§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If his attention has been called to the rate of pay secured to English and other Foreign members of the Egyptian Civil Service, as compared both with the remuneration of similar functionaries in their Native Countries and with the limited resources of Egypt; whether he has noticed, in the Paper, Egypt, No. 6, of the present Session, that, besides the English Controller General, who receives nearly £4,000 a-year, the English member of the Committee of the Survey Board receives £1,500 a-year, the English Inspector General of Lighthouses receives nearly £1,700 a-year, and an English Deputy Inspector General nearly £1,100 a-year, an English President of the Railway Board £3,000 a-year, there are many other highly paid officials in the Egyptian Service; whether these posts are unnecessarily multiplied, and capable of being filled by much fewer officials; whether Government could select trustworthy English officials, who would discharge the necessary duties for one-third or one-fourth of the above emoluments; whether the high salaries of European officials in Egypt are a source of grave dissatisfaction among the native population; and, whether Her Majesty's Government, with a view to peace and tranquillity in Egypt, will set the example of diminishing the number of Foreign functionaries as much as possible, and choosing as functionaries a less expensive class of officials?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, the English officials in Egypt, with the exception of the Controller, were selected by the Egyptian Government, who, in a few cases, asked Her Majesty's Government to recommend fit persons. I am not in a position to state whether the posts referred to by the hon. Member are capable of being reduced in number. There is reason to doubt whether efficient and experienced men could be found to give up their prospects in England and take service under the Egyptian Government, unless the inducement of higher rates of salary than they can obtain in this country were offered to them. Articles have appeared in some Egyptian newspapers, objecting to the high salaries of European officials; but I have no official information on this point. Her Majesty's Government, as I have already stated, have no control over the number or salaries of the foreign officials employed in Egypt.
§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true that the European population of Egypt have been practically exempt from the payment of taxes; and, whether Her Majesty's Government have recommended the cessation of this exemption?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEAs regards taxation, the foreigner in Egypt stands, legally, in the same position as the Native inhabitant, except that the Capitulations exempt him from the capitation tax or tribute. This tax is, however, no longer levied in Egypt; but, in regard to the rest, there can be no question as to his liability, and this liability can be enforced by the Egyptian Government in the International Courts. I believe attempts have been made by foreigners to evade the payment of their land tax, and that the Egyptian Government have occasionally had recourse to vigorous measures to recover the amounts due. Her Majesty's Government have uniformly supported the Egyptian Government in their endeavours to resist the pretension of British subjects claiming exemption from taxation.
§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether complaints have been made to Her Majesty's Government of the manner in which some of the British officials in the Egyptian Administration have been accustomed to treat their 28 Egyptian colleagues; and, whether he will inquire into the matter?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, Her Majesty's Government have not heard of any such complaints, and I do not consider it necessary to make any inquiry on the subject.