§ VISCOUNT BURYMy Lords, the action of Her Majesty's Government has imported some degree of strangeness into the subject of the Question which I have put on the Paper relating to Zebehr Pasha. They have always insisted that they have no control in Egypt, and they have always acted on the advice of the Khedive; and we all knew the way that Zebehr has been arrested in Egypt and put on board a British ship and taken away, without the form of a trial, to some place unknown. This suggests the inquiry whether Her Majesty's Government have departed from the position they had previously assumed, and have taken charge in Egypt, or whether we are to understand that the Egyptian Government have requisitioned our troops, and made use of our ships, and deported Zebehr without a trial, such as was considered necessary in the case of Arabi Pasha. These are the circumstances; but without expressing any opinion whatever as to the propriety of the arrest and deportation of Zebehr Pasha, I will simply ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether martial law now prevails in Alexandria; and in virtue of what law or custom the deportation of Zebehr Pasha has taken place; and, whether Zebehr Pasha was arrested by order of the English or the Egyptian authorities?
§ EARL GRANVILLEThe noble Viscount has stated no opinion as to the acts which have been done, and therefore I will simply answer his Question. I do not see that any object would be gained by going into the question of Egyptian law, nor am I aware of any new policy having been adopted; but we certainly hold that as long as the English Army is in Egypt we are bound to take 1430 such steps as military necessities require. Having received information from Lord Wolseley on the subject of Zebehr Pasha, we have, on our own responsibility, after communication with the Khedive, and as a matter of military necessity, arrested Zebehr Pasha and his two sons, and made the seizure of their papers.