The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-12 00:00:00

EGYPTIAN MONOPOLIts.

Extract from a letter from Alexandria, dated June
16 :—With regard to linseed, I have obtained copies
of the orders issued to the Mudirs on this subject. The
first order was, that they should '' hinder the fellahs
from selling their linseed until the end of the year 1257
(February, 1842), for fear they should leave themselves
unprovided with seed, seeing that the European mer-
chants who have oil-mills are seeking this grain, and it
is probable that the fellahs, seeing the possibility of
selling all their seed, will not think of keeping any to
sow this year, and thus next year the produce will fall
short." Ostensibly a very paternal order; but it was
accompanied with another order enjoining the fellahs to
bring to the Government stores one ardeb of seed for
every feddan sown with flax (about half the average
produce of their land, and therefore not very unjust as
regards the grower), for which they were to betipleaidpo.
piastres per ardeb for the first, and 50 piastrn -for theio
second quality—as high a price as the Europeans were
offering, with the exception that Europeans,t,hreeitera3..ting
'.-t
hfe Pfaelyl aihns
cash and the Government promises to pa
afterwards a new order appeared
debtsheir credit,
hibition to sell or to buy linseed, and ordeeibinagnd
aew
half for
days
to bring to the Government stores one ardeb artd_
at 90
every feddan sown, to- be passed to
piastres per ardeb, against the
vil-
lages respectively." one of the peculiar of their
Egyptians, by which the man who has customs of the,
to pay the debts of the man who has the means is made
of property, active or negative, which none—a community
stop anything like improvement in must effectually
this demand for .1-12- ard. per feddan, this country. Besides
fur-
nish each his quota of 1,350 ard., the fellah has is
the supply of fourteen crushine• " mills,eed monthly for
established by the
Government in the provinces of Lower Egypt. Upon
the representation of Europeans that they had already
purchased linseed the export of 20M. ard. was first con-
ceded to them, but this concession has been withdrawn,
and they are now allowed to re-sell their purchases to the
Government at the •
they
lose nothing,
price of 80p.per ard., at which rate
and will not,therefore, complain.
The penalty enforced against the seller or the native
boatmen carrying linseed is severe and inevitable. The
present crop of linseed is estimated at 200,000 ard., of
which 60,000 must be retained for seed; 80,000 are de-
manded for the Government mills, and 60,000 will be
left for exportation when the Government will be pleased
to sell. This is a long chapter on linseed ; but I merely
quote it as an instance, to show how plausibly the Govern-
ment of this country can contravene any freedom of trade
established by treaty. The fellahs have been officially
inforined, that " next year those who have paid up all
their taxes on their respective villages. and complied
punctually with all the demands of the Government,
will be allowed to sell their cotton to whim they please."
This, again, is very plausible ; but in the meantime the
Government has raised the price of cotton taken from
' the fellahs from 000 p. to 250 p. the canlar, and ordered
the mudirs to take care that the villages be
note out of
debt I Neither will they be besides being assed:
as heretofore with constant demands for men for the cul-
" shitliks," or private farms and
tivation of the :Paella's
public works, on the most frivolous pretences. The
same regulations aro to be applied to grain and other
prt ute. al • Nothing will be allowed to leave any village
until that village is out of debt, and while it owes a pars
to the Oovernment, the whole produce must bo delivered
into the Gi:o.7ernment stores. This may seem an exag-
gerated picture. I wish it may prove so. I have this
information from a source I believe most fully worthy of
credit, it is borne out by other corroborative informa-
! ' tion, and personal observation. The Pacha is fortunate
in :;estainitg the price of his cotton. He has just re-
[ fused private offers of 13ij dollars for 10501 ct,z, tivi sold
i.;.,i.V.:, Os at 1I &Ala le.,