Year: 1878

proposal to purchase Egypt:


Why is Parliament summoned so unusually early
Because Her Majesty's Government have proposal
10 make TO the country which requires a money
vote. What is this proposal which tue Government
is about to makey 1t is to purchase from Turkey
the Suzeainly OF Egypt for England. The cond-


ons aud terms OF this proposed purchase have been
discussed and arranged with and accepted by both
the Sultan and the Khedive What has induced
Engand 10 propose the purchase OF this SuZerainiyy
The intimatiOn which has been conveyed to her by
the Government Oi tue Car that whatever other
rangements may be made Russia is resolved 10
retain all she has taken IN Asia, aud If possible oh
tain the whole of Armenia, including Kars ErZe-
uum, Batoum, aud TrebiZond. II therefore be-
comes absolutely necessary for England to resist
by force OF arms this long-pending scheme of
Russian ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in Asia, by which Russia
II successful, may al any time threaten Euglands
communications with India, or TO obtain such terri
tora advantages will act as acouuierpoise of the
Cars project. Is this proposed purchase Of the
SuZerainty such an one as the English nation will
willingly agree tog Surely 1t will be far cheaper for
the country TO lay out its money in this way than to
waste both life aud treasure In supporting the
Turks by an armed Intervention in Asia. Moreover,
Her Majesty's Government have satisfied themselves
that the money 50 employed VIII be we'll and profit
ably invested, and that there will be surplus out
OF Egyptian revenues, when they are managed by
Englishmen, much more than sufficient 10 pay
interest upon the sum Invested English credit
guaranteeing Egyptian loans will enable the interest
on the existing debt OF Egypt to be largely reduced.





Msjysty's Ministers Induced TO make this proposal
By the sdTice aud counsel of the Queen. A letter
was addressed by the Sovereign TO Her Majesty's
Minister'S and laid before her advisers aud discussed
by them at the last Cabinet stating tbs Quecu's
view OF the situation her belief In the necessity for
action the part of England to counieract the
Vaccinations OF Russia, aud recommending the wise
course OF purchasing that which viii make Eng
laud's position safe rather than expending the blood
of her people aud q Tar larger amount of treasure
than Is now proposed to be laid out iu driviug the
Russian out OF Turkey in Asia. This bole and wise
advice and recommendation BY the Sovereign To her
Ministers mzy well make the country feel how
jealousy Her Majesty watches the interests OF
the nation, and how, without interfering with the
constitutional Independence of her Minister'S she
may be relied on 10 guide the course OF our national
policy as trnly now she did quarter of century
ago, when aided by the sterling Integrity and high
political ability OF the much-lamented Prince Con
sort


The foregoing article contains an unusual
amount of good sense as well as humanity,
and if the proposition originated with Her
Britannia Majesty, she deserves the thanks of
the Christian world for it. If England can,
as no doubt she would. obtain the object so
much desired by her best statesmen by the
purchase of Egypt for moneyed consideration.
paid down, namely, the protection of her In
dian possessions, how much better and wiser
it would be than to spend probably twice the
amount in coin, not to say anything about the
expenditure of human life and the entailment
upon her yeomanry of sufferings and misery
such as war always brings. We hope, there
fore, that the wise counsels of Queen Victoria
in this instance will be obeyed by the Ministry,
and that bloody war will be avoided and the
purchase of Egypt effected in this humani-
tartan spirit.


1t is within the recollection of all who lived
in the United States previous to the year 1861
that President Lincoln proposed in a like ca
tholic and philanthropic spirit to end the con-
test between the sections North and South on
the slavery question by scheme of gradual
emancipation, whereby the Government of the
United States would guarantee to the slave
holders of the South moneyed consideration
out of the public treasury for all the slaves in
the slaveholding States. If our memory
serves US Alright we think the price per capita
for all the slaves was to be $500. Estimating
the slaves at that time at 1000, 900, it would
have required the payment by Government to
the Shareholders in the aggregate the sum of
Sl,2OO,OOO,OO But this humane proposition
was rejected by the Southern people, who
were intent upon revolution. War did ensue,
and the cost of that war was $4,000, 200, 900,
with the fearful loss of hundreds of thousands
of human lives and untold millions of money
in the shape of destruction of all the industries
of the South, as well as the. general demoraliz-
alton of the whole country. We cite the
example of the United States in proof of our
belief that the purchase of Egypt by England
to avoid a war would be wise policy which
would reflect credit upon those who would
bring it about, not only in humanitarian
but an economic point of view.