278 



EGYPT. 



position to judicial reform. Upon being noti- 

 fied of the Khedive's action Lord Croiner asked 

 for an explanation of what he deemed a viola- 

 tion of the recent understanding between them. 

 The Khedive based the change upon the ground 

 that the state of Mustafa's health would not per- 

 mit him to resume his work for a long time. 

 The Khedive, at the urgent request of Lord 

 Cromer, promised that he would stop the issue 

 of any official notification of the change until 

 the English representative could communicate 

 with his Government. Meantime the British of- 

 ficials in Egypt did not recognize the Fakhri 

 ministry, and two days later Lord Cromer com- 

 municated to the Khedive the reply of the Brit- 

 ish Government, to the effect that the Govern- 

 ment expected to be consulted in so important 

 a matter as a change of ministry ; that no pres- 

 ent change seemed necessary ; and that the pro- 

 posed nomination of Fakhri Pasha could not be 

 sanctioned. Lord Cromer further informed the 

 Khedive that in the event of the reinstatement 

 of Mustafa Fehmi Pasha no objection would be 

 made to the proposed changes in the Depart- 

 ments of Finance and Justice. On the follow- 

 ing morning the Khedive expressed to Lord 

 Cromer his regret at the occurrence of the recent 

 incident, but said that it would humiliate him 

 and make him lose all authority if he were 

 obliged to reinstate Mustafa Fehmi, and he 

 therefore requested that he might be permitted 

 to name Riaz Pasha in the place of Fakhri. This 

 was assented to by Lord Cromer, and the Khe- 

 dive further expressed his earnest wish to enter- 

 tain friendly relations with the British Govern- 

 ment, and said that in future he would be will- 

 ing to follow the advice of that Government in 

 all important matters. 



The New Cabinet. The reconstructed Coun- 

 cil of Ministers was constituted as follows: 

 President of the Council and Minister of the In- 

 terior, Riaz Pasha ; Minister of Finance, Butros 

 Pasha; Minister of Justice, Mazlum Pasha; 

 Minister of Public Works and Instruction, Zeki 

 Pasha: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tigrane 

 Pasha; Minister of War, Jussef Chuhdi Pasha. 

 Riaz Pasha, the new Premier, had held that 

 office for a time during the reign of the father 

 of the present Khedive, but received his dis- 

 missal in 1891 on account of his attempts to 

 thwart English policy in Egypt. During his re- 

 tirement, however, he showed himself more fa- 

 vorable to the existing condition of affairs, and 

 approved most of the reforms introduced by the 

 English. He has amassed great wealth, and his 

 ability, knowledge of the country, and inde- 

 pendence of character were generally conceded. 

 The Ministers of Public Works, Foreign Affairs, 

 and War were members of the old Cabinet. A 

 formal protest was laid by France against the 

 action taken by Lord Cromer with regard to the 

 nomination of Fakhri Pasha, and the attitude of 

 the British Government was also condemned in 

 Russia ; but in Germany and Austria it was 

 commended. Notwithstanding the fact that the 

 Khedive had yielded, apparently without reser- 

 vation, to the demands of Great Britain, he al- 

 lowed it to appear in the local press that he had 

 gained a substantial victory, and virtually es- 

 tablished the principle of independence in min- 

 isterial appointments. Large native deputa- 



tions who came with congratulations were re- 

 ceived by him, and the ultra-Mohammedan press 

 became very violent against the English. The 

 belief became quite general that the Khedive 

 had determined to put to the test the whole 

 question of British occupation and control, and 

 a general feeling of public insecurity was preva- 

 lent in Cairo, and to a less extent elsewhere in 

 Egypt. This condition of affairs led Lord Cromer, 

 after conference with Gen. Walker, command- 

 ing the army of occupation, to request on Jan. 

 19 that his Government should permit him to 

 make the announcement that the garrison would 

 be increased. He received such authority on 

 Jan. 23, and the announcement at once had a 

 calming effect and was accepted as a decisive 

 answer to the question of the continuance of 

 English control in Egyptian affairs. Early in 

 July the Khedive paid his first visit to his suze- 

 rain, the Sultan, at Constantinople. He was at- 

 tended by Tigrane Pasha, Minister of Foreign 

 Affairs, and a suite of nine important Egyptian 

 officials, and as he was followed during the suc- 

 ceeding week by a considerable number of 

 prominent members of the National party, the 

 opinion prevailed quite generally that it was the 

 Khedive s intention to make his visit the occa- 

 sion for an appeal praying the Sultan to demand 

 the evacuation of Egypt by the English. But 

 if the young viceroy entertained such views, 

 there was no evidence that they were encouraged 

 by the Sultan ; on the contrary, it was believed 

 in diplomatic circles that the Khedive had been 

 advised to modify his anti-English attitude. 



The Dervishes. On Dec. 31, 1892, two at- 

 tacks were made by dervishes. One party of 

 400 camelmen made a raid on the village of 

 Gamia, a few miles south of Wady Haifa, but 

 were repelled by a detachment of Egyptian 

 soldiers. Another party of 350 dervish camel- 

 men arrived at Gamia the following day, expect- 

 ing to join their comrades. They were vigor- 

 ously attacked by the Egyptians, and retreated 

 so hurriedly as to leave their dead and a con- 

 siderable quantity of arms and provisions. They 

 were pursued by a camel and cavalry corps and 

 overtaken at Ambigol Wells, Jan. 2. and defeated 

 with heavy losses on both sides, the dervishes 

 again retreating southward. Osman Digna, at 

 the head of a band of dervishes, made a raid in 

 the vicinity of Tokar, on April 8, and captured 

 a number of cattle. He was pursued by a de- 

 tachment of mounted infantry, and the cattle 

 were recaptured and 12 of the dervishes killed. 

 On July 26 a body of dervishes 500 strong 

 arrived at Bayress, in the Great Oasis, 130 miles 

 from Ghirgeh, the Upper Egypt Railway ter- 

 minus. Troops were sent out, but did not succeed 

 in intercepting the band. Osman Digna was 

 established in the hills at Amet, about 80 miles 

 southwest of Suakin, from which stronghold his 

 swift-moving parties were dispatched in all di- 

 rections. His operations had stopped trade on 

 the Suakin-Berber road. 



Courts and Police. The annual statistics 

 issued by the native tribunals in April showed 

 that no arrears existed on the criminal side, and 

 none on the civil side except such as were caused 

 by the parties themselves, and that the courts of 

 summary jurisdiction, spread over the country, 

 were doing the bulk of the work. The litigants 



