§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, in any negotiations opened with other Powers, or in any proposals made by Her Majesty's Government for the settlement of affairs in Egypt, care has been taken to provide, firstly, for guaranteeing the freedom of navigation of the Suez Canal, whether for Her Majesty's Ships of War or of the 176 Mercantile Marine, both in time of peace and of war; secondly, for securing to the Egyptian people, within the limits of international obligations, and by representative institutions, some control over the legislation, administration, and expenditure of their Country; and, thirdly, for the extinction of slavery in Egypt and the suppression of the Slave Trade in the Red Sea?
MR. GLADSTONESir, the Question of the hon. Member refers to three matters of the greatest possible importance. Two of them refer to the guaranteeing of the freedom of navigation of the Suez Canal, and to the securing to the Egyptian people some control over the legislation of their country, both of these being questions connected with the subject-matter with which the recent Expedition has been concerned. The third matter referred to in the Question does not belong directly to that subject-matter, but to a design and a policy which has been pursued by this country for a great number of years with the deliberate approval—even warm approval—and concurrence of the people. All that I can say at present about these three subjects—and I hope the hon. Gentleman will be satisfied with it—is that they do, and will continue to, command the close attention of the Government; and if I do not enter into details it is simply and solely from the belief that to enter prematurely into such details might be disadvantageous to the purposes which, I believe, the hon. Member and the Government contemplate in common.