EGYPT. 



207 



Thus, in December, 1869, the number was 10; 

 in .1.11111:1:7, I'l; in February, 28 ; in March, 52 ; 

 wliilo in "tin- first ton days of April there had 



:ihv;idy 21. An unexpected use for the 

 canal has appeared in its affording passage for 

 the returning Mohammedan pilgrims from 

 Mecca. No loss a number than 4,071 of such 

 piL'i-ims were brought through in April, 1870, 



steamers ; they came from Jedda, on the 

 Hi-' I Sea, to Suez, and from Port Said pursued 

 their voyage north or west. 



From the accounts of the Canal Company It appears that, 

 stated In American dollars and in round nntnuers, there 

 wa* expended from the beginning of the works to the 

 end of the year 1869, 1u the actual construction of the 

 canal itself, the sum of $00,000,000 



Tim interest allowed to shareholders and 

 bondholders during the same period, in- 

 cluding all the expenses of the loan, ab- 

 sorbed. 16,000,030 



Tin) current incidental expenses of all kinds 

 were 8,003,000 



The company has cash, and cash asset* (other 

 property than the canal itself and its acces- 

 sories) 6,100,000 



ToUl $90,700,000 



On the other side of the account must be put : 



The capital $40,000,000 



The loan 90,000,000 



First indemnity from the Egyptian Govern- 

 ment 16,800,000 



Later do 0,000,01)0 



Profits of investments 6,600,000 



Current accounts payable 1,300,000 



Receipts from transit of boats and ships 1,000,000 



Total $90,700,000 



The administration of justice, in cases in 

 which Franks (foreigners) are concerned, has 

 long been found to be unsatisfactory. The 

 Egyptian Government proposed therefore, in 

 1888, a plan of reform, to substitute a single 

 new jurisdiction for all the consular jurisdic- 

 tions, and for the native courts in cases to 

 which Franks are parties. The plan as at first 

 broached met with an outcry of opposition from 

 the Frank residents of Egypt. It received 

 some degree of support from the British Gov- 

 ernment, but was not very favorably regarded 

 by the French Government. The Egyptian 

 Government, nevertheless, persevered in press- 

 ing its plan upon the attention of the principal 

 foreign powers, and obtained the acceptance 

 by Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Prussia 

 (or, rather, the North-German Union), Austria, 

 and the United States, of the invitations which 

 it addressed to those seven powers, requesting 

 them to send representatives to an international 

 commission to be held in Egypt to consider 

 the plan and suggest such modifications as 

 would tend to make it acceptable. All of these 

 nations accredited their consul-generals in 

 Egypt to attend the conference, and some of 

 them appointed also a second commissioner to 

 sit with the consul-general in the Conference. 

 The Conference held a number of meetings, and 

 at last, January 17, 1870, agreed upon a report, 

 which was signed by the representatives of all 

 the governments taking part in the Conference. 

 On the suggestion of the commissioners, the 

 Egyptian Government accepted very important 

 modifications in the plan as originally presented. 



It was proposed at first by the Government 

 that the now courts should be composed partly 

 of native and partly of Frank judges, the na- 

 tives to have the majority. This was reversed, 

 and tho Frank judges are to have tho majority 

 in every court. It was proposed at first, that 

 the lower courts should DO composed of three 

 judges; at the request of the commissioners 

 the number of judges in these courts boa been 

 increased to five, of whom three will be Franks. 

 There are to bo throe of these lower courts 

 (Alexandria, Cairo, and Tagazig). There is 

 also to bd a court of appeal at Alexandria, 

 which the Government at first proposed should 

 consist of five judges; it is now agreed that it 

 shall consist of seven judges, of whora'four will 

 be Franks. The original plan of tho Egyptian 

 Government stopped with the three lower 

 courts and the Court of Appeal ; but, at the 

 suggestion of the commissioners, a Court of 

 Revision at Cairo has been added, to consist 

 also of seven judges, of whom four will bo 

 Franks. The Frank judges are to be appointed 

 by the Egyptian Government, but only after 

 consultation with the Ministers of Justice or 

 equivalent officer, as Lord-Chancellor, At- 

 torney-General, or the like, of the foreign gov- 

 ernments, and no person can bo appointed 

 without the sanction of his own government 

 and a certificate from it that Tie is a fit and 

 proper person to be judge. The Egyptian Gov- 

 ernment is bound to select them, as far as pos- 

 sible, from among persons actually serving as 

 judges in foreign countries, or holding positions 

 which would entitle them to be appointed 

 judges in their own countries. The judges are 

 to have fixed salaries paid by the Egyptian 

 Government, and a permanent tenure of office ; 

 their promotion or removal (for cause only) is 

 to be regulated entirely independently of the 

 Egyptian Government. The judges are to ap- 

 point the officers of the court, such as clerks, 

 interpreters, and constables, to serve processes, 

 etc., and it is to have the power of removing 

 them for misbehavior. The execution of sen- 

 tences is to be done under the order of the 

 courts themselves by their own officers, with- 

 out any interference on the part of any admin- 

 istrative authority, either of the Egyptian Gov- 

 ernment or of the consulates. But, as a se- 

 curity against mistakes, the commissioners 

 exacted, and the Government agreed, that the 

 consul of the party interested shall bo notified 

 of the day and hour when a sentence is to be 

 executed. Tho Egyptian Government itself, 

 the private household of tho Khedive, those of 

 the princes and all public functionaries and 

 officers, are to be subject to the jurisdiction of 

 the courts. Government officials can be prose- 

 cuted in the courts, and this without previous 

 authority of the Government; but the com- 

 missioners say, and this is agreed to by the 

 Government, that this clause is not to be under- 

 stood as exempting the Government from re- 

 sponsibility for the acts of its officials. 

 The assembly of representatives of tho people 



