§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSONI beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether further action has been taken by the Egyptian Government in sequence to the circular which, as Lord Cromer states in his Annual Report for 1905, page 2, was addressed to the Powers suggesting, in anticipation of a renewal in February, 1905, of the functions of the Mixed Tribunals in Egypt, certain reforms in the working of the Egyptian capitulations; and whether he will lay upon the Table of the House copies of the replies received to that circular, and other information showing the present state of the negotiations.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYThe circular, to which the hon. Member alludes, invited the Powers to take part in an International Commission to consider the question of making certain changes in the law and procedure of the Mixed Courts. The assent of all the Powers having been obtained, the Commission commenced their deliberations, with the result that in March last, five draft laws applicable to foreigners, which had been drawn up by the Commission, were submitted to His Majesty's Government for their approval. His Majesty's Government notified their approval to the Government of Egypt in April, but I have not yet been informed whether the approval of all the other Powers has been obtained. The only correspondence of which His Majesty's Government have cognisance, is that between them and the Government of Egypt, the purport of which I have already notified above. The replies of the other Powers will doubtless be dealt with in Lord Cromer's Annual Report, which will in due course be laid before the House; the matter does not appear to His Majesty's Government to be of sufficient urgency to warrant the immediate publication of separate papers.