The road between Bellova and Sarembey

The results of this association was that the part of the road between Bellova and Sarembey would have in future to be labored by the State as an alternative of by the corporate. The association was clearly advantageous to each events; the corporate raised no objection to the proposed switch or to the phrases upon which it was to be effected. The switch, nevertheless, although agreed upon by each events, couldn’t be carried out with out the formal consent of the Porte. The Turkish Authorities had no private curiosity within the proposed change, and was completely keen to simply accept the precept on which it was primarily based. Sadly, for a while previous Bulgaria had been out of favour with the Porte. The mere indisputable fact that the switch was desired at Sofia triggered it to be seen with suspicion at Constantinople; and, despite repeated guarantees to take care of the matter, the Porte couldn’t be induced to signal the formal decree authorizing the contemplated working association. Ultimately the Authorities of Bulgaria misplaced all patienee, and one advantageous morning, within the early a part of the current yr, it minimize the Gordian knot by taking possession of the part in query and putting its personal officers answerable for the Sarembey station. I’m assured that this kind of miniature coup cPitat was carried via by M. Petkoff, the Minister of Public Works, with out the sanction and even the data of his colleagues.

This motion of the Authorities was extraordinarily common in Bulgaria

This motion of the Authorities was extraordinarily common in Bulgaria ; and in all probability the Porte would have acquiesced, because it all the time does acquiesce in an achieved truth, if difficulties had not been raised in a completely totally different quarter. The Orient Railways Firm, although it was fairly keen to conform to the precept of the proposed switch, couldn’t moderately be anticipated to approve so high-handed a measure, which could hereafter represent a precedent for a abstract seizure of any portion of their strains. The shareholders within the firm are primarily Viennese capitalists and Austrian grandees, who’ve nice private affect on the Imperial Court docket. Instantly upon M. PetkofTs motion changing into identified, the consultant of the Austro-Hungarian Authorities at Sofia was instructed to enter a powerful protest towards any forcible settlement of the Bellova-Sarembey controversy, as constituting a violation of the rights of its topics. Bulgaria has each motive for holding on good phrases with Austria, and on the Ministry being knowledgeable of this protest having been made, they confirmed their good sense by receding instantly from an untenable place, and withdrawing their officers from the Sarembey station. In consideration of this con-cession, Austria introduced robust strain to bear at Constantinople, and induced the Sultan to sanction an association, in advantage of which the working of the Sarembey-Bellova part has now been taken over by Bulgaria from the Orient Railways Firm for a interval of 5 years, on phrases that are mutually passable. This association, by the best way, contains an annual cost of £80 a kilometre for the lease of one other part of the road west of Bellova, the title to which has been for a while matter of dispute between the Governments of Bulgaria and Turkey, and which, pending the settlement of this dispute, had been taken possession of by the Authorities of Sofia.