HC Deb 26 June 1884 vol 289 cc1431-2
MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether Her Majesty's Government accept the interpretation as to the new powers of the Caisse Internationale which the French Prime Minister attributes to it, and especially that It is expressly stipulated that the Budget shall be submitted to the Public Debt Commission in time to allow it to make observations, which will be considered; and it will thus exercise a powerful influence over Egyptian finances. Comparing this institution with the old one, which had to be abandoned, we may say that the Public Debt Commission will have nearly all the powers of the old Control except the right of attending Cabinet Councils?

MR. GLADSTONE

The hon. Member apparently quotes from an authentic and official report of M. Jules Ferry's speech, giving a very clear, able, and comprehensive account of the whole arrangements relating to the Dual Control and to the international authority which is to be attached to the Commission of the Caisse. The hon. Gentleman has selected a single passage of that speech of M. Jules Ferry, and has asked me to pronounce an opinion upon it. I decline to do so. It would be very hard indeed if the Parliament of England were supposed to be bound by every explanatory expression used by the Minister of France, as it would be very hard if the Chamber of Deputies in France were to put to M. Jules Ferry questions founded on partial extracts of statements of mine. Having said that, I should say that, in point of fact, this passage of M. Jules Ferry's speech is strictly correct; and the whole discussion by him of the subject of the international arrangements is full, clear, able, and true, and I have no fault to find with it at all.