236 



EGYPT. 



civil war in Candia, and her finances being in 

 a bad condition, while the Viceroy could not 

 make a loan for a war which would jeopard 

 his own position, and his naval force was too 

 small. The Viceroy considered it, therefore, 

 best to yield, and to this end addressed, in 

 September, a letter to the Sultan (through the 

 Grand- Vizier), which he concluded thus : 



In addition, having received from persons worthy 

 of confidence the news that I should not be obliged 

 to submit my budget to the Porte, I am rejoiced to 

 be able to hope that the report is exact. Besides, 

 your Highness having deigned to give me the grati- 

 fying assurance that his Majesty was disposed to 

 maintain the privileges successively accorded by im- 

 perial decrees since 1841, my hope becomes confirmed, 

 and is converted into certitude. 



One sole point now remains that of the authoriza- 

 tion of loans. I have the firm conviction that this 

 will be equally resolved by recourse to the formal 

 terms of the firmans, with the perfect equity which 

 every one recognizes in your Highness. 



In fact, if the matter is attentively considered, how 

 injurious this subordination would be in all the aifairs, 

 small or great ; of the province of Egypt, the adminis- 

 tration of which has been confided to me solely by 

 the benevolence of the Sultan, the fact is evident that 

 the last firman accorded would be valueless. If mat- 

 ters had not been thus situated, I should have had. 

 no other duty, I am aware, than to submit to a simple 

 indication from you. Feeling confident that all the 

 communications irom you have been inspired by the 

 most perfect sincerity, and the most entire purity of 

 intention, I, on mv side, speak to you with all hon- 

 esty and trust, relying on the pleasing assurance that 

 his Majesty has no wish to lessen the privileges ac- 

 corded by his imperial munificence, as well as on 

 the perfect equitv and high sagacity which so emi- 

 nently distinguish your Highness. 



I hope that, in also accepting this point in the way 

 above explained, you will deign to employ your good, 

 offices to obtain an augmentation in my favor of the 

 great and fecund benevolence of his Majesty, more 

 precious to me than the whole world and all that it 

 contains. 



Negotiations concerning several points were, 

 however, continued unto the end of the year, 

 when it was announced that all the difficulties 

 had been settled. 



A discovery was made on April 2d of an at- 

 tempt to assassinate the Viceroy. An explo- 

 sive machine, with a powder-train leading to 

 the door, and attached by a tube to a gas-pipe, 

 was found under the seat of the viceregal 

 box in the theatre at Cairo. The Viceroy was 

 apprised of the projected attempt on his life, 

 and stayed away. The perpetrators were un- 

 known, but several persons were arrested on 

 suspicion. The Viceroy received the congrat- 

 ulations of the foreign ministers and Egyptian 

 functionaries on his escape. 



An important event in the political progress 

 of Egypt is the institution of a Parliament, the 

 session of which, in 1869, was opened with a 

 highly-interesting speech of the Viceroy. Af- 

 ter congratulating the members on the general 

 prosperity of the country, regretting the im- 

 perfect rising of the Nile, and announcing that 

 a commission had been appointed to devise 

 means by which irrigation might be effected 

 independently of a favorable rising, the Viceroy 

 adverted to the Suez Canal. " Eight millions 



of pounds have," he said, "been paid to the 

 Suez Canal Company. It is indisputable that 

 the canal works have been a burden on our 

 population ; but I trust that the country will 

 soon be compensated for the outlay, since it 

 has been solemnly promised that the canal is 

 to be opened in October* of the current year. 

 As the Government holds nearly half of the 

 bonds of the company, and is, further, to have 

 15 per cent, of the profits of the enterprise, we 

 shall soon have, in the opening of the canal, a 

 new source of revenue." The Viceroy then 

 went on to justify the excess of debt by refer- 

 ring to the important works which had been 

 accomplished ; 850 additional miles of railroad 

 had been laid down, also 207 bridges, 40 canals, 

 25 aqueducts, 5 locks, 30 sluice-gates, 1 floating 

 bridge, and 4 stone quays. Civil and military 

 schools had been founded and maintained, and 

 the reorganization of the land and sea forces 

 had justified a large expenditure. " On my 

 accession," the Viceroy continued, " the army 

 hardly comprised 3,000 effective troops, and 

 the fleet consisted of three or four ships only. 

 Since my accession our war material has been 

 entirely renewed, and a large supply of mus- 

 kets of a new model have been ordered. 

 Workshops for making military equipments 

 and material have been established. Men-of- 

 war and transports, such as steam-frigates, 

 iron-clad corvettes, and sailing-vessels, to the 

 number of twenty-two, have been constructed 

 or purchased, and are at our disposal in the 

 Mediterranean and the Eed Sea. Thanks be to 

 God, our army and navy are now on such a 

 regular and respectable footing that we are 

 fully capable of providing for the security of 

 the country." On the important topic of the 

 meditated change in the present jurisdiction of 

 foreigners resident in Egypt, the Viceroy said : 

 " I have the satisfaction to announce to you 

 that I have obtained the adhesion of most of 

 the great powers to the principle of the judi- 

 ciary reform ; and I trust soon to obtain that 

 of the French Government, which has always 

 shown so much sympathy for the progress of 

 our country. I have reason to believe that a 

 special commission will shortly be formed to 

 construct the bases of the new jurisdiction, 

 and to define its powers." 



The Viceroy, while thus endeavoring to 

 strengthen his power by reforms and the aid 

 of competent advisers, seems also intent upon 

 increasing his power by extending his terri- 

 tory. Great political results are expected from 

 the expedition to Central Africa, which the 

 Egyptian Government directed to be organized 

 under the superintendence of Sir SamuelBaker. 

 It is anticipated that it will lead to the con- 

 quest of very extensive and wealthy territo- 

 ries for the Viceroy. Sir Samuel was given 

 the rank of Bey, and engaged to remain for 

 four years in the Egyptian service. The force 



* This month was originally fixed upon for the opening 

 of the canal, but it was subsequently changed to No- 

 vember. 



