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This is a unique document, certifying the existence of eunuchs in the Ottoman empire, outside of Constantinople at the end of the 19 c. It is a proposition for a provincial bill in the autonomous province of Eastern Rumelia from October, 1880.
Mortimer PROPOSITION As it came to us that some of the Moslem refugees, returning back to the province brought slaves with them, and as it is possible that there are slaves in many of the other (sc. Moslem) houses, and that the hideous trade with human beings will never come into being in the province, the signatories, based upon the articles 30 and 100 of the Organic statute, have the honour to propose the following bill: Article 1. Slavery is forever prohibited on all the territories of Eastern Rumelia. Article 2. The keeping, selling, buying and transportation of slaves of both sexes and without sex (NB!) is forbidden. Article 3. The offenders of the 1 and 2 articles should be punished with a fine from 1000 to 10 000 grosh (100 grosh = 1 Turkish lira of the time) in the benefit of the slave, who should be released immediately and with imprisonment from 1 to 6 months. In case of repeating the crime, the offender should be punished despite the above mentioned fine with imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years and is loosing his political rights for 5 years. In case of repeating the crime for a third time, the offender after paying the fine is expelled from the province (sc. In the Ottoman empire). In any case the slave is set free. Deputies: 13 signitures.
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