HC Deb 20 July 1882 vol 272 cc1089-93
MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHY

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, so long ago as last December or January, representations were made from Cairo to Her Majesty's Government, to the effect that, in the opinion of many of the English and other Consular officers in Egypt, any attempt at forcible intervention in that Country would be met, unless full precautions were taken, by a massacre of the Christian populations of Cairo and Alexandria?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

No, Sir; we can find no such representations.

MR. GORST

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether there are not 2,100 Royal Marines now on shore in Egypt; whether another battalion is not going out which will raise the force of Royal Marines in Egypt to nearly 3,000 men; and, whether these men are to be placed under the command of a General Officer of their own corps; and, if not, from which branch of the Naval or Military services an officer will be selected to take the command of this large force of Royal Marines?

MR. CAMPBELL - BANNERMAN

There are now 1,000 Marines on shore at Alexandria, forming part of the Force under the immediate command of Major General Sir Archibald Alison. They are commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel of Marine Artillery, and a Lieutenant Colonel of Light Infantry. The rest of the Marines in Egypt belong to the ships of the Fleet, and are ready for embarkation to keep the ships efficient. It is not intended to send out a General Officer of Marines.

MR. W. H. SMITH

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, If he will lay upon the Table immediately a Paper giving the instructions, in regular order, sent to Admiral Sir F. Beauchamp Seymour, with reference to Egyptian affairs, in the course of the present year? He said he understood the hon. Gentleman to say, two days ago, that he had communicated from time to time all the orders which had been sent to Sir Beauchamp Seymour, and that they had appeared in the newspapers. It was obviously inconvenient to refer to them in that form.

MR. CAMPBELL - BANNERMAN

With every desire to meet the wishes of the right hon. Gentleman, the Government are bound to consider that these instructions really form a part of the general policy of the Government in regard to the Egyptian Question. We, therefore, think it desirable that the instructions should be presented at the same time as the other Papers.

MR. GIBSON

That will be in the Recess.

MR. W. H. SMITH

said, he had understood the lion. Gentleman to say that from time to time these instructions had been communicated. Was that so or not?

MR. CAMPBELL - BANNERMAN

To the best of my belief, they have been all stated at the Table of the House; but I cannot give any categorical answer.

MR. JOSEPH COWEN

said, he had given Notice to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether the following telegram from Alexandria, which appeared in the "Times" of the 19th instant, was correct:— The 'Orontes,' which was supposed to have troops on board, arrived this morning, but through some extraordinary blunder at Malta she has come without a single soldier; but, in deference to the wish of the hon. Gentleman, he said he would not ask the Question.

SIR WILFRID LAWSON

said, that, unless the Question came under the category of argumentative inquiry, he desired to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true, as stated in the "Daily News" of the 19th instant, that— The Egyptian Ministry hesitates to take the necessary steps to inform the people that Arabi is a rebel and an outlaw.

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

Sir, it would be difficult to answer this Question without going into debateable matter, and, therefore, I must decline to answer it.

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether or not it is the intention of the Government to lay upon the Table the Reports of Sir Beauchamp Seymour of the steps taken by him, and of such forces as the Government had placed under his orders, for the preservation of British life and property at Alexandria on the 11th of June; and, if so, when?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

There will be no objection on the part of the Government to laying these documents on the Table.

MR. PASSMORE EDWARDS

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he has seen the following translated extracts from two influential Italian newspapers, which appear in the "Times" of this morning:—The "Diritto," the reputed organ of an Italian Cabinet Minister, says:— The damage caused by the bombardment amounts to hundreds of millions, almost all belonging to Europeans. It is now certain that the English bombs were for two days hurled into the middle of the city. What need, then, for seeking elsewhere the cause of the fires? We mention this in order that, before the moment when we shall have to talk about the damages, Europe may be enlightened as to the facts of the case; The "Popolo Romano" says:— If England retires from Alexandria when the Powers have decided what action shall be taken, the political consequences of the bombardment may be small. But they will, nevertheless, continue to be most serious from a monetary and material point of view. Upon this head there will, without doubt, arise the question of the damage done to European property, which some one will certainly have to make good; and, whether the Government are prepared to consider any claims which may be made by Foreign Citizens or Foreign Governments in compensation for the property it is alleged we have destroyed at Alexandria?

MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR

asked what the Government proposed to do with reference to the bombardment of Sfax?

MR. GLADSTONE

The last Question had better be addressed to my hon. Friend the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with due Notice. With respect to the other Question, certainly the Government would never think it necessary to take any notice whatever of the two anonymous paragraphs.

LORD EUSTACE CECIL

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been drawn to the "Times" correspondence of this day (Monday), in which it is stated that the Government were advised several weeks ago by their accredited Military agent at Alexandria that, with the view of avoiding the perpetration of any atrocities, it would be necessary that a landing of troops should be effected whenever the bombardment of the town took place; and, if so, what was the date of that communication, and what reply was returned?

MR. CHILDERS

My right hon. Friend asks me to answer this Question. In reply to the noble Lord, I have to state that there was no accredited Military Agent at Alexandria before Sir Archibald Alison's arrival. Major Tul-loch, an officer on the Staff at Portsmouth, has been attached to the Staff of Admiral Sir Beauchamp Seymour in consequence of his local knowledge of the neighbourhood of Alexandria. But I must decline altogether to give any information as to the opinions or confidential Reports of that officer.

MR. CHAPLIN

Will the right hon. Gentleman lay Major Tulloch's Report on the Table?

MR. CHILDERS

No, Sir. Major Tulloch was neither the adviser nor the agent of the Government, and I should not notice here or place on the Table his opinion on such a subject.

MR. O'DONNELL

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether a clear and distinct statement of the danger to the European colony to be expected after the bombardment of the forts was in the hands of the Cabinet several weeks ago, on the part of the British residents in Alexandria; and, why the warning of the British residents was disregarded?

MR. GLADSTONE

Sir, I am sorry the hon. Gentleman has put his Question. At the same time the answer is a very simple one. The representations made by the hon. Gentleman are extremely vague. He does not distinctly indicate the Reports he refers to; but there was a Report on the 30th May, from a committee of British merchants, who represented that the force in the port of Alexandria was so small as not to be able to give protection to the British subjects who were then ashore. Since then, and long before the bombardment, all the British subjects in Alexandria, or nearly the whole of them, were removed from Alexandria, and after that Report was made, an application was made by Sir Beauchamp Seymour for an additional force, which was complied with, and the force was largely augmented.

MR. TOTTENHAM

asked what steps the Government had taken for the relief and support of the refugees at Cyprus and Malta?

MR. GLADSTONE

Sir, I think this Question has already been answered. Provision has been made, and is being made, on the subject, and the proper Department is in communication with the authorities of both those Colonies, or rather with the Colony of Malta and with the Island of Cyprus, whatever the proper designation of it may be.