§ LORD ELCHOasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been drawn to Mr. Wilfrid Blunt's recent letter to the "Times" newspaper, and, whether, having regard to the replies given by the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to questions relating to the trial of Arabi Pacha and the employment of counsel in his defence, he intends to allow the costs of such trial to be defrayed by a private individual; or, whether, seeing that the Government have stated that they had "secured" for the prisoners, who surrendered to our troops, "the benefit of counsel and publicity of trial," he will undertake to defray, out of public funds, the costs already paid by Mr. Blunt from his private purse, and such further expenditure as may be necessary to insure a full and fair trial of the accused?
MR. GLADSTONEOn this subject I have to make a very brief reply. Her Majesty's Government have not in any way entered into or been responsible for, nor do they intend to make themselves responsible for, any of the proceedings of Mr. Blunt in regard to Egyptian affairs and the operations in Egypt, and they have no intention to defray any part of the expenses of the proceedings taken for the defence of Arabi, and those who, in common with him, are arraigned in Egypt, either for an act of rebellion, or otherwise.