NOTE: [Page] 6

[...each of the councils of the] administration [shall be responsible] to the council to which it belongs; and the National Assemblies to the General Assembly; and the Patriarch shall be responsible, on the one hand, to the Imperial Government, and on the other hand (through the mediation of the General Assembly), to the nation. VIII. And whereas the Imperial Government recognizes the Patriarch as the natural intermediary for the execution of the imperial decrees to be issued for the Armenian nation, and as the head of the National Administration, and addresses its inquiries to him: if the Government orders the Patriarch to declare his (that is, the Patriarch's) opinion upon the matter inquired into, the Patriarch shall act in accordance with the decision of the Assemblies functioning under his presidency. But if it is commanded that he communicate [the matter] to the Government after taking the opinion of the nation, the Patriarch shall then convoke the General Assembly, and communicate the final decision of that Assembly to the Government. IX. The National Administration has three kinds of obligations: of which the first is toward the Imperial Government; that is, to keep the nation in perfectly faithful subjection, and to secure the preservation by the Government of the rights and privileges of the nation, both in general and of each of its individual members in particular. The second is toward the nation; which is to act truly with compassion and paternally. And the third is toward the See of Ējmiatsin; that is, to act in accordance with the religious canons and laws of the Armenian Church. These, then, are the points of the Constitution which the Mixed Commission [approved]... [Armeno-Turkish section:] ...each of the commissions [shall be responsible] to the assembly to which it belongs; and likewise the Patriarch shall be responsible on the one hand to the Sublime State (*Devlet-i ‘alîye*), and on the other hand to the Nation (*Millet*) through the mediation of the General Assembly (*Meclis-i Umûmî*). And since the Sublime State will address its inquiries concerning the matters [at hand] to the Patriarch—who is regarded as the natural intermediary for the execution of the provisions issued concerning the Nation and as the head of the Administration of the Nation—commanding the Patriarch either to declare his [own] opinion, in which case the Patriarch shall act in conformity with the decision of the assemblies present under his charge; or commanding and directing him to convey [the matter] to the side of the State after obtaining the opinion of the Nation, in which case the Patriarch shall likewise convoke the General Assembly and submit and declare the result of the deliberations of this assembly. And the said Administration having three kinds of duties: its duty toward the State consists of keeping the Nation in a state of perfect loyalty and obedience to the Sublime State, and securing the matter of the protection by the State of the rights and privileges of the Nation and likewise of its individuals; and its duty toward the Nation consists of acting truly in a compassionate manner; and its duty regarding the See of Ējmiatsin (*Eçmiadzin*) consists of acting in conformity with the spiritual rules and customs of the Armenian Church (*Ermeni Kilisesi*); these matters having been deemed appropriate by the said Commission, and, in accordance with the exalted orders, by the Nation...