ENGLAND, FRANCE, AND EGYPT. 105 



This flagrant violation of Municipal and International Law, by the 

 Government of England, was reprehensible for two reasons : — 



(i) That at this very time, though Parliament was sitting, its sanction and its 

 authority were neither asked for, nor secured. 



(2) At this very time a Conference, called by the invitation of England, was actually 

 sitting at Constantinople, for the express purpose of securing the pacific and diplomatic 

 intervention of the Great Powers of Europe in Egyptian affairs. 



Surely, the Government of England should have been the last, 

 instead of the first, to move by hostile action, without the sanction of 

 this Conference, before it had even formulated its discussions, much 

 less, given its decision. England, therefore, had no right, but com- 

 mitted a great wrong, in disturbing, by the boom of the Cannon, the 

 calm deliberations of this Conference, assembled at Constantinople, 

 and in opening the fire from its formidable Fleet, upon a helpless 

 City, and commercial centre such as Alexandria. 



England, undoubtedly, was the aggressor, for who will deny, that 

 the Government of Egypt acted within its rights, in erecting fortifi- 

 cations to defend Alexandria ? 



Before a life was sacrificed, English Men-of-War anchored in 

 Egyptian Waters, and delivered an Ultimatum to the Egyptian 

 Government. This in itself was an act of war, and therefore Eng- 

 land began the war. The massacre of Europeans in Alexandria, was 

 not only subsequent to the arrival of the Fleet and the delivery of 

 the Ultimatum, but it was in consequence of both. 



The fact is, the Navy of England bombarded Alexandria, not to 

 defend the Suez Canal, which was loo miles away, and was not in 

 any danger, but to re-establish the Dual Control over the revenues of 

 Egypt, and certainly this was an Act of War, not in the interests of 

 the British People, but in the selfish interests of the Bondholders of 

 Europe. 



Moreover, Egypt was not an independent Nation, the Khedive 

 was not a supreme Ruler. Egypt was a part of the Ottoman Empire, 

 so that no Nation or Government had a right to interfere in its 

 internal affairs, or to make any demands on its Government; and 

 therefore, England should have negotiated only with its Suzerain, the 

 recognised Sultan, at Constantinople, for the Sultan was the Sovereign 

 of Egypt, whilst the authority of the Khedive, was a trust which he 

 received from the Porte, and for which he had to render an account 

 to the Sultan. 



England committed a three-fold blunder : — 



I. In breaking up the deliberations of the Conference at Constantinople, and 

 defying the Great Powers there assembled. 



