The Tiu-kisJi Capitulations 257 protection. In 1 71 8 Austria got permission for Genoa and Leghorn to use her flag. The smaller states were for a long time glad to secure the protection of one of the strong Powers. Perhaps no concession made by the Capitulations to foreign powers has been more abused than the grant of this right of protec- tion. We are all indebted to M. Francis Rey for the thorough study he has made of this subject, and I borrow mainly from him the statements which follow.' The French, English and Romans seem to have been especially guilty o abuses of the privilege of taking foreigners under their protection. They sold to native Greeks and Armenians the privilege of protection by a document which exempted them from paying duties on goods imported. Many of these became rich by this advantage, and were allowed to make a transfer of their privilege for a consideration. Ambassadors were allowed to have a large number of dragomans, to each of whom they gave a barat, which secured for them valuable exemp- tions. The ambassadors came to dispose of these appointments or barats for sums ranging from 2500 to 4000 piasters. One of the French ambassadors, it is stated in an official report, received more than 400,000 francs from this source. The English ambassador is said to have received .^2000 to ^^3000 income from the same source. The ambassadors presumed to bestow this barat for life. They used to bribe officials even in the Sultan's household. They went so far as to issue patents of protection to whole families of Greek or Armenian subjects of the Sultan. Russia and Austria shamefully abused this right of protection for political ends. Rivals in seeking influence in Moldavia and Wallachia in 1780 and 1782, their consuls competed with each other in gratuitously granting patents of protection to the natives. At the close of the last century Austria had by this process more than 200,000 subjects in Moldavia, and 60,000 in Wallachia. But these last were afterwards made Russians by changing the patents, when the Russian influence became preponderant in Wallachia. In 1806 in order to embarrass Russia Napoleon put an end to the abuse by French ambassadors of the right of issuing the barat to any persons but the dragomans. And Turkey succeeded in pur- suading most of the foreign Powers to imitate his example. But this did not prevent Russia and Austria and Great Britain, through their consuls, taking large numbers of Turkish rajas under their pro- tection by one pretence or another. In 1808 it is said that Russia had 120,000 Greek subjects of the Sultan, Austria a large number • La Protection Diplomatique et Consulaire dans les Echelles du Levant et de Bar- harie, par Francis Rey. Paris, 1899.
