§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSONI beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Boutros Ghali Pasha, the Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was the president of the special tribunal which a year ago condemned the villagers of Denshawi, has been appointed to act as Regent of Egypt in the absence of His Highness the Khedive.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYAs Boutros Ghali Pasha was the senior Minister when His Highness the Khedive left Egypt, he was appointed, in accordance with precedent, to act as Regent.
§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSONasked whether the appointment would be reconsidered, in view of the position occupied by Boutros Ghali Pasha at the trial a year ago.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYI did not see how the trial a year ago could in any way affect this appointment. The appointment is one that would have been made in the ordinary course, as Boutros Ghali Pasha is the senior Minister.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLIs this the person by whom the four villagers were brutally flogged?
§ SIR EDWARD GREYThe Answer is in the negative. The Question of the hon. Member can only be answered in 1358 the negative. It conveys imputations on Boutros Ghali Pasha which are entirely undeserved.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLDid the flogging occur or not? Is that the imputation?
§ *MR. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the Question.