§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, inasmuch as no machinery exists for consulting the wishes of the people of Egypt as to their future government, Lord Dufferin will be instructed, in concert with the Government of the Khedive, to devise such a machinery before the final arrangements are concluded; whether Lord Dufferin has been instructed to make provision in any arrangements for the settlement of Egypt to which Her Majesty's Government will be a party for the establishment of institutions in which the Egyptian people shall be represented, and giving to their representatives control over the legislation, administration, and expenditure of their Country; and, whether it is intended, before any new arrangements are promulgated, to submit them to the 1311 sanction of the Sultan and the Concert of Europe?
MR. GLADSTONEThe first branch of the Question speaks of something to be done before the final arrangements are concluded in Egypt. There are no final arrangements to be concluded by us. Our business is to endeavour to make, or to concur in making, such arrangements as may appear to be necessary and useful for the security and good order of the country; but there will be nothing to shut out amendment of such arrangements according to the light which time and experience may throw on Egyptian affairs. We cannot undertake to define machinery for consulting the wishes of the people of Egypt before such arrangements as I have just described have been concluded. With respect to the second branch of the Question—whether Lord Dufferin has been instructed to make provision in any arrangements for the settlement of Egypt to which Her Majesty's Government will be a party for the establishment of institutions in which the Egyptian people shall be represented?—that is a Question coming fully and fairly within the scope of the assurances we have previously given, and we are engaged in communication with Lord Dufferin upon the subject of it. With regard to the third branch—whether it is intended, before any new arrangements are promulgated, to submit them to the sanction of the Sultan and the Concert of Europe?—it would be quite premature, until we have made further progress, to enter upon the question.