§ MR. MOLLOYasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If it is a fact that the Revenue Accounts of the Egyptian Government extending over several years, presented and signed by the European Controllers, show receipts of money from the Egyptian cultivators under the operation of the Moukabala Law amounting to £17,000,000; whether the receipt of this £17,000,000, paid by the peasants of Egypt to redeem 1433 one moiety of their land tax or rent, was ever disputed or objected to previously to the Report of Sir Rivers Wilson, in which the repudiation of these advances by the peasants was made known officially to this House; whether there is any evidence to support the suggestion made by Sir Rivers Wilson and others, that part of these £17,000,000 (mentioned in the National Budget Accounts as received by the Egyptian Treasury) had not been received, and to some extent represented fictitious payments; whether the Government of this Country will now advise the repayment of these £17,000,000, or any part thereof, or, if the money cannot be returned, will advise that the redemption of land tax so purchased by the Egyptian peasantry under solemn contract with the Government may now be carried into effect; and, whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to take any steps in this matter; and, if so, when and to what extent?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICESir, the registers of the Egyptian Finance Ministry assume payments amounting to nearly £17,000,000, but there is no reason to suppose that any payments approaching to that sum were really paid, more especially as certain influential landowners succeeded in obtaining a reduction of one-half of their land tax without making any effective payment at all; while the increased charge upon the land, which was to continue for a term of years, ceased entirely a long time before the expiration of it. This question was exhaustively considered by the Commission of Inquiry in August, 1878, and was determined by the Law of Liquidation in July, 1880, which, by its fourth chapter, established annuities to compensate the owners for the payments actually made. How far those annuities have been properly paid is a matter to which the Egyptian Government will, no doubt, direct its attention.
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONCan the noble Lord state exactly how much was paid?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEThe Government is unable to state the exact sum paid.
§ MR. MOLLOYCan the noble Lord say where the facts stated by him are to be found?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI referred the hon. Gentleman, in reply to a Question which he asked a few days ago, to the Papers which have been presented to Parliament, which contain all the information we have on the subject. I may state, in regard to the payment of the annuities to which I referred just now, that there is rather a deficiency of information. I may, however, point out that Her Majesty's Government is in no way responsible for that.