§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it is a fact that the International Tribunals have condemned the suspension of the Sinking Fund which the Egyptian Government effected under the advice of Her Majesty's Ministers, as a breach of the Law of Liquidation; and, whether the Tribunals have declared the Khedive's officials responsible for the money thus withheld; and, if so, what steps Her Majesty's Ministers propose to take to relieve the Egyptian officials of this onerous responsibility?
MR. GLADSTONEI am quite at a loss to know what is the authority upon which this Question has been put. My impression is that it is some rumour picked up by a newspaper correspondent, who is not in any way to be blamed for mentioning it. But I think the hon. Member must recollect that these rumours are very much connected with the operations of particular persons; and that to put Questions founded upon them in 651 this House gives them an importance which they would not otherwise possess. The facts are not as supposed in the Question of the hon. Member. The facts, as far as we know, are these— that, no doubt, there is a lawsuit of the Caisse against the Egyptian Government; but judgment has not been given in that lawsuit, and the information sent to us is that it is likely to be given on the 9th instant. When execution will take place, if judgment goes against the Government, I am not able to say. That will depend, I imagine, upon what may happen on the 9th. And with regard to the question of the responsibility of the Members of the Egyptian Government, that, I think, is altogether premature; and no official information has been conveyed to us upon it.
§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTsaid, that he gave Notice of the Question on Tuesday, and that the statement appeared in all the evening papers of that day.