§ MR. CREMER (Shoreditch, Haggerston)asked the Under Secretary of State for foreign Affairs, Whether he can state the total cost of the ordinary Diplomatic Service in Egypt and at Constantinople since the time when Sir Henry Drummond Wolff's extraordinary Mission commenced; whether he can further state the total cost of Sir Henry Drummond Wolff's Mission from the period of his appointment to the present date; and, why the ordinary Diplomatic Servants of the Crown were not employed to perform the services with which Sir Henry Drummond Wolff has been entrusted?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON) (Manchester, N.E.)The salary of Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople is at the rate of £8,000 a-year, and that of Her Majesty's Agent in Egypt £5,000 a-year. These rates have been paid during Sir Henry Drummond Wolff's Special Mission—namely, from August 7, 1151 1885. The ordinary Diplomatic Junior Staff at the Embassy at Constantinople numbered nine persons, whose salaries ranged from £1,000 to £100 a-year; and in Egypt Sir Evelyn Baring is assisted by four Junior Diplomatic officers, whose salaries range from £420 to £100 a-year. I have twice already stated, in reply to Questions, that the total cost of the Special Mission up to the 30th of June is £27,300 approximately. The reasons why the ordinary Diplomatic servants of the Crown were not employed to perform these services have been frequently stated. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir Michael Hicks-Beach) on July 28, 1885, informed the House that Sir Henry Drummond Wolff was specially accredited to His Imperial Majesty the Sultan with reference to the affairs of Egypt. He was thus able, first, to confer with the Porte, with whom he arranged the Convention of October, 1885, then to act with the Turkish Imperial Commissioner in Egypt in examining upon the spot the measures necessary for reforms and future security in that country, and finally to negotiate with the Porte the ulterior Convention with a view to carry out those reforms. It appeared to Her Majesty's Government that advantage would attend the transaction of these affairs by the same individual rather than by Sir Edward Thornton and by Sir Evelyn Baring separately; and, although negotiations had not resulted in the ratification of the Convention, Her Majesty's Government are of opinion that the course pursued was judicious, and that the performance of Sir Henry Drummond Wolff of the duties which have been assigned to him in Egypt and at Constantinople will be found to have been beneficial to the interests of this country.