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The Ottoman Empire comprises the actual Countries and possessions and privileged provinces. It forms an indivisible whole from which no part can ever be detached for any motive whatever.

Constantinople is the capital of the Ottoman Empire. This city does not possess to the exclusion of other cities of the Empire any privilege or immunity peculiar to itself.

The Ottoman sovereignty which is united in the person of the sovereign of the supreme Kalifat of Islam belongs to the eldest of the princes of the dynasty of Osman conformably to the rules established ab antiquo.

His majesty the Sultan is by the title of the Kalif the protector of the Mussulman religion. He is the sovereign and the Padishar of all the Ottomans.

His majesty the Sultan is irresponsible : His person is sacred.

The liberty of the members of the Imperial Ottoman dynasty, their property both real and personal and their civil list during their whole life are under the guarantee of everybody.

His majesty the Sultan counts among the number of his sovereign rights the following prerogatives : He names and revokes the Ministers ; he confers grades functions and the insignia of his orders; gives investiture to the chiefs of the privileged provinces in the forms determined by

1 Translation inclosed in dispatch No. 113, dated December 26, 1876, MS. Records, Department of State.