St. Landry democrat., 1882-07-29

| are armed with Remington rifles, of which
| there are about 10000 in Egypt. The cavalry
are armed with sahers, revolvers and Reming-
| ton carbines. The field artillery are supplied
with rified breech-loadiEg Krupp guns, of
which there are about 100 in the magazines
The garrison and sea-coast artillery are pro-
vided with heavy Krupp and with Wahren-
/ droff guns of eightinch and ter-nch caliber
| The powder-mls and cartridge factory at
| Tourah, near Cairo, render Egypt practically
Independent of a foreign supply of ammuni
| ton. The Quartermaster's Department and
| COmmissariat are in sad state of chaos and
| are the weak points in the organization. A
| hrman of the Sultan limits the number OF
| troops to 1900. AT the present moment there
are perhaps, 1000 or 1900 men wit b the COL
ors, but the regimental cadres of commits
stoned and non-commissioned officers are so
maintained that in five weeks the effective
strength of the army could be increased to
5000 men by calling in the first reserve. In
case of invasion the Bedaween contingents.
who furnish their own arms and horses, ana
the second reserve would enable Egypt to
place in the field 10000 fighting men.
Brief Review.
The crisis in Egypt has rapidly come to
head, and as it bids fair to occupy the atten-
ton of Che world for some time a brief review
of the circumstances leading up to it will be
of interest lis origin may be traced back as
far as February, 1881. when the troops of Cairo
forced the khedive to release some of their
officers who were on trial for various otfenses.
In conceding to their demand the khedive
really surrendered his power to the army, and
it has remained with it ever since. Last Sep
TENDER Arab Bey, who was a Colonel and the
leader of the outbreak in February, seized the
command of the army and demanded of the
khedive that he should dismiss the Ministry
increase the pay of the army, and grant con-
stitution. The Khedive conceded all that was
asked, except the constitution, and for this
he substituted Chamber of No,ables. This
Chamber met and prepared an organic law by
which the control of the budget was placed in
the hands of certain members OF the Notables
and of the Ministry. but excluded entirely
the English and French Control, which means
the representatives of England and France,
who had control of the finances and the man
agement of the debt owed by Egypt to the
English and French bondholders. The Con-
troll protested, and England and France Joined
in note of warning to the reyolut Onists. The
army protested against the note, and Arab Bey
explained that they did not intend to disturb
the financial arrangements. The Control was
instructed not to countenance any concession
by the Egyptian Government to the claim of
the Chamber of Notables, to vote the budget.
The latter waited upon the Khedive and re-
quested him to sign the organic law, but he de-
clined, taking shelter behind the English and
French Consuls. Thereupon Cherif Pasha, the
President of the Council, resigned, and Arab
Bey formed new Cabinet, with himself in it
as Minister of War, and forced the Khedive
to recognize it. He also forced him to recog-
rnhiy
law, which conferred the right of voting the
budget upon the Notables. Thereupon the
Control declared that its power was nullified.
Meanwhile the Ministry repudiated the au-
thority of tho Khedive altogether, and also
severed their relations with the French and
English Control whereupon the iron-clads
We're sent to Egypt, and the Ministry was no
titled that Arab Bey must be removed. He
refused to submit, the Ministry resigned and
the khediVe removed Arab Bey from the
head of the army, but, under compuison, re-
nstated him. Meanwhile, under advice of
the European Powers, Turkey sent Dervisch
Pasha as its representative to Egypt to settle
the complication, and England and France
asked for conference of the Powers at Con-
stantinople, which is still sitting though Tur-
key refused to participate Deryisch Pasha's
mission appears to be afailure, as the khediye
Is Still WitHOuL anu alapi lSOJs Le'S
ing formed another Cabinet with himself as
Minister of War again, is really the ruler OF
Egypt, and has gone on fortifying Alexandria
and DECLARING his intention of forciby resist
ing English intervention. The long waiting
of the various parties, the feet, the Egyptians,
Arab Bey, the Khedive, the Sultan, to see
what step the other would take, now appears I
to have been broken, and q very short time
must now determine where each stands, for
fhe official order has been issued by the En-
glish Admiral that the bombardment will be-
gin at zine o'clock this morning. England
opens the ball-ChicGg0 Tribune Juh' Ii.