§ SIR EDMUND LECHMEREasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether Her Majesty's Government has 889 proposed any basis for an exchange of views between England and Turkey on the Egyptian question; and, whether, should such a basis not have been proposed, Her Majesty's Government will forthwith adopt measures for securing, if possible, the friendly co-operation of His Majesty the Sultan?
MR. GLADSTONESir, the House is already aware, I think, from the Papers that have been laid on the Table, of the communication in regard to the withdrawal of Her Majesty's troops from Egypt which has taken place between the Ottoman Government and the British Government. But this is a more delicate inquiry, to which my answer is as follows. The Porte has expressed a wish to effect an exchange of views with Her Majesty's Government on Egyptian affairs generally, with the view of arriving at a complete understanding on the subject, and Musurus Pasha has been requested to submit a sketch of the basis on which such an understanding should rest. The proposal has proceeded from the Ottoman Government, and it, therefore, appears that in the natural course of the communications the duty of the British Government is to express its willingness or unwillingness, and it has expressed its willingness to entertain the proposal; and the next step in the regular order is that bases should be proposed by the Ottoman Government, from whom the proposal proceeded. Musurus Pasha has also had an interview with Lord Granville on the subject, but he has not yet received instructions for the purpose of giving more definite form to the proposal which has reached Her Majesty's Government.
§ SIR EDMUND LECHMEREasked whether the report of the interview between Lord Dufferin and the Sultan as given in The Morning Post was substantially correct?
MR. GLADSTONEHer Majesty's Government have no information on the subject; but the belief of the Foreign Secretary is that that cannot be a correct account.