The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-03-12 00:00:00

SUPPLY.

The consideration of the Civil Service Supplementary
Estimates ha ing been resumed in Committee of
Supply, the votes for the Science and Art Depai talent
and for Irish National Education were agreed to after
setae discussion. On the vote for Diplomatic Services
Mrt Brad! ugh took exception to the item for Sir H. D.
Wqllf's special mission to Cairo and Constantinople,
and asked how long the mission was to last, what
single advantage had been gained for this country in
return for the money we had paid, what was the exact
engagement made with the Egyptian Government in
regard to Suakim, and where it was to be found. The
mission he regarded as having been constituted only
for the purpose of making a place for an adherent of
the late Chancellor of the Exchequer, who tock the
greatest pains to reward everyone who had served him,
and he therefore moved to reduce the vote b7P6790,
the cost of the mission.
In the discussion which ensued Mr. Williamson
contended that the work which Sir H. D. Drummond
Wolff was doing in Egypt ought to be done by Sir
Evelyn Baring.—Mr. Gourley pointed out that the
Government were only carrying out a policy which
had been adopted by their predecessors —Colonel
Duncan supported the vote, but expressed the opinion
that the time had come when the retention of both
Sir Evelyn Baring and Sir H. D. Wolff in Egypt was a
superfluous expenditure of public money, and Mr.
Labouchere condemned the continuance of what was
avowedly Intended to be only a temporary appoint-
ment, and recommended the Government to provide
Sir H. D. Wolff with some permanent employmeni-.
Sir J. Fergusson in defending the vote, declared that
Sir H. D. Wolff had laid the foundation of reforms in
Egypt which, he trusted, would bear valuable fruit.
The time had now come when the Government were
in a position to present to Parliament the reports
which, with infinite skill, care, and research, Sir H. D.
Wolff had drawn up, and in which he presented in a
comprehensive form the evils by which the Government
of Egypt was embarrassed, and the manifest remedies
for those evils. Upc e the extent to which the reforms
recommended by him were adopted, and a strong and
independent Government established in Egypt, the
time at which our troops would be finally withdrawn
would mainly depend Sir H. D. Wolff was now
fulfilling at Constantinople the last part of the task
entrusted to him, in making proposals to the Porte
for measures which it might be hoped would
remove many of the evils which he nad done so much
to expose, and which would enable her Majesty's
Government to bring to an end their occupation in
Egypt in a manner which would not expose that
. country to renewed risks. Those proposals had been
made known to the representatives of the other
.Powers, by none of whom were they opposed, and at
the present moment the mission gave every promise of
success.
Mr. Bryce, in view of the assurance given on behalf
of the Government, would not accept the responsibility
of weakening their hands by opposing the vote.
After some further conversation the proposed re-
duction of the vote was negatived on a division by 231
to 116.
Ultimately the vote was agreed to; and the vote
for the Post-office was subsequently discussed until a
late hour_