The principal writers, in addition to Lord Stratford de Redcliffe and the Earl of Clarendon, were the Earl of Shaftesbury, Lord Cowley, Sir Culling Eardley Eardley, President of the Turkish Missions Aid Society, the Rev.Cuthbert G.Young, its Secretary, and Mehemet Fuad.
[1] Vol.i.p.

135.
As the result of all, a Hatti Humaioun, or Imperial Firman, was issued by the Sultan in February, 1856.

When read in public, the Sheik el Islam, the highest Moslem ecclesiastic, invoked the divine blessing on the Imperial Edict; but probably without an apprehension, either by himself or by his government, of the full significance of the instrument.

By many of the Mohammedans it was regarded us opening the door for them to become Christians.

Not a few of the Armenians and Greeks were displeased with it as favoring Protestantism; and this fact did not escape the sagacity of Mohammedans.
The Imperial Rescript, as translated from the French, is as follows:-- "Let it be done as herein set forth.
"To you, my Grand Vizier, Mehemed Emin Aali Pasha, decorated with my Imperial Order of the Medjidiye of the first class, and with the Order of Personal Merit; may God grant to you greatness, and increase your power! "It has always been my most earnest desire to insure the happiness of all classes of the subjects whom divine Providence has placed under my imperial sceptre; and since my accession to the throne I have not ceased to direct all my efforts to the attainment of that end.
"Thanks to the Almighty, these unceasing efforts have already been productive of numerous useful results.