§ MR. O'KELLYasked the Secretary of State for War, What is the amount of pay and allowance received by Generals Stephenson and Wood, and by the members of their respective Staffs; and, whether it would be possible, in the interest of the embarrassed Egyptian Treasury, to dispense with the service of one or both Generals and their Staffs; also, whether it is true that there are at present three Commanders-in-Chief in Egypt; and, whether this system of organization is maintained with a view of military efficiency?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONThere is only one Commander-in-Chief in Egypt—Lord Wolseley. Sir Frederick Stephenson commands the troops in Lower Egypt, and Sir Evelyn Wood, whose permanent command is that of the Egyptian Army, has at present been appointed a Major General on the Staff of the Nile Expedition in command of the line of communications; and the Egyptian Exchequer has so far been relieved of the charge for his pay and allowances. The Military Staff at present in Egypt is, no doubt, very large, in consequence, chiefly, of the Nile Expedition; but it does not constitute a burden on the Egyptian Exchequer. As a more permanent arrangement, I doubt whether it would be possible to dispense with the services of a Lieutenant General in command of the British troops, and a General Officer in command of the Egyptian Army; but the question of Egyptian military expenditure has, of course, formed part of the Earl of North brook's inquiry. A Return could be given, if moved for by the hon. Member, of the pay and allowances received by the British and Egyptian Generals and their Staffs before the period when the Nile Expedition was commenced.