Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-07-01

Three days ago, the Indian sycamorcs, on
the roads to Heliopois and Shoobra, stood
perfectly cold and naked to-day they arc
vailed In the brightest drapcry of young
leaves. The buds of the poplar and mul
berry trees, also, are opening so fast that
one can fairly notice a change from hour
to hour. But this is April, in land
where February was wont to be the
Spring month.
1t is difficult to estimate the character
OF a development which depends upon the
will Of one man. With the wonderful
spectacle Of Japan before our eyes, we
may easily be misled by the external signs
of change in Egypt. In Japan, however,
the experiment is tried upon a curious,
restless and quickwitted people, whose re.
ligious faith, tolerant because phllosophic,
interposes uo serious hinderauce to their
advance in civilization. Here, the condi-
tions are very different; every change re.
qulres care and caution, aud old prejudices
have even greater force than personal
interest. From all can learn, the re-
cent development of Egypt is chiefly ma
terial, due in great measure to the de-
sire for show and gain of a ruler who Is
shrowd, intelligent, practical in business
matters, and personally ambitious. 1t is
too much to expect that an Oriental prince,
in our day, shall manifest hearty inter-
est hearty interest in the well-being OF
his subjects. The Egyptians complain Bit
tcrly of three evils. which to them more
than couuterbalance the advantages
thrust upon them. These are: enormous
taxes, utter lack Of defense against the
arbitrary will Of those set over them, and
the negligence and corruption of both civil
and criminal courts.
Until the last two or three years,
Egyptian statistics have been very con-
fused and uutrustworthy. 1t is therefore
difficult to make any satisfactory compar-
sons. The people compare the Khetive's S
Government with that of his predecessor,
Said Pasha 1854 to 1869, which gave
them justice, security, and only moderate
burdens and they seem to forget what
they previously endured under Abbas
Pasha, and during the last years Of Mo-
hammcd Ais rdign. The latter with all
his tremendous energy and keen political
wisdom, was a selfish despot. He origi-
mated method of taxation which would
have ruined Egypt had it not been changed
"a bounty or date palms, amounting to
seven or eight cents tree. During my
journey in E,hiopa, in 1852, this tax had
just been increased, and in some districts
the people ru,hlessly destroyed their palm
groves in order to evade it. The tax has
now been converted into cne upon real
estate, which is so high that ah acre plsnt-
ed with date-palms costs at the rate Of 20
cents tree. The cost of labor and food
has also incr1 r1ased it is true, but in moth:
ing like the same proportion. When,
therefore, The people see the Khedive
spending, in few weeks, $l5 900, 900
for the marriage festivities Of his sons I;
when they see enormous palaces building
for these sons, while score or two of
royal residences are standing empty when
thev hear that the Goveroment is hard up
for money, while jewels are purchased
and foreign opera troups brought to Cairo
regardless of expense it is not much
wonder if they become impatient. Igno.
rant as they are, verify believe the
F most of them would submit more readily
TO their burdens, if the revenues of Egypt
we're bestowed mainly on necessary public
works.
The people, moreover, are etill suffer-
ing from great initiation and reaction
which is curiously connected with their
own internal struggle. The cotton crop
of Egypt had been steadily, but
rather slowly, increasing, up to 1860,
when it reached about 10000 bales.
The breaking out Of the Rebellion gave
tremendous impetus to this branch of pro-
duction: the sudden rise in the value of
cotton made it more profitable than wheat
or sugar-cane. All over Egypt the cuti-
vation spread the shrewd agriculturists,
who foresaw their chance. made such prof
its that the small Fellah farmers even
pulled up their maize and onions, and
planted cotton. BY 1864 the production
had reached 45O.0O bales, which brought
market price $50 per cent higher than
in 1860
For the first time perhaps IN thousands
Of years, Egypt did not produce enough
breadstufs to support its people wheat.
corn and even fodder for cattle were ip.-
ported in large quantities. But the cattle
themselves, half.starved aud overworked
by the labor Of breaking now folds and
drawing water NIGHT and dav. died In