Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-18
EGYPTIAN NIISRULE.
How the People are Taxed-The Slave
Trade-Life at DOngoIa.

How the People are Taxed-The Slave
Trade-Life at DOngoIa.
A correspondent of the London Daily
Nelcs writes from DOngola: So far, there
has been no attempt on the part of the in
habitants of this province that is, those
of them who live on the river banks-to
disturb the peace or resist the govern
ment. They continue to till their fields in
peace and pay their taxes, though no
doubt they would rather not pay them.
Gordon Pasha's proclamation, reducing
the taxes One-half, has had an excellent
effect in strengthening the peaceable dis
position Of the people. and all save the
official class speak in the highest terms of
the great Pasha. The official class. how
ever, do not like the reduction of the taxes
because they see clearly that it means
great pecuniary loss to themselves. Under
the old system the taxes produced a con-
siderable surplus, and salaries were regu-
larry paid in the province; but unless a
large number of useless officials are dis
pensed with, and a strict economy en-
forced, there will be a large deficit in the
provincial budget this year, and no hope
of getting money from Cairo to make good
the difference. 1t is therefore, perhaps,
only natural that officials Of all classes
should look with small favor on reforms
which threaten to take away their bread
and butter, and even make their further
stay in the country impossible. Their dis
appearance would be no misfortune. They
are a thoroughly worthless class, whose
only idea of government is to collect taxes
for their own benefit. 1t never seems to
enter the heads of these men that the
people who toll have any rights, and they
seem to regard the workers as solely
created to produce taxes on which soldiers
and officials can live in idleness and ease.
Some idea NAV be formed of the nature of
Pasha rule from the fact that from
DongOla to Assouan there is not single
landing stage, nor a yard of road,
nor a paved steeet, and yet the people
are heavily taxed. each household
paying to the government from e5 to
SO per annum. This tax is collected by
the -BaZouks, and it is alleged that
these gentlemen levy at the same time a
tax for their own special benefit nearly
equal in amount In return for this heavy
taxation the people enjoy the right to be
bullied by every one in the government
service. In the towns crude and ineffi-
cient police service is maintained. There
is no department of public works, or if
such department exists, it does nothing.
Whatever pretense of government exists
is confined to the banks OF the Nile. Once
the river lost to sight, every man becomes
son and property as best he can. Under
these circumstances it is not wonderful
that the people are FESTIVE and discon-
tented, not seeing much good in any gov
eminent.
In the old days Of the slave trade Don.
COLA was tiourishing centre for that ne
farious traffic and it is by no means certain
that a considerable trade in niggers has
not been carried on up to the present day.
Certain it is, the trade is opening up again
under. the influence Of Gordon Pasha's
proclamation declaring the buying and
selling of slaves lawful. AS this proc
lamatIOn is in force as far as AssOuan. it
practically re-establishes the slave trade
in Egypt, because it will be next to i'm
possible to prevent a cOntraband trade
growing up between Egypt and the Sou
dan, as a few days march through the
desert will always enable the slave dealers
to pass AssOuan and enter Egypt unOb-
served. This is the more likely because
they will be protected by the sympathy of
the whole population. DOngOla, at pres
ent, is a very dull place, and were it
not for the presence of some 500 soldiers
would present the appearance Of a dead
city. 1t is of considerable extent; but
the civil population is extremely small.
1t almost wholly built Of sun-dried mud
bricks, after the Egyptian fashion, with
here and there a house constructed of
burnt bricks, held together by mud, and
not differing in general appearance from
their mud neighbors. The streets are I'M
paved, and during the dry months fun of
dust, which in rainy seasons is trans
formed into pretty stiff mud.