquired continue until modified by new agreement between her and the other nationality concerned. III. SERVIA (Articles 31-39).-By Article 34 the present conventional arrangements of every sort touching commercial, consular, and personal rights of foreigners in the Servian principality remain in full vigor until modified by common accord of Servia and the foreign power interested. IV. MONTENEGRO (Articles 24-30).-Although admitted to independence absolutely by Article 24, subsequently, by Article 27, the independence of Montenegro is conditioned, in connection with her acquisition of a sea-coast. She can have neither vessels nor flag of war, and must adopt the same maritime legislation as that which exists in the Austrian littoral province of Dalmatia, and must submit to the maritime and sanitary police of Austria-Hungary. Her waters can admit no foreign vessel of war. Austria-Hungary promises to give consular protection to the merchant flag of Montenegro. Subject to these provisions, which are |