THE EGYPTIAN LOAN BILL.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XVI, Issue 5186, 5 June 1885, Page 3

THE EGYPTIAN LOAN BILL.

Mr Gladstone, in moving that the House should resolve itself into committee ion this Bill, remarked that if ho was to understand the present opposition to the measure to havo roforonce to. the question of the Suez Canal, the ground of dispute was'so narrow that he,practically failed to discern it. Hop, gentlemen opposite were not aware with edged tools- they were playing; If ihoy succeeded in persuading the Hduso to reject this convontion--he had no .apprehonmon' that they; would— (hear, hear)—two; consequences would ensue, The first 'was Egyptian bankr ruptcy; and secondly, the earliest effect of .tho inability of Egypt'to pay the instalment of • tho tribute-money .would.'bo to establish the title of tho Ottoman Government to interfere in Egypt in whatever way,sho pleased. Then, but for" this convention , , "what was to becomo, of the suit; raised by, the [Gaisao .last autumn, against tho Egyptian Government for diverting from its'legal application, undor the Law of Liquidation, tho ■Bum ■ of £542,000? •■ ■.This action, it; should- bo romombered.was supported by tho British Government. Ho had seen it stated that, of circumstances, tho Law of Liquidation in Egypt was entirolyi'placed at tho arbitrament of tho British • Governmont, but ho did not" believe lion, gentle-, men opposite would deny that that .law was absolutely.binding upon them.' (Hour hear.) Had the judgment of tho Egyptian Court, holding tho agents of : the who .had beon directly or indirectly concerned, personally .responsible for itliis money, been carried out, what would have beon the position of this country with regard to this half million? Would hon, gontlemen have asked the House to give'the money because Egypt had no power to borrow'it ? ; He ventured to say that -if', the-right hon. gentleman opposite (Sir R. Cross,)'sUti: ceoded in stopping the progress of this convention,: ho would be compelled whether, he liked it or not, to sign one of'a similar character.", The. right hon. gentleman had slated that the second reading of this Bill' haa boei carried by |a email: majority, namely, of foriy-oight, .'But the convention of 1885 was ''carried by a majority of three or four. Despite this' fact, however,, the 'sense of the. delicate nature of tho matter involved'appeared;to prevent any further challenge of the measure. The right hob. gentleman wished,to stop this Bill until he had before him: the convention relating to the Suez Canal,' but there was no connootion between thejtw'o matters. The necessity of this Billiwas extreme, and to shake the confidence: of tho Governments of Europe in respect to

it would entail all the consequences he had mentioned., He might say that they; had before-ttiem the; assurance that the French Chamber would apply itself to it on its assembling, and it was not expected there would'be any .opposition. Why should the,right hon; gentleman think that the Government were going to.behaye, badly

in ■■'tespect" to. the'Sue2 ■ ;Canal ? Bdtjassuming that to be true, was there ja'tiy, reason that such misconduct should lead

to Egyptian bankruptcy, give' tho Powers a title to interfere at' once in 'Egypt,.and expose Egyptian Ministers'to' personal liability for having laid their hands on moneys which wo, encouraged them to take ? If ho could give satisfaction to the

ight hon. gentleman, there ought not to

be a resort to this ancient practice of tacking, which was deemed to be extremely objectionable, unless under the pressure of abeoluto necessity. The motion, wasiperfectly inefficient to attain the object of the right hon. gontleman. By it liewould

punish Egypt, but ho would not ensure any satisfaction to tho House respecting

tho convention. What the amendment Beemed-really to oxpress was a desire, that the Government should not in this matter act behind tho back of the Houso. (Hear, hear). But there was no concession that a reasonablo man could ask in tho way of Ministerial declaration on the subject,- that the Government were not porfoctly ready to make. 1 They had done what they could thus far, , 'because the Houso. was cognisant of' thb ! 'prine : ples'tipon ■ which- , they, , had proposed to act. Their objects appeared to havo been recognised' as good, and ?the freedom and tho security of the Canal, which, described-them generally, had :be'eri ! acknowledged to be tiie, , ends at which they aimed. As yet tho Government'had. no reason to : complain of the progress made by the Commissioners aseemblod at' Paris, or "of tho courso "that things |were apparently • taking. .The.Government de-

sired to throw their mind into tho common stookiwith that of the House on this; subject, and to be assured that'on every material and substantial point it was, in oqriformity with British views and interests. '" Tliey wished' to • take 'the best means in their power to eatisfythomselvos that in any tliirig which they proposed or agroed to' they, wero not deviating 'from , what the interests and 'convictions of the country required. Moreover, they anticipated no practical difficulty in uctingiUpon

that prinoiplo .and; iu., negotiating, in -that sense.-;Thoro;Would he a. multitude of matters connected with the • convention with respect to- which the final form of them inust evidently be'reserved:to those who were toi bo; the instruments of the respective • Governments. Distinguishing betweon these and the;substantial'point relating to. the views and interests of this country, there , ' was'-no reason' why he should impose any. limitation upon the desire and intention of the Government to

iroceed 'only after giving the fullest confilence to Parliament and being assu rod that

they, would .have its approval. ' If; there 'wefe'a , question of .principle, bet wedn the two "parties—if soino broad sentence of condemnation were to be.pawed on the Government'—he would be fur from saying

that the position in, which the Empire was placed at this:moment ,was a, roason for avoiding that censure.' But if the point at isßiio we're narrow, unreal;;almost invisible, it was''not a moment ;for 'taking an issue on such a matter! '■■ (Hcurjihear.) They had bettor recollect that England required to present herself in the view, of tho world us united - (hear, hear) -and.

apart from discussions on questions of broad principle, surely;it was'not well that a great semblance of stir.and 'tuiuttlt of party contention should-, bo raised. The House had shown for the last fortnight— ho thought they owed it very niiicli to tho right lion gentleman ■ the leader of the Opposition-(Ministerial clieors)—a great deal of self-restraint and temporunoo in relation;: to the difficult matters of linporiiil policy and tho interests now at- issue Ho liopud that tho House would continuu to exhibit that feeling. The Government would do all in their power to promote it, being anxious that, alontf with a determination to maintain freedom and dillicronco" of opinion, so far. us essontials and principlo. might require, there should bo cordial union in what related to the fundamental condilions of the honour ami 'existence of the lfiiiipiro, (Cheers)