§ MR. DILLONasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether his attention has been directed to the following paragraph in Egypt (No. 2) Inclosure, in No. 144:—
Obstacles have been found on the Railway between Haifa and Gemai, placed there undoubtedly by the villagers.…The Sheik of Gemai was accordingly punished;whether he can inform the House what punishment was inflicted on this man; and, whether the man had any kind of trial?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY (Mr. BRYCE)I am not in a position to reply as fully as I could have wished to the hon. Member's Question; but I am informed that General Grenfell issued several Proclamations through the Khedive's agents warning the Sheikhs of the villages against interrupting our railway communication. In spite of these warnings the traffic was frequently interrupted and lives endangered by obstacles being placed on the line with a view to upsetting the trains. An officer with an armed party was even- 1909 tually despatched to trace the origin of these interruptions, and found the Sheikh of Gemai to be responsible. He was accordingly brought back to Haifa under escort, and having been put under supervision for several days he was eventually released. No further interruption of traffic occurred.