[figure description] Page 121.[end figure description]

It has been noticed that Hayraddin
Barbaro&longs;&longs;a, in the beginning of the
&longs;ixteenth century, rendered his kingdom
tributary to the Grand Seignior; and that,
in the year one thou&longs;and &longs;ix hundred and
twenty three, the Algerines threw off
their dependence on the &longs;ublime Porte.
Since that time, the Turki&longs;h court have
made &longs;everal attempts to reduce the Algerines
to their &longs;ubjection; and, by siding
with the numerous pretenders to the
regency, &longs;o common in this un&longs;table government,
they have, at times, apparently
effected their de&longs;ign: while the Algerines,
by a&longs;&longs;a&longs;&longs;inating or dethroning tho&longs;e

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princes, who&longs;e weakne&longs;s or wants have induced
them to &longs;ubmit to extraneous power,
have reduced their dependence on the sublime
Porte to a mere name. At pre&longs;ent, the
Grand Seignior, fearful of lo&longs;ing the very
&longs;hadow of authority, he has over them,
contents him&longs;elf with receiving a tribute almost
nominal; con&longs;i&longs;ting chiefly of a
pre&longs;ent, towards defraying the expen&longs;es
of the annual canopy, which is &longs;ent to adorn
the prophet's tomb at Medina: while,
on the other hand, the Algerines, dreading
the Grand Seignior's interference in
their popular commotions, allow the sublime
Porte to confirm the election of their
Dey, and to badge his name, by affixing
and terminating it with tho&longs;e of the principal
officers of the Turki&longs;h government.
Hence the pre&longs;ent Dey, who&longs;e real name
is Ha&longs;&longs;an, is &longs;tyled Vizier, which is al&longs;o
the appellation of the Grand Seignior's
fir&longs;t mini&longs;ter. As Ba&longs;haw, which terminates
the Dey's name, is the Turki&longs;h

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title of their viceroys and principal commanders,
he makes war or peace, negotiates
treaties, coins money, and performs
every other act of ab&longs;olute independence.

Nor is the Dey le&longs;s independent of his
own &longs;ubjects. Though he obtains his
office frequently by the election of a furious
&longs;oldiery, and wades to the regency
through the blood of his predece&longs;&longs;or; yet
he is no &longs;ooner inve&longs;ted with the in&longs;ignia
of office, than, an implicit reverence is
paid to his commands, even by his serocious
electors; and, though he often
&longs;ummons his divan or council of great officers,
yet they are merely advi&longs;ory. He
conducts foreign affairs, at his own good
plea&longs;ure; and, as to internal, he knows
no re&longs;traint, except from certain local customs,
opinions, and tenets, which he him&longs;elf
venerates, in common with his meane&longs;t
&longs;ubjects. Ju&longs;tice is admini&longs;tered in his
name. He even determines controversies
in his own per&longs;on, be&longs;ides being

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supposed virtually pre&longs;ent in the per&longs;ons of
his cadis or judges. If he inclines to interfere
in the determination of a &longs;uit, upon
his approach, the authority of the cadis
cea&longs;e, and is merged in that of the Dey.
Some cu&longs;toms have been intimated, which
re&longs;train the Dey's de&longs;poti&longs;m. The&longs;e relate
principally to religion, property,
and females. He will not condemn
a prie&longs;t to death; and, although upon
the decea&longs;e of a &longs;ubject, his landed
property immediately e&longs;cheats to the
reigning Dey, yet he never &longs;eizes it, in the
life of the po&longs;&longs;e&longs;&longs;or; and, when a man is
executed for the highe&longs;t crime, the females
of his family are treated with re&longs;pect:
nay, even in an in&longs;urrection of the soldiery,
when they murdered their Dey,
neither they nor his &longs;ucce&longs;&longs;our violated
the female apartments of the &longs;lain.
A mere love of novelty in the &longs;oldiery,
the wi&longs;h to &longs;hare the large&longs;&longs;es of a new
&longs;overeign, the policy of his courtiers,

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the ambition or popularity of his officers
or children, have not unfrequently caused
the dethroning of the Dey; but the
more &longs;y&longs;tematic cau&longs;e of his being &longs;o
frequently dethroned &longs;hall be noticed in
our next chapter.

p407-349

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