HC Deb 13 July 1882 vol 272 cc276-8
MR. JOSEPH COWEN

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If any remonstrance has been received from the Forte, or from any other Power, respecting the bombardment of the Alexandria forts since the bombardment took place, and if the terms of the remonstrances will be contained in the next Papers issued respecting Egypt? He asked to be allowed to supplement this Question. The hon. Gentleman yesterday stated that no remonstrance had been received from the Porte previous to the bombardment of Alexandria. He now wished to ask if any remonstrance, or any communication, had been received during the more recent proceedings?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

No remonstrance has been received from any Power except the Porte. The Porte, in a remonstrance, stated that the British fire at Alexandria would not be returned. The remonstrances will be published in due course, but not in the next series, which only goes up to the meeting of the Conference.

MR. JOSEPH COWEN

Has any remonstrance been received from the Italians about it?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

None at all.

SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOT

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he has now received any information with regard to the Mustafirrin, or Military Police, having bayoneted many Europeans during the recent disturbances at Alexandria; if not, whether he will at once telegraph to the British Consulate for information on the subject; if he is able to state whether great pressure was or was not placed on all British subjects by members of the Consulate to induce them to leave Alexandria; and, whether any steps have been taken to reinforce the British Consulate of Alexandria, many of its officials being reported to be ill or on leave? The hon. and gallant Baronet explained that his last Question was mainly answered by the hon. Gentleman the other day. He would, therefore, now ask in what position the British Consulate at Alexandria now were?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

The evidence of the Medical Commission which visited the hospitals shows that many Europeans received bayonet wounds. The general evidence on the subject of the massacres, which is being collected with great care, is yet too far from completion to enable me to make any detailed statement with regard to it. I have already informed the House that British subjects were advised to go on board ship. As the hon. and gallant Baronet himself states, the third branch of the Question has already been fully answered in reply to the noble Lord on the Front Opposition Bench. The hon. Member further asks me as to the present position of the Consulate at Alexandria. Mr. Jago, Her Majesty's Consul at Damascus, is now in charge, and the Consul at Khartoum is the second official. These gentlemen are, of course, on board ship—at least they were yesterday.

SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE

Is the hon. Gentleman able to give us any information as to the present condition of Alexandria; and will he tell us why it is that no steps were taken to prevent the destruction of life and property there?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

That is not a Question on the Paper, and therefore I am not in a position to answer it. If the right hon. Gentleman gives Notice of his Question he will receive a proper reply. I would suggest that the Question be put either to the Prime Minister or to the Secretary to the Admiralty, because all the communications on the subject come through the Admiralty.

SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOT

The Government have not answered my second Question, which I asked on ac- count of a reply given by the hon. Gentleman, in which, I believe, he said that no pressure had been put on British subjects in June to leave Alexandria. Now, I have in my hand information from Alexandria stating that decided pressure had been put on British subjects early in June to leave Alexandria by the British Consulate there.

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

Of course, the hon. Baronet will see that I could not gather from his Question as it appears on the Paper that he wished to know the particular date when the pressure was applied. We have no information from the British Consulate at Alexandria, or generally from our Re-presentatives in Egypt, as to any such pressure having been exercised at an early period in the month of June. No instructions at that time were given.