Legation of
the United States,
Constantinople, April 11, 1892.
(Received April 25.)
No. 426.]
[Inclosure in No. 426]
Mr. Hirsch to the
Sublime Porte.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, April 11,
1892.
The legation of the United States in its note
verbale No. 84 of December, 8, 1891, had the honor of
requesting the Sublime Porte to issue the necessary orders for the
completion of the building which the American citizen Bartlett, by
permission of the proper authorities, had erected last year at Bourdour,
in the vilayet of Konia, on land purchased by him under the right
guaranteed by treaty.
From information just received it appears that no further progress toward
the completion of the building has been permitted, in consequence of Mr.
Bartlett’s refusal to comply with a demand for a guaranty to neither
hold religious worship nor instruct children on the premises. The local
authorities claim that their withholding of the municipal permit is in
consequence of orders from Constantinople. This, in view of the former
action of the Sublime Porte, the legation must believe to be a
misinterpretation on the part of the provincial authorities of the
orders received. In quite a similar case, in which the local authorities
at Latakia refused permission to the American citizen Easson for the
erection of a house on land which he had bought in that town unless he
gave a bond such as is now sought to be exacted of Mr. Bartlett by the
local authorities of Bourdour, the legation had the honor of addressing
the imperial ministry of foreign affairs in its note
verbale No. 49 of December 15, 1890, and said: “The rights
acquired by foreigners under the protocol extend not only to the
purchase of land, but also to its enjoyment by the owner. A demand for
such a bond is therefore clearly illegal and can not be enforced.”
As soon as the attempt at illegal exactions on the part of the provincial
officials at that time was brought to the attention of His Majesty’s
minister of foreign affairs, the Sublime Porte, mindful of the rights of
American citizens, caused the issuance of the necessary orders for the
building of the house in question without any bond or guaranty.
It is therefore not believed to be necessary to do more than apprise the
imperial ministry of foreign affairs of the continued illegal refusal on
the part of the local authorities at Bourdour to issue to Mr. Bartlett
the necessary permit to which he is clearly entitled for the completion
of his building, except to renew the request for prompt measures in that
direction.