HC Deb 14 November 1884 vol 293 cc1720-2
SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he will now produce the Report on the tentative working of representative institutions in Egypt, which he last summer obtained from Sir Evelyn Baring; and, if it is true, as stated in the public prints, that the Egyptian Government has just ordered arrears of Taxes due from Natives to be rigorously exacted, but has suspended the House Tax on Foreigners?

MR. LABOUCHERE

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the telegram of The Times of November 12, in which it is stated that the Egyptian Government had determined to collect taxes in arrear, amounting to £180,000, and that, where payment is refused, crops, cattle, and land will be seized; and, whether, if so, seeing that the professional experts stated in their Report to the recent Conference that the fellahs, far from being able to pay arrears of taxation, are already in the hands of usurers, owing to their having been obliged to borrow to meet the requirements of the State, on account of the fall in the price of produce, Her Majesty's Government contemplates informing the Egyptian Government, that, so long as order and the rule of the Khedive over the fellahs are maintained by a British Army of Occupation, such a system of seizure and eviction cannot be permitted?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

A Report on the working of the representative institutions in Egypt has been received from Sir Evelyn Baring, and will be laid before Parliament. The Egyptian Government has been compelled to suspend temporarily the new law for the collection of house tax owing to the difficulties encountered in putting it into operation. The law will be amended. A Circular was issued at the end of July by the Ministry of Finance ordering the payment of arrears of taxes, but it referred to the deficiencies of the rich landowners who were in a position to pay, and the Circular had very good results. No information has been received of the description mentioned in The Times of November 12. The whole question of finance being at present under consideration, I cannot enter into the matters raised by the second half of the Question of my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton (Mr. Labouchere) within the limits usually assigned to an answer.

SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL

When will Sir Evelyn Baring's Report be circulated?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

It will be circulated in the next set of Papers on Egyptian affairs. If there be any great delay, which I do not anticipate, I will see whether arrangements can be made for laying this Report separately on the Table.

SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL

Will the noble Lord undertake that the Report will be presented during the present Session?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

I do not know I can undertake that it will be laid on the Table during this Session; but I will see that it is circulated before next Session.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

Are we to understand that no further Egyptian Papers are to be laid on the Table during the present Session?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

I referred to Egyptian Papers generally, not to special Papers.