The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-06 00:00:00

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EGYPT
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Some decreeq lately issued by this Go I
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relati, 1 J.try and trade have caused ne+ email
alarm among Europeans. One ordains that hence-
forward no one shall erect steam factories without
first obtaining the permission of the Government
engineers, in order to guard against the d
the anger of
fire or inconvenience or annoyance to public.
We have an instance here of ;.: tannery esta lishe.
bd
within the walls of Alexandria, and of a bone boil-
ing-house juel beyond the gates, which prove 1.110
necessity of some control in such matters.
Another edict forbids the erection of steam pumps
on t lie:canals. It, is evident that were ever.one per-
mitted to erect pumps at pleasure, it would deprive
the neighbourit,g proprietors of the water nec:sssary
for their land, to which they have an undisputed
rigitt. The distribution of the water ~s allotted by
ai, special section of the Government engineers, who
allow it to flew into ;he main canals and their
uranches, accorrlir,7 to
,_
rec.._ ,'n the quantiTy of land eniitled
i,oood -I.e. it. Nevertheless, it would perhaps be
policy to permit the erection. of steam primp,
under proper regulations. A third calls upon the
Governors of districts to furnish a return of all
whether
srtisans and workmen,domiciled or vag-
rant. The proprietors ofir(mdusetrial factories fear
that this is a preliminary to s:)
the bands in their employ. Whereas, interferencei with
in truth, the
present Viceroy has permitted the peasantry to
leave their villages and to adopt new residences—a
step always strictly prohibited by his predecessors
under severe penalties, even to the entire confisca-
tion of their property. The question of the lands
assumed by his Highness, as mentioned in a recent
letter, appears to be justly open to objection, and I
hear that much dissatisfaction exists among the
Fellah population, both upon this point and also as
to the proportion of forced labour they have to
, contribute for the cultivation of these and other
1 properties of his Highness. Much is attributed to
the over zeal of the Viceroy's stewards, who tax the
forces of the peasantry severely to obtain large re-
sults, and gain credit from their lord, but I have
no doubt when the facts become known to Ismael
Pasha that this grievance will be remedied.
His Highness has just returned to Cairo,
after a
visit of inspection to his sugar estates and reine-
ries at Rods. and Millie in Upper Egypt. His at-
lans
tention, I understand, is much engaged with p
for the extension of railway and telegraph lines,
and I think we shall before long see Egypt
doubly linked to Europe, by branches of wire to,
wards Bengazi and the Malta line on ono side, and
through Syria to Constantinople on the other.
Typhus has much diminished in the Upper
Country, but it has made serious havoc. The cattle
disease, on the contrary, is increasing, and will, I
fear, gradually overrun the whole country.
Egypt is nearly abandoned by its European in-
habitants : few even of the Consuls-General remain.
They are either gone or going, and so it is with
the rest of the colony. All who can avail them-
selves of the great facilities afforded by the numer-
ous line of steamers pass the hot months in Europe,
to escape from the debilitating effects of the cli-
mate, which seems to increase with the annual
growth of this city.