HC Deb 31 July 1882 vol 273 cc216-8
MR. BOURKE

desired to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he had any information as to the Conference at Constantinople; whether there was any truth in the statement that the Russian Chargé d'Affaires had withdrawn from it; whether he had again rejoined the Conference; and whether the proceedings of the Conference were likely to be brought to a close before long?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will kindly put the Question down for to-morrow.

MR. M'COAN

asked whether Her Majesty's Government had any reason to believe that Mr. Blunt was in communication with Arabi Pasha; and, if so, whether it was intended to stop such communication?

MR. GLADSTONE

We have no knowledge whatever upon the subject more recent than that which I communicated to the House recently—namely, that the letter bearing the signature of Arabi Pasha came to me under cover of a letter from Mr. Blunt. That was dated as far back as the 2nd of July. I do not remember the date of the covering letter. Since then I have no knowledge whatever on the subject.

SIR WILFRID LAWSON

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he could lay on the Table the evidence which led him to intimate to the House that Arabi Pasha was guilty of complicity in the pre- parations for the attack upon Europeans at Alexandria on the 11th of June?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

Yes, Sir. The Papers on the subject shall be laid before the House. Of course, they cannot at present be produced in a complete form; but there is a despatch giving a deposition and names of witnesses. With regard to the conduct of Arabi Pasha generally, I do not know whether the hon. Member has seen a long telegram in the Second Edition of The Times of to-day.

MR. BOURKE

Does the hon. Baronet mean to convey that the statements in the telegram in the Second Edition of The Times are correct or authoritative?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

I can only refer hon. Members to The Times itself. This is the first detailed statement upon the subject I have seen. We have had a statement from our own Agents in general mentioning the subject; but we have had no detailed statement.

SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOT

asked the Prime Minister, whether all that happened in that House and in the country with regard to the Egyptian expedition was not telegraphed to Arabi; and whether, if such was the case, he would take care that important information should not be conveyed to him in that manner in future; also, whether he could give the House any information as to the Turkish expedition, which, it was stated, bad been organized by Mukhtar Pasha, and as to the place at which it was intended that that expedition should land?

Mr. GLADSTONE

With respect to the telegraphic line, which is a Question of some nicety, particularly as the line crosses the Canal, I had rather answer it a day or two hence. I may say, however, that it has not escaped the attention of Her Majesty's Government, but has been carefully considered. With regard to the Question of a Turkish expedition, the hon. Member not unnaturally refers probably to the statements which he has seen in the newspapers; but his Question is really somewhat premature, for no matter connected with the despatch of a Turkish expedition to Egypt has as yet reached a stage in which it can be the subject of Questions in this House. The preliminary conditions of such an expedition, which in our judgment are absolutely essential, are still unfulfilled.