The entire naval force is under the command of a Captain Pasha or High Admiral, who is the Minister of the Navy.
The men, subalterns and even captains, both of the army and navy, are most miserably paid. A common soldier at the rate of seventy-five cents a month, and a captain eleven dollars and rations--so that any deficiency in hospitality or style of living, is not to be attributed to indifference on their own part.
The trade of Turkey, including that of Egypt and the Danubian Principalities, amounted, in 1852, to
Imports, £11,828,300 Sterling. Exports, 10,644,450 Sterling.
The Osmanlis, having no commercial marine except their own few coasters--the whole foreign, and great part of the internal trade, is carried on by 35,000 foreign vessels; whose aggregate tonnage amounts to 5,000,000 annually, and they are admitted to her ports at small charges.
The tariff of Turkey is but nominal; being only three per cent. on all exports, and two per cent. additional as consumptive duty--making altogether, five per cent. on their value.
This free-trade principle, is not, however, purely from liberal motives, but the result of foreign compulsion, and their own ignorance of political economy. For, in their anxiety to counterbalance the deficiencies of the treasury, caused by unjust treaties extorted from them by foreign powers, they have imposed a duty of no less than thirteen per cent. on all their produce or exports, so that, when the governmental tithe upon the raw material, the various other direct and indirect taxes on the same, and the onerous export duty are together taken into consideration, the cost of the produce is, in effect, raised to about 30 or 35 per cent. above its original value.
Apart from this, if sheet iron, which is imported from England, and upon which the usual duty of 5 per cent. is already levied, be manufactured into stove pipes, or any other form, it is considered as home produce, and a new duty of 13 per cent. collected thereon!
The tariff is regulated every seven years, and the value of the different articles is determined by a commission of merchants representing the different nations, each of whom endeavors to maintain his own interest. One of these gentlemen exultingly boasted, that his own fortune was made, as he had succeeded in establishing a low valuation on a certain article in which he dealt very largely.