HC Deb 27 July 1883 vol 282 cc784-6
MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been called to the alleged "administrative anarchy" in Egypt, and to the statements made by the correspondents of English Papers now in that country, especially to those published in the "Times" on Monday, the 23rd of July— Trustworthy reports from the interior show that the administrative anarchy is almost beyond credence. Every official is trying to thwart some other, and rejoicing at every calamity, the cause of which he hopes to attribute to his rival. From one end of the country to the other, from Sherif Pasha down to the meanest effendi, both country and people have proved themselves beyond all expectation incapable of self-government. It may be safely said that the hardships and cruelties of Ismail's despotic thirteen years did not exceed those of the last four months of experimental self-government; to the further statements in the "Times" of Wednesday, the 25th of July— The utter breakdown of the whole administration has now become apparent, and, like the cholera, is no longer confined to the villages. Nothing saves the present Ministry from dismissal but the impossibility of finding less incapable men in the country. We are almost face to face with an alternative long foreseen, and which Lord Dufferin's Viceroyalty only served to stave off—namely, of undertaking the complete administration of the country, or of leaving it literally to stew in its own juice; ' also the similar statements in other leading newspapers; and, what steps Her Majesty's Government, who are now in Military occupation of Egypt, propose to take in order to remedy this administrative anarchy? The hon. Member added that his Question referred to a remarkable statement in the correspondence of a daily journal which had appeared that morning relative to the state of affairs in Cairo. He begged to ask whether the noble Lord's attention had been called to the communication to which he had referred?

MR. O'DONNELL

also wished to ask whether the administrative anarchy in Egypt is not largely due to the fact that the Egyptian people possess no resources for employing high class native talent, and that a large number of highly paid foreign officials had fled from their posts before the cholera?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

I will answer the Question on the Paper. As I informed the hon. Member yesterday, it is impossible for me to make any statement on this subject beyond what I have already made in reply to the numerous Questions addressed to me during the last few days in regard to it.

MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

said, that as the noble Lord was not as much responsible for the state of things in Egypt as the Prime Minister was, he would ask the latter whether he was not in a position to answer the last paragraph of the Question on the Paper?

MR. GLADSTONE

I have not read the Question.

MR. ASHMEAD - BARTLETT

said, he felt that the Prime Minister should have the advantage of Notice; and, therefore, he begged to give Notice that on Monday he would ask the right hon. Gentleman what steps Her Majesty's Government, who were now in military occupation of Egypt, proposed to take to remedy the existing administrative anarchy in that country; and he would further ask why, as full warning had been given that such a deplorable state of things would result, stops had not been taken to prevent the terrible suffering which had fallen on the Egyptian people?