The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-26 00:00:00

Cke tourbribge Obsertler

SATURDAY. JANUARY 26;h, 1884.

ENGLAND AND EGYPT.

As the session of Parliament approaches it
becomes increasingly clear that our relations
with Egypt will become, as the Conservative
leaders hive expressed it, the subject of fall and
free debate. The proPLin to be faced in that
country is a very difficult one. It was complex
enough before the rebellion of the Mandi, with-
out which the task of reorganising the Egyplian
Administration was an ardu )us one. It is a
stranve spectacle truly. The cradle of civilisa-
tion which oecniies so conspicious a place in the
pages of alcred history, has degenerated into a
land not only oppressed by the indob•nce which
is inherent in Oriental races, fruitful of super
stition, and abounding in cruelty and vice, but
one in which for years past anarchy has reigned
suprer.pe. Egypt is nominally subject to Turley,
but we all know the value of Turkish protection
and control. And since the French ships of
war steamed out of the Bay of Alexandria on
the 10th July, 1882, leaving us to settle the
business with Arabi ourselves, it is England
that has had to bear the responsibility of endea-
v,mring to restore peace and order to a distracted
country.

The -foreign poli,T of France has lately attrac-
ted Inec'i attention on this side of the Channel.
The French papers have been loudly declaring
th-.t. France does not wish for the restoration of
th,t joiat control, anti that la grand nation would
not accept the partnership if it were offered to
her. She prefers, by the tnon'h of 11,r journal-
i,us, to retain her entire liberty of action. We
have had experience of the meaning of that
experience of that expre*sion in the way in
which the French Chamber of Deputies declined
to vote the necess try funds for co-operating
wish us in the militilry exp-ditiou to the land
of the Pharaohs ne trly two years ago, and we
have had to undertake the business for our-
selves. French liberty of action has been
ira-e,l more Vial once of late years in Tunis,
Madagascar, anti Tantiain ; and except that in
Madagascar our neighbours cache into collision
with us over the imprisonment of a British sub-
ject, they have pursued their own " course of for-
eign policy unmolested by us. But after we bad
incurred all the risk, the responsibility, ant
the cost of a naeill and military expedition to
Egypt, it was too much for France to expect to
appropriate a share of the advantages without
venturing to take a part in any of the perils of
undertaking. This shou'd be so obvious to re-
asoinble men that it seems extraordinary how
the French press can be so bitterly rancorous
in its tone towards the course we have thought
proper to pursue in Egypt. Our embarrass-
ments in:lthe Soudan are a source of rejoicing on
the part of the French preal coke as much as
though the embarrassments had been suffred by
Garin any.
It is inevitable that ourforeign relations should
form the subject of debate in the session of
debate in the session of Parliament which opens
on the s:h of next month. Mr. Gladstone, in
his circular calling his supporters together on
_oat day, makes mention of the fact that very
important business will be brought forward im-
mediately. By the admissions of Cabinet Min-
isters the first question for consideration will be
a bill extending the household borough franchise
t) country householders ani next will be taken
the meature for the reforro of the municipal gov-
ernment of London. These two Sir Charles Dilke
has told us must be carried. Then if
time pennits, he himself will introduce
a bill for the amendment of our system of
country government : Mr. Chamberlain has
one for dealing with the Merchant Shipping law
Mr. Dodson hopes to introduce his familiar
measure for the Prevention of Floods: Sir Wil•
fred Lawson hopes the Ministry will deal with
the important subject of Local Option : and
whether it may be generally known or not, of
one thing there is no doubt that the question of
the continuance of the Ballot must soon come
before the House of Commons, either in connec-
tion with the extension ot the hours of polling
or separately. When the Ballot Act was enacted
in 1872 the Lords inserted a provision that it
should expire atthe eAI of 1880, and it has since
been carried on in a kind of hand-to mouth
manner year by year in the Expiring Laws Con-
.iunance Act. But if a dissolution is so clearly
anticipated in 1884 Parliament might duide be-
tire the next general election whether the
1,..ol; is to be a per,n.anint institution in
this country. Still all these things will not pre-
vent our foreign policy from being debated. tiur
relations with the Transvaal are by no means
what we should wish them to be. France and
China will come in for a share of attention, and
Egypt certainly a large one. Intimately associ-
ated with this subject is that of the enlargement
of the Suez Canal, or the construction of an in-
depent water way. The present canal is too
small for the constantly increasing traffic, and
must either be widened or another have to be
made. This to British shipowaers is quite as
important as any of the topics mentioned for
legislation in the ensuing sestion, and will in-
evitably be considered in its association with
the maintenance of British enterests in Egypt.