344-345, for Turkey's final rejection of the proposals of the Powers.] The responsibility for this act of cynical defiance must be assigned to one man.

The Sultan had never before manifested a desire for any reform whatsoever; and it was not until December 19, 1876, that he named as Grand Vizier Midhat Pasha, who was known to have long been weaving constitutional schemes.

This Turkish Sieyes was thrust to the front in time to promulgate that fundamental reform.

His tenure of power, like that of the French constitution-monger in 1799, ended when the scheme had served the purpose of the real controller of events.

Midhat obviously did not see whither things were tending.