h on their entrance into office, according to a
form agreed upon in common by my Sublime Porte and the spiritual
heads of the different religious communities. The ecclesiastical
dues, of whatever sort or nature they be, shall be abolished, and
replaced by fixed revenues for the Patriarchs and heads of
communities, and by the allocation of allowances and salaries
equitably proportioned to the importance of the rank, and the
dignity of the different members of the clergy.

"The property, real or personal, of the different Christian
ecclesiastics shall remain intact; the temporal administration of
the Christian or other non-Mussulman communities shall, however, be
placed under the safeguard of an assembly to be chosen from among
the members, both ecclesiastics and laymen, of the said communities.

"In the towns, small boroughs, and villages, where the whole
population is of the same religion, no obstacle shall be offered to
the repair, according to their original plan, of buildings set apart
for religious worship, for schools, for hospitals and for
cemeteries.

"The plans of these different buildings, in case of their new
erection, must, after having been approved by the Patriarchs or
heads of communities, be submitted to my Sublime Porte, which will
approve of them by my imperial order, or make known its observation
upon them within a certain time.

"Each sect, in localities where there are no other religious
denominations, shall be free from every species of restraint as
regards the public exercise of its religion.

"In the towns, small boroughs, and villages, where different sects
are mingled together, each community inhabiting a distinct quarter
shall, by conforming to the above-mentioned ordinances, have equal
power to repair and improve its churches, its hospitals, its
schools, and its cemeteries. When there is question of the erection
of new buildings, the necessary authority must be asked for, through
the medium of the Patriarchs and heads of communities, from my
Sublime Porte, which will pronounce a sovereign decision according
to that authority, except in the case of administrative obstacles.
The intervention of the administrative authority in all measures of
this nature will be entirely gratuitous. My Sublime Porte will take
energetic measures to insure to each sect, whatever be the number of
its adherents, entire freedom in the exercise of its religion.

"Every distinction or designation tending to make