HC Deb 10 July 1884 vol 290 cc672-3
SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, When the promised Papers regarding the internal administration of Egypt, and especially the working of the tentative autonomous institutions, will be in the hands of Members, and whether they will be in time for the Debate on Egyptian Affairs following the Conference, so as to enable the House to judge of the relations between the Caisse and the Egyptian Assembly in regard to the Budget matters; and, whether the Egyptian Assembly were in any way consulted before the International Tribunals were extended for five years, as were the French and Italian Assemblies?

MR. GOSCHEN

wished to ask the noble Lord at the same time, whether the Papers with regard to the general administration of Egypt would include despatches from Mr. Clifford Lloyd and Sir Benson Maxwell, which would throw light upon the controversy between those gentlemen which was going on here?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

The Egyptian Papers which I promised did not specially relate to the tentative autonomous institutions. They will not be necessary for the debate on the proceedings of the Conference, though I hope to be able to lay them shortly. The Egyptian Assembly was not consulted before the International Tribunals were prolonged.

MR. GOSCHEN

asked whether the Papers would also contain despatches from Mr. Clifford Lloyd with regard to the internal administration of Egypt generally?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

I cannot at this moment undertake to make a statement on the subject offhand. The Papers I have already promised will not contain Papers relative to the Legislative Assembly, because at this moment the Foreign Office is not in possession of any such communication as would be likely to be of any great interest to the House; but I have communicated with Sir Evelyn Baring, and I believe before long he will be able to present some information to the Foreign Office, which I will be able to communicate to the House.