§ MR. W. F. LAWRENCE (Liverpool, Abercromby)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he can inform the House when the European Powers are likely to accede to the desire of the Egyptian Government to impose the Stamp Duties already borne by Natives, on foreigners residing in Egypt, in accordance with the Convention of 1885; and, whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a Return showing from what taxation foreigners in Egypt are exempt, but to which the Natives are subject?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON) (Manchester, N.E.)The proposal now before the Powers is that the laws for the imposition of the Stamp Duties and Licence Tax on foreigners should be settled between the Egyptian Government and the Commissioners of the Public Debt. Projects of such laws have already been carefully prepared, and have been approved by Her Majesty's Government, who are using their best efforts to procure the assent of the other Powers to their promulgation. We have not the means of giving the Return asked for; but Sir Evelyn Baring has recently stated, in a despatch on other matters, that when once these taxes are made general, the position of Europeans will, so far as taxation is concerned, be assimilated in all important respects to that of the Natives.