the consideration of the legations, for their remarks or suggested amendments before actually enforcing them. We conduct a book-business both as publishers and as importers, which is among the largest in the Turkish Empire. It is a business, painfully built up, step by step, at a large expenditure of capital, during forty years of time, until now it extends to all parts of the country, and we have books intrusted to our agents for sale in every vilayet. Our stock in trade, in this city and in the provinces, embraces many thousands of copies of the works named in the accompanying catalogue, which as you will see contains about 300 titles. Moreover, we have now in press works in the Greek and Armenian character, in the printing of which we have conformed to the rules heretofore in force in relation to the manufacture of books, as, indeed, we always have done. We feel sure that the Turkish government will acknowledge that an investment of capital of so long standing and of such amount; an investment made with their own consent at every step, should be protected from injury, as far as practicable, in the promulgation of new laws which are to govern it in future. But the omission from these regulations of any provision for such protection is a point to which we would call your attention. As far as we can see, our books in stock, scattered as they are in remote parts of the empire, as well as those now in press, are in immediate danger of seizure as unauthorized. Cannot a clause be inserted in the regulations making a clear-dividing line between the books already published and now in press and those which will be liable to seizure for any failure to comply with this law? As, for instance, if the enforcement of the new rules could be delayed until the 1st of January, 1875, the date on the title-page would serve as a clear guide to provincial officials who might have occasion to examine the books. Another point in the new regulations which we consider needlessly burdensome is the system by which permission to publish books never before printed in this country is to be obtained. We regret extremely to say that if books must be twice examined and permits twice issued by the clerical force of any bureau of the Sublime Porte with which we have yet to do, our experience does not give us any ground to hope that the publication of books in this city will be practicable. You will recall to mind the experience of the agent of the American Bible Society in this city, who has had for ten years the consent of the Sublime Porte to the principle of the publication of the Bible in Turkish, but who, now that the translation, made on the faith of that consent, is ready, has been waiting months for the mere formal writing of the permit to the printer to do the work. We, ourselves, have asked in vain for the written permit to print a newspaper which we have published for eighteen months upon a verbal permission from the authorities to issue the paper without waiting for the clerks to draw up the documents. These, and many similar experiences, explain our fear of needless and expensive delays under the new system proposed. Might we not be allowed to print as we have done heretofore, but at our own risk? Then before any book is bound up or circulated, let us be required to submit it to the proper bureau for the permit of publication. Permission being granted, the permit would then be added to the book with the title-page, as proposed. But if the book proves on examination to be such that permission cannot be granted, let us be required to deliver up the whole edition of the book or the dangerous parts of it. The advantage of such a modification of the law would be, of course, that we would not be obliged to keep our presses and our men idle day after day, while waiting an uncertain length of time for the over-worked clerks to find opportunity to draw up the formal authorization for our work. Another point which we observe in the copy of the new regulations before us, is that, as they now read, the local authorities throughout the country seem to have the power of stopping all shipments of books. We hope that this does not mean that they are to have the right again to pass judgment upon such books as have once been approved for circulation at Constantinople. In conclusion, we would again say that we desire to obey the reasonable laws of the empire in all departments of our business, as we have always done hitherto. During this forty years we have not printed anything which the government has found it necessary to suppress, and we have never even proposed for publication anything for which the government has refused its authorization. (See inclosure A.) With such a record of the character of our business, we hope our suggestions may have kindly consideration. Very respectfully, your obedient servants, Hon. HORACE MAYNARD, Minister Resident of the United States, &c., &c. J. H. GREEN. T. L. BYINGTON. |
