Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-20

|
ESTERPHIsING But UrExTRAyAGANr-HIs CRAFT,
IMMORTALITY AND CRUELTY-A BETTER DAY
| FOR EGYPT.
From the New York Times.
Late cable dispatches from Egypt are to
the effect that the khedive has accepted
proposition whereby Nubar Pasha becomes
president OF the council and Rivers Wilson
minister of finance. The khedive and his
family are to restore all their lands TO the
state, and a comprehensive scheme for the
| reform OF administration, including large re-
| trenchments in the civil list, are to be de-
creed.
The Oriental prince who has thus been
dispossessed of The reins of Egyptian admin
istration which he has held SO long is the
most striking individuality in the modern
history of that country. Born at Cairo In
1880, he inherited all the ineIhaustible ener-
| gy of bis grandfather. Mehemet, without the
sterner qualities of his father, lbraham. An
excellent European education combined with
| real ability, soon made him the most promi-
nent figure in Egyptian society, and quickly
| excited the jealousy of Abbas Pasha, who
| had then recently succeeded to the viceroyal-
| ty. lie became especially obnoxious TO that
| ldoleni but vicious bigot, who accordingly
| endeavored to crush him by fabricating
| against him q charge of murder, which failed.
| On the accession of Said Pasha in 1854, Is
mail was Sc, TO Paris and to Rome on spe
cial missions, and afGerward acted as regent
| during his unc.e's pilgrimage to Mecca, IN
1861, and his visit to Europe, later IN the
same year Said died January IS, 1868. and
the destinies of Egypt passed into the hands
of the Prince who has since SO enormously
increased both her trade and her debt. On
the morrow Of his accession he promised an
improved and lberalIzed administration and
the energetic promotion OF the national in
terests of the country, in which particulars
be failed utterly to keep his word. 1ndeiati-
gable energy, considerable administrative
ability, and the reputation OF being the
wealthiest prince living did not prevent him
pillng up debt which now smothers his
country's credit. His zeal for fame mther
than Tor actual material progress carried him
further and faster than the resources of the
country could proftably bear. Parks were
land out, waste places were made TO bloom, ,
canals and railroads and telegraph lines were |
built, and these expenditures supplemented |
by the demands made upon the khedive by |
the Turkish authorities. and the large dis |
bursements Tor the Suez canal, gradually |
swelled the small debt legacy left 10y SAID into |
its present bloated proportions.
Active as has been the khedive, apparently, |
in internal improvements, his life has been |
really that Of Il modern Sardanapalus. II he |
spent money on public parks and waste
places. it was to make his capital attractive
and bring rich Americans and toadying Eng
lishmen to do him homage. He wasted in
idle display and pIohlga.e extrayagance the
resources of his country. The only concep-
ton of finance WAS to go to the Jews When
ever he wanted money and pay them what
ever interest they insisted upon. lie built
grand opera house and brought out new
operas, single one of which cost him $780,
900. He saw handsome woman in the
market place and bought her for S45. 900,
thus showing his contempt of the law for
bidding traffic i'll slaves. Only thin ven-
eer of civilization hid the craft and cruelty
of an Orit ntal despotism. Many mistresses
call HIM master his home was in several
palaces. Some OF these palaces were often
the scene OF Unlicensed mirth and mischief.
Dinners and concerts were numerous to |
which foreign ladies only were invited. ltal-
ian opera singers and bellies from France and
England jostled the eunuchs and slaves as
they hurried through the hallr to his recep-
tious. His crowning act of infamy was dur
ing the late war. Dlsregarding his proiessed
civilization and the proper attitude OF neu-
trails, he dragged his unfortunate subjects
into war. and sent his soldiers from the trop-
les of Africa to perish miserably in the frosts
and SHOWS of Bulgaria.
|
the personal owner of a great part of his
own dominions, he has deception in this as
in all other things The report of the first
sent out by England in 1875. |
showed him to be poor man possessed of
large but very heavily incumbered estate.
He then owned $4,000 acres Of good land
md 100. 900 acres OF poor land, or about one
tenth the cultivated soil of Egypt, yielding
10 him over 81, 600. 900 a year-a very noble
state if it were only clear. But the khedive
hen owed S25. 600. 900 on this estate at 10 |
DER cent per annum, besides floating debt
1t enormous interest, and WAS therefore u
oser on his whole property. The Suez canal. ,
rom which SO much Was expected, proved to
be dreadful tax on the country. As the
shedIves embarrassments increased he WAS !
to sell his shares in the canal for ,
ready money. Seventy-ive years hence the
ANAL and all its works lapse to the Egyptian 7
government, but meanwhile its existence di- I
'ecty diminishes Egyptian revenues. The I
always and the ports suffer heavily by the | (
oss OF the overland trade and the money
oaid for canal dues goes to the shareholders r
who are living in Europe Of the sS7. 500.-
)UO the khedlye sunk IN this canal he has :
,nly received back $4,000 600 from Eng !
and. But what four million pounds to /
o reckless and eItravagant prince He 5
vas soon not only nd of the money but deep I
T In debt than ever. IN
This man is dethroned. and Nubar Pasha 4
eigns, In fact II not in name. This return !
o power of minister who was removed | :
hree years ago because he insisted too :,
irongly upon reforms Will be welcome news :,
o all who are interested in the welfare OF NJ
Egypt He is Christian. and SO, of course. =,
lot acceptable to the old Turkish party he \
) Il reiorner, and 70 not acceptable to the
iceroy's party but he cares tor neither. and n
Though an Armenian by origin. he is west &
IN in all his ideas. and versed in European n
'olitlcs and modern finances. In this latter n
however he will be ably assisted o.
y MIR. Wilson. who was some time the con- N
roller general of the national debt depart $,
lent of Great Britain. But in Nubar n
asha's advancement We see British intrigues n
nd lessening of the moral objection TO the Ii
Obey of Ensland's annexing Egypt. "
The TALMUD.-An article published in the C,
SiulJrTg Heuie1 spoke OF the Talmud rs the u
lost irresistible organ ever forged for the Il