HC Deb 31 October 1884 vol 293 cc647-9
DR. CAMERON

asked the Surveyor General of the Ordnance, If his attention has been called to the following state -ment from its Egyptian Correspondent, published in The Times of October 21st:— The [Egyptian] Railway Board consists of Mr. Le Mesurier, an English resident; M. Zimmerman, recently rendered famous as the self-styled representative of France; and a Native Pasha. I have reason to believe that Sir Andrew Clarke recently telegraphed to Mr. Le Mesurier asking whether the staff was sufficient to work the increased traffic. Mr. Le Mesurier promptly replied in the negative, and stated the nature of the aid required. Sir Andrew Clarke despatched a certain number of mechanicians at the cost of the British Government. M. Zimmerman refused to allow them to be employed. At the present moment I can certify that four men are now in Alexandria receiving pay varying from £50 to £65 monthly, the latter sum being £10 less than the pay for a month of the General Commanding in Alexandria, by whom these men are employed as messengers. I should add that they might be employed in the Soudan: but the men decline to go there, as their contract was to serve in Egypt proper; if he would say whether this statement is correct; and, if so, whether the men in question are being paid by the British or Egyptian Government, and what office drew up the contracts under which they engaged?

MR. BRAND

I will give the hon. Gentleman all the information I have. The facts are as follow:—On the 4th of September a telegram was sent from the War Office to Mr. Le Mesurier inquiring as to the condition of the railway between Cairo and Siout, and asking if anything was required from England to perfect the line, either material or personnel. On the following day Mr. Le Mesurier telegraphed through the General Officer Commanding in Egypt to the War Office requesting the Secretary of State to send a certain number of employés to assist the administration of the Egyptian railways in meeting the pressure likely to result from the transport of troops and supplies for the Expedition to Khartoum. Steps were immediately taken to meet this demand. Civilian employés were engaged and sent to Alexandria. Their terms of engagement were for service in Egypt for three months certain from the date of embarkation at varying rates of pay; and, in reply to a further inquiry, the General was informed that the salaries of these men would be chargeable on the funds of the railway administration, seeing that they would be employed on the railway, and that a considerable profit would be realized by the railway from the increased traffic caused by the transport of the Expedition. This is how the matter stood so far as the War Department was concerned. With reference to the paragraph from The Times quoted by the hon. Member, I have to say that, my attention having been called to it on October 21, I requested Sir Andrew Clarke to telegraph to the General Officer Commanding in Egypt, asking if the facts, as stated, were correct. The reply was as follows:— Four civilians sent to Le Mesurier have been employed at Alexandria as traffic inspectors, not messengers, at pay £25 monthly, except one man at £50. Two of them were placed at the disposal of General, who now reports that boats having been passed he had no further use for them. This reply not having been deemed complete, the following further telegram was sent on the 28th instant from the War Office to the General Commanding in Egypt:— Please ask Le Mesurier whether extra railway civil staff not employed as reported in The Times and why. Wire reply. To this the following reply was received from the General yesterday:— Telegram was sent after interview with Le Mesurier. Statement in The Times incorrect. Letter follows.