Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Translation of supplement to the imperial
firman, changing the order of succession to the vice-royal
throne in Egypt, and providing for a regency.
With a view of providing all the necessary guarantees for the new
order of succession of the vilaet of Egypt, already settled by a
previous firman, in case the throne of Egypt should become vacant,
with the heir-apparent a minor, the council of regency for the
government of the country shall be formed as follows:
If the throne become vacant, and the heir-apparent, who must always
be the eldest son, be a minor, that is to say, shall not have
attained the age of eighteen years—although it must be understood
that an imperial firman shall immediately recognize his accession,
and that the deceased viceroy shall have previously designated for
the administration of the vilaet a regent and formed a council of
regency, by a written instrument bearing his signature and
countersigned by two high Egyptian functionaries as witnesses—this
regent and the council of regency will immediately assume the reins
of government, taking care to acquaint the Sublime Porte with the
accession of the regent and of the council of regency, who must be
recognized and confirmed by an imperial firman.
In case the viceroy should die without a regent and council of
regency having been named, the ministers of the interior, of war,
finance, and foreign affairs, the president of the Egyptian grand
council of justice, the commander-in-chief of the troops, and the
mufti of Egypt, will constitute a special council, and elect a
regent thus:
The special council, on immediately meeting and deliberating, will
select a regent from among their own body, unanimously, or by a
majority of votes. If there be an equal division of votes, whoever
occupies the most important position, commencing with the minister
of the interior, and in pursuance of the order of nomenclature
hereinbefore set forth, shall be elected. The remaining
functionaries will continue to constitute the council of regency and
to administer the affairs of the vilaet under the presidency of the
regent. A report, announcing the nomination of the regent and the
formation of the council of regency, must be sent to my imperial
government in order that it may be sanctioned by a firman.
Whether the viceroy shall have designated a regent and formed a
council of regency as above mentioned, or whether, as in the second
case provided for, the regent shall have been chosen by the
functionaries aforesaid, the regent and the members of the council
of regency cannot be changed until the heir-apparent shall have
attained his majority. If, during the regency, one of the members of
the council shall die, his colleagues will at once till up the
vacancy by selecting his successor from among Egyptian
functionaries, and if the regent himself shall die, his successor
shall be sought for among the members of the council of regency, who
will fill up the place thus vacated by an Egyptian functionary. As
soon as the heir-apparent shall have attained the age of eighteen
years, that is to say, his majority, he will himself govern the
vilaet in like manner as his predecessor. Such is my wish, and let
it be done as it is said in the present firman.
2 Sepher, 1283.
