Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-05-10

CANT Ruler.--The Khediye's FOndncss
for Gorgeous Fetes and High-Priced
Actresses.
Cor Philadelphia Press.
We are in the midst ola Government
financial crisis of the most serious char
acter.s All payments are stopped, inter
est on the public debt, salaries to officials,
and the claims Of private creditors. 1t
il n most extraordinary state Of things
whenwe com pare the financial condition
OF Egypt with what it was on the acces-
sion Of Ismail Pasha and its present
status Then, there was no public debit
now il is about $4l0,000,OOD, exclusive
Of the Khcdivc's private debt Of 49,
100000. When dhe Khediyc came to
the throne he owned only $4,000 fed
dams (acresl of;land; now he possesses
1,000,OO feddans, or one-fifth Of all the
cultivated land in Egypt. How he &C
quircd such an immense quantity OF
land IL il not easy TO explain. a great
deal Of IL was Obtained by force from
the tehnIs in one way or another, and
the more readily, rs there il no justice
for them in the local courts where tho
khedive is defendant. The worst Of
this concentration Of land III the hands
Of the Khediye.is that being cultivated
ON his account by paid agents, the hand
yields much less than when in the
hands Of peasant proprlctors. Their
products also 60 into the Government
warehouses, and. the Khediye fixes the
prices ut will, gnley the market, and be-
comes the commercial monopolist OF
Egypt. If this million of acres were
let nj CA the lcddan, it would give an
annual return of E4,OO0,0 600 sterling,
from which E5Q0QO0 could be taken for
the interest on the private debt Of the
khedivc, and the rest could be applied
to the uses Of the public debt.
We have come to u dead halt There
is low treasury and u low Nile. The
Government officers have no money to
support their families who are in great
distress. and can hardly get credit any
longer nj the ,Hltther's,and bakers.
Merchants and contractors to whom the
Khedive owes money cannot meet their
engagements, and disastrous failures are
constantly occurring. In the mean
while, the 10000 Egyptian contingent
in Turkey must be supported, and taxes
are piled ON the poor Gdlahy. Large
numbers Of them have their lands con
iiscatcd to the Government for non-pny-
ment Of taxes. The reduced crops will
make il yet moro difficult for thcm Is
meet the demands of the tax-gathercr.
Discomfort prevails among all classes,
for all suffer alike. Ihe Mussulmans
would lac perfectly content il England
should take possession of the country,
for il is evident t)it the khcdivc is 1T
the end Of his resources, and is incapn-
bic of governing the country. As for
the public debt, the creditors of Egypt
will either hive 10 compromise on the
principal, or reduction Of the interest,
unless some clue can be had to the dis
position Of the vast sums Of money
have referred to above. There il no
denying that lsnrnil Pasha has led II
very fast life MS u ruler. L. has united
the extremist prodi4ality Of the East
md West, and has revcled i'll their most
expensive luxurcs For the last six or
eight years it has been one continued
round Of dissipation and extravaganza
theatres, opora-houses, splendid balls
lHu udlIuStS, INtcS, lNSClliatlIlS uctTtSS-
Is, etc. Not even i'll tho days Of Cleo
patra has Egypt Witnessed such gor-
gcous letcs and such reckless cxpendi-
mro i'll luxurious pleasures and
amusoments. The day Of reckoning has
now como. and, alasl the bill cannot be
footed. Better for MI parties that John
Bull should take Egypt, and administer
1t for the benefit of all concerned.