Translation

the objection “will the Khedive pay?” Sir Stafford Northcote began to speak of Mr. Cave’s mission, of which the Government of the Queen remained persuaded that the resources in Egypt are considerable; that, if the administration of the Khedive was evil up to now, nevertheless, if His Highness will want to limit his spending, there is still time for Egypt to make such provisions so as to satisfy each commitment and conduct his finances in a satisfactory way. And Sir Stafford Northcote exposed at the same time how Mr. Cave’s mission arose from the request of the Viceroy to obtain two gentlemen from the English government in order to put them at the head of his financial administration, and how it was believed to be appropriate that someone go to Egypt who could be fully sure of the nature of the help requested by the Khedive and could study the conditions of the finances in that country. The speaker did not say on that matter what he could not infer or that he could not find in the printed documents specifically for the use of Parliament on the mission of “Paymaster General.” In the instructions, which were highly concise and undefined, from Lord Derby to Mr. Cave, the Chief Secretary of State took care to advise the delegate not to obligate the government “in any course of action with notices or other ways that could be understood as involving a desire to exercise undue intervention in the internal affairs of Egypt.” But the examination of the financial conditions in Egypt on behalf of Mr. Cave, “the news (so as to use the same words of the Chancellor of the Exchequer) gathered by him to advise the Khedive confidentially,” and the trust to which the firm resolution of the Khedive to carry on with that advice would have come have all had the effect that the government of the Queen decided to send to Egypt, after having brought back Mr. Cave, a “gentleman of great official experience” Mr. Rivers Wilson; who, having made certain of the good dispositions of the Khedive, will resign from the important office of “Comptroller General” of the national debt, accepting service from the Khedive without having any more connection to the British government. So as to conclude the summary of the parliamentary discussion from last night, I will say that the postponement to Monday was specifically caused by Mr. Gladstone, who, having restricted himself to the financial side of the deal, asked not to vote before knowing with great precision: “what is the position that England will take as a shareholder? What are the legal remedies that a shareholder will have the rights to? And in which courts and under which circumstances and conditions will these asserted rights and these conceded remedies be? May it please you, etc.

Signed: R. De Martino

XII.

The Royal Agent and Consul General in Egypt to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Il R. Agente e Console Generale in Egitto al Ministro degli Affari Esteri)

Mr. Minister,

With my previous report I had mentioned to Your Excellency the possibility that the financial operation that was negotiated could take another trend. The prediction came true.