HC Deb 10 February 1899 vol 66 cc496-7
MR. DAVITT

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Toulba Pasha, one of the Egyptian exiles in Ceylon, has been pardoned and permitted to return home; how many political exiles now remain with Arabi Pasha under banishment; and how long their banishment has continued, and if, in view of the length of this punishment, the growing age of the exiles, and the changed condition of things in Egypt since the rebellion of 1882, Her Majesty's Government will recommend the pardon of Arabi and his companions to the Khedive.

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. ST. JOHN BRODRICK,) Surrey, Guildford

The answer to paragraph 1 is in the affirmative. Three exiles remain with Arabi Pasha under banishment. They left Egypt 16 years ago. In his Despatch repeating that he had obtained the consent of the Egyptian Government to the return of Toulba Ismet, Lord Cromer stated that on "previous occasions when he had raised the question of the return of the exiles he had always found the Egyptian Ministers most strongly opposed to granting the request. In the present instance he succeeded in obtaining their consent and that of the Khedive to the return of Toulba, whose case was somewhat peculiar and who is probably the least important of the exiles. Lord Cromer added that he could not at present hold out any hope that the permisssion given to Toulba will be extended to others in the same category.

MR. DAVITT

Is it not the fact that the Khedive himself is favourable to their return?

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