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[The preamble indicates] the recourse to the General Assembly and the requesting of its decision: About twenty years ago, the Armenian Nation petitioned the Imperial Government that two Assemblies be established in the Patriarchate under the presidency of the Patriarch—one for Religious affairs and the other for Civil affairs—so that they might be collaborators and assistants in the Patriarch’s discharge of his duties, and that any deviation from the ancient rules and customs of the Nation, both in the civil and religious spheres, might be prevented. When these Assemblies were established, it also became necessary to establish several Councils for the administration of detailed national affairs. But because the authority and duties of each of the National officials were not distinctly defined, it was evident that these efforts to reform the condition of the Nation would give occasion for perpetual dissensions to arise among the various parts of the National Administration, as well as between the said Administration and the Nation; and this would cause many disorders in the exercise of the rights pertaining to all sides, and confusion and disturbance within the National Administration itself. Now, with the purpose of removing the causes of these confusions and dissensions, and eliminating the harmfulness of the claims on all sides, the Imperial Government, [motivated by the benevolent favor which it unsparingly bestows upon all classes of its subjects...]* *** *[*Note: The original printed text transitions mid-sentence from Western Armenian into Armeno-Turkish (Ottoman Turkish printed in Armenian characters), rendering parallel content:*] ...wherefore, whenever an important matter arises requiring settlement and disposition, it indicates the particulars which the Patriarch refers to the aforesaid Assembly. Approximately twenty years prior to this, the Armenian Nation (*Ermeni milleti*) petitioned the Sublime State (*Devlet-i Aliyye*) for the appointment of two assemblies—one for spiritual affairs (*umûr-ı ruhâniyye*) and the other for temporal affairs (*umûr-ı cismaniyye*)—to serve as an aid to the said Patriarch in the execution of his office, and to prevent every kind of departure from the ancient rules and customs in force both spiritually and temporally. And although the creation of these assemblies necessitated the establishment of certain commissions for the oversight of various subsidiary affairs, it was evident that—inasmuch as the specific powers and duties of the Nation’s officials had not been determined—these inclinations toward the reform of the Nation’s condition would not fail to produce disputes both among the various branches of the National Administration (*Millet İdaresi*) and between this Administration and the Nation; and that this would entail a series of irregularities in the execution of the rights appertaining to each party, together with disorder and confusion in the Administration. Wherefore, based on the objective of preventing the emergence of these causes of discord and dispute, and averting the injuries arising from the claims of all parties, in accordance with the requirements of the compassionate favors that the Sublime State unsparingly bestows upon all classes of its subjects, [and in conformity with] the observed spiritual and temporal customs of the Nation, as well as [its] ancient...