HC Deb 26 July 1883 vol 282 cc541-3
SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOT

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If his attention has been called to a statement in the "Times" of July 24th, to the following effect:— The Minister of the Interior and the Prefect of Police, without consulting Sir Edward Malet, General Stephenson, or apparently any other authority, determined to evict in the middle of Saturday night the inhabitants of Boulak, and to transport them up the river to Furrah, near Helouân, where the English are forming a cholera camp. The scene is described as a pitiable one. No violence was necessary, but no attempt was made to mitigate the horrors of the situation. Meanwhile nothing had been done to prevent several of the evicted wretches from escaping, and rushing in crowds through the town;'' and, whether this statement is true; and, if so, what steps have been taken to prevent such an occurrence again taking place?

MR. GORST

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether any steps have been, or will be taken, by Her Majesty's Government to procure the dismissal by the Egyptian Government of the Prefect of Cairo, in consequence of his persistent obstruction to the measures of the Sanitary Council?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

Sir, in answer to the first Question, I have seen the statement to which the hon. and gallant Baronet refers; and we shall, no doubt, receive from Sir Edward Malet a full Report on the steps which have been taken by the Egyptian authorities. I may add that, owing to the quarantine regulations now in force at Mediterranean ports, considerable delay takes place in the receipt of the mails; but all Correspondence on the subject which may be of interest will be presented to Parliament as soon as possible. In reply to the Question of the hon. and learned Member for Chatham (Mr. Gorst), I have to say that, in consequence of the Correspondence from Egypt which appeared in the various journals, Lord Granville yesterday requested Sir Edward Malet to furnish a Report with regard to the action of the Prefect of Police of Cairo. Sir Edward Malet, in a telegram dated to-day, states that, in his opinion, the Prefect had been blamed somewhat hastily for all that went wrong; but that he had obtained leave from the Khedive to place Major Chirnside, who speaks Turkish and Arabic, and in whom both His Highness and Sir Edward have great confidence, temporarily under the Prefect. The Khedive had agreed to withdraw the Prefect, if Major Chirnside is not able to work with him. ["Oh, oh!"] I think that statement should be rather satisfactory to the House. It may also be of interest to know that I have every reason to believe that Surgeon General Hunter has arrived in Egypt by this time; and I may add that of the 12 doctors who besides him are going out to Egypt, some started on Tuesday, and the others start this evening.

SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOT

said, the noble Lord bad not answered his Question, whether the statement in The Times concerning the evictions was correct?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

, in reply, said, that it was impossible for him, from day to day, to state whether the reports in the newspapers were true in substance or detail. As an illustration of the danger of committing himself to the statement in the Question, he would point out to the hon. and gallant Baronet that if he referred to two of the best informed morning papers of that day he would find in them contra- dictions of material facts previously published by them only two days before. [Au hon. MEMBER: Which papers?] The Times and The Standard.

VISCOUNT FOLKESTONE

asked, if it turned out that the statements in The Times were true, as to the frightful want of management in the hospitals, whether Her Majesty's Government would take the matter into their own hands, and not leave it, as it appeared to be, in the hands of incompetent men?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

, in reply, said, he could give no such pledge. He had already explained the steps that were to be taken, and he expected very great improvement from the time of Surgeon General Hunter's arrival.

MR. O'DONNELL

asked why there had been such delay?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

, in reply, said, the doctors were sent out at the request of the Egyptian Government, which had refused a previous offer.

MR. O'DONNELL

said, that was no answer.