§ MR. BOURKEasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, With respect to the following passage in a Dispatch from Lord Granville, dated May 24th, 1882, 1776
I told Musurus Pacha that reports had reached me to the effect that the communications addressed to Arabi Bey from Constantinople tended to encourage him in his opposition to the recommendations of England and France, but that I was glad to disbelieve these rumors," &c.what "reports" were these; where did they come from; and will they be produced?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, the reports were to the effect stated by Lord Granville; they were of a confidential nature, and will not be published.
§ MR. BOURKEDid they come from Constantinople?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEI do not think that I ought to answer that Question publicly; but if the right hon. Gentleman wishes I shall be happy to tell him privately.
§ MR. BOURKEasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, With respect to the following passage in a Dispatch from Lord Granville, dated 24th May 1882—
I read to him" (M. Tissot) "Sir E. Malet's telegram of last night, reporting the gravity of the situation, and asked His Excellency to press strongly how undesirable it was to sacrifice the advantage of the agreement to which we had come in order to keep up a secret which in the end must be known,what was the agreement above alluded to, and what was the "secret" which in the end must be known?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, the agreement referred to is that proposed by the French Government on the 12th of May, and agreed to by Her Majesty's Government on the 14th, under which Turkey was to be asked to send troops to Egypt if the two Governments considered it advisable that troops should be landed. (See Egypt No. 7, Nos. 179 and 196.) This agreement was a secret at the date of Lord Granville's dispatch.