§ MR. JOHN MORLEY (Montrose Burghs)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is proposed to meet the expenses of the advance to Akasheh by resort to the Caisse of the Public Debt; and, if so, whether the consent of the six Commissioners has been sought and obtained to such an operation? Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will say whether a majority carries a decision?
MR. CURZONThe Governments of Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia, have been informed that the military operations about to be undertaken against the Dervishes will require an expenditure in excess of the amount which the Egyptian Government have at their own absolute disposal, and that Her Majesty's Government trust, therefore, that the Caisse will authorise for this object the expenditure of £500,000 out of the General Reserve Fund of over £2,500,000 which has accumulated, and is held applicable to expenses of an extraordinary character. With regard to the Supplementary Question, I shall be glad if the right hon. Gentleman will give me notice.
§ MR. J. MORLEYThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered the second part of the Question.
MR. CURZONI have answered the first part of it, and the answer to the second part will be given by the First Lord of the Treasury in reply to a subsequent Question by the Leader of the Opposition.
§ MR. JOHN ELLISI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state at what date the telegraphic communication between Korosko and the Wells of 1353 Murad, mentioned in Lord Cromer's Report (Egypt, No. 1, 1896) of 3rd February 1896, was established?
MR. CURZONThe telegraphic line from Korosko to the Murad Wells was commenced in May and finished in June 1895.
§ MR. HENRY LABOUCHERE (Northampton)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether he had noticed a statement in the Press that the French Government had issued a semi-official communication in which it is stated that the Minister of Foreign Affairs had received a letter from the English Ambassador at Paris informing him of the project of a military expedition to Dongola; and that, on a subsequent conversation with Lord Dufferin, he had called his attention to the gravity of the consequences of such an expedition; whether the letter in question did announce a Military expedition to Dongola; whether the French Minister of Foreign Affairs did call the attention of Lord Dufferin to the gravity of the consequences of the expedition: whether any subsequent communications in regard to the expedition have been exchanged between Her Majesty's Government and the French Government; and, whether he will put the House in a position to discuss this expedition, as suggested, upon the Vote on Account, with a full knowledge of the attitude of the French Government in regard to it?
MR. CURZONThe French Minister for Foreign Affairs has informed Her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris that he repudiates all responsibility for the statement in question, that he had not made or authorised any such communication to the Press, and that it must have been made by some misinformed person. The French Government have been informed of the intended advance up the Valley of the Nile, but have as yet made no communication in reply.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have exchanged views with the French Government upon the advance upon Dongola; and, if so, what is the position taken up by France in regard to the proposed expedition?
MR. CURZONThe French Government were informed by Her Majesty's Ambassador of the proposed operations and of the reasons for which they were to be undertaken. No reply has yet been received as to the position taken by France.
§ MR. W. REDMONDMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman at what period these representations were made to the French Government?
MR. CURZONThe representations were made as soon as a decision was arrived at by the Government of this country.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether he has observed that the Commander of the Italian troops in Africa has received from his Government full powers to evacuate Kassala; (2) whether, in view of this announcement, the Anglo-Egyptian expedition into the Soudan is to be continued with a view to the Italians retaining Kassala; and (3), whether the declaration of the Italian Government that it will regard with pleasure any steps for an advance by the Egyptian Government in the direction of Dongola, with a view to the position of the Italian forces at Kassala, has been renewed by the present Italian Ministry?
MR. CURZONNo, Sir, the Italian Government have decided not to evacuate Kassala unless military considerations render it impossible to hold it, and have so informed Her Majesty's Government. The declaration referred to in the third paragraph of the question was made by the present Italian Ministry.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREIs there any confirmation of the statements in the papers of this morning that the Italians have evacuated Kassala?