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ххи] Consuls 129 One of the chief duties of a consul in Turkey is to enhance as much as possible the dignity of the sovereign whom he represents, and to protect to the best of his power not only his subjects, but others commended to his care. A consul must not protect the subject of any Prince who is represented in the same city by a consul of his own, but he may give refuge to anyone who escapes from the jurisdiction of his own consulate, the consular house being inviolable, even by the Turks. He has no right whatever to protect one of the ri'aya, or Christian subjects of the Porte, unless by virtue of a Berat from the Porte, and the letters patent of the ambassador in Constantinople of the sovereign whose protection is claimed. In 1766 this order was republished in Cyprus by a Khatti Humayun, or Imperial Rescript. On that occasion the Governor, Suleiman Efendi, upon receiving this document, wrote to the consuls at Larnaca to say that he was ordered to communicate it to them, and desired them to send their dragomans to Nicosia to hear it read. The consuls replied with one voice that their residence was at Larnaca, and that the Khatti Humayun should be sent to be read in the presence of their dragomans in the court there. Suleiman Efendi was impressed by their vigorous unanimity, and thought it best to yield, and in future to treat the representatives of Christian Princes with more consideration. The Rescript was sent to Larnaca and read there, and the dragomans, on behalf of their consuls, assured the Government that its just provisions would be duly respected. As they had never contravened it, they had no occasion to say more. Consuls can arrange differences which arise between their own subjects or protégés, and even (with the consent of their colleague) between these and subjects of another Power. Arbiters are appointed to hear the case, but the parties cannot be forced into an arrangement, and are free to carry the matter before any competent European court. If a new Governor lands at Cerines, on his arrival at c. M. т. о

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