§ SIR G. CAMPBELLI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if it is true that, since Sir E. Baring's Report dated 29th March, the Egyptian police has been put under the Military authorities, and Colonel Kitchener, Adjutant General or Chief of 1598 the Staff, has been appointed to command that Force, in addition to his military duties; whether, under this arrangement, the system stated by Sir E. Baring, namely, "the police are under the orders of the Mudirs Governors of Provinces," will cease, or whether the Mudirs are to be under the orders of Colonel Kitchener and the active interior administration is practically to be put under the Military Authorities, or what is to be the arrangement; and whether Her Majesty's Government have approved of it?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir J. FERGUSSON,) Manchester, N.E.Colonel Kitchener, in addition to his duties as Adjutant General of the Egyptian Army, will act as Inspector General of Police in succession to Baker Pasha. I have no reason to suppose that this arrangement will entail any change of system, nor has the approval of Her Majesty's Government been asked for any such change. It is impossible to say what changes and reforms may be recommended with a view of remedying the defects in police arrangements and detection of crime pointed out in Sir Evelyn Baring's Report.
§ SIR G. CAMPBELLI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of Sir E. Baring's very unfavourable Report of the sanitation of Egyptian towns, and the prevailing high mortality there, it is contemplated (as stated in some of the public prints) to allow the application to sanitation and other local purposes of the local town duties (octroi and the like), which have hitherto been appropriated either to the central treasury or as part of the fund set aside for payment of the bondholders; and whether Her Majesty's Government will urge the adoption of an arrangement such as prevails in all civilised countries, so that the local taxation should be applied for the most necessary local purposes, and not appropriated as hitherto?
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONThe Egyptian Government have just addressed a Circular to the Powers parties to the Convention of 1884, asking their consent to the application of half the amount of the octroi duty to the improvement of the sanitary condition of Cairo. As this arrangement would entail an addition to 1599 the annual sum fixed by the Convention for the administration of Egypt the consent of the Powers is required before it can be carried out.
§ SIR G. CAMPBELLIs the Foreign Office of opinion that the transfer of duties for local purposes would be a fair expenditure for the Egyptian Government to undertake on the terms of the Convention?
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONThe policy of Her Majesty's Government is to interfere as little as possible with the discretion of the Egyptian Government, but they would not hesitate to express their opinion if a British officer employed by the Egyptian Government were to recommend any course which, in their opinion, was an improper one. I apprehend that the proposal is to apply the tax to municipal purposes.