§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLI beg to ask the Prime Minister whether any confirmation has been received of the telegram alluded to by him as showing that Arabi Bey "has thrown off the mask and declared his intention of openly proceeding to depose the Khedive;" or whether, on the contrary, Arabi professed himself a true servant of the Khedive?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEIf the hon. Member will refer to the Papers, he will see how far Arabi has expressed himself a servant of the Khedive. With regard to the proposed deposition, no further steps have been taken.
MR. JOSEPH COWENI wish to know whether my hon. Friend the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has received any information as to the acceptance or refusal of the proposed Conference by the other Powers?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEWe have every reason to suppose that the Conference will be accepted by them, because all the Ambassadors in London have held friendly language with regard to it, and all the Foreign Ministers in foreign capitals have held language equally friendly to it. There has been no formal acceptance up to the present time.
§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFIs it true that the French Government proposed to the other Powers the expediency of appointing Prince Halim as Khedive?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEThat is a question which is not at all within the range of practical polities at the present moment; but some reference to the matter in the past will be found in the Papers.
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONI wish to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received confirmation of a telegram which appears in The Daily News of to-day. The telegram states distinctly that the English and French Consuls have—
Advised the Khedive to summon Ragheb Pasha to the Palace and intrust him with the formation of a Ministry. The French Consul is said to be the author of this scheme to settle the difficulty, which has been accepted by the British Consul General. Besides being a cripple and suffering from paralysis, Ragheb Pasha is one of the old school, with a very bad reputation, and was the author of the once famous 1938 national financial project, a man of anti-European sentiments, and pledged to destroy Anglo-French influence in Egypt?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKENo, Sir; we have received no confirmation of that report, and have heard nothing whatever on the subject.
§ MR. BOURKEI should like to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs two Questions—First, whether he can give the House any more information than he was able to afford yesterday with reference to the earthworks which are said to be erected in the harbour of Alexandria; and, also, whether the French Government have yet consented to the publication of the Papers up to the latest period? I understood yesterday from the hon. Baronet that he could only lay the Papers up to January upon the Table; but I trust we shall have them up to a much later date.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEWith regard to the Papers, we have not yet received any answer from the French Government. My impression is their consent was asked, not yesterday, but to-day. With regard to the earthworks at Alexandria, there are, undoubtedly, some earthworks that have been thrown up; but they are not armed in any way. Sir Beauchamp Seymour has been in communication with the Government on the subject.
§ MR. BOURKEHas any communication been made to the Egyptian Government on the subject of the earthworks?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKENo, Sir; not at present. It is desirable that I should state in advance that I do not think it would be proper for me to answer any Questions that might be addressed to me next week on the subject of these earthworks, because there might be matters passing in respect of them on which it would be undesirable to speak. I can only say that the matter has not escaped the attention of Her Majesty's Government.
§ MR. MACFARLANEI wish to ask, whether the Representatives of the Western Powers in Egypt have conveyed to Arabi Pasha that they hold him responsible for the safety of the Khedive; and, if not, whether they will consider the propriety of doing so?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESome considerable time ago the Representatives of the Western Powers conveyed 1939 to Arabi Pasha, in pretty general terms, the intention of the Government to hold him responsible for the maintenance of order in Egypt.
§ MR. BOURKEI beg to give Notice that on Monday I will ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs another Question with respect to further Papers on Egyptian Affairs. I will ask him whether the Government of England has not agreed with the Government of France for the production of Papers up to a later date?