THE KHEDIVE OF EGYPT.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 417, 16 April 1879, Page 2

THE KHEDIVE OF EGYPT.

The Khedive of Egypt apparently does not like being trotted out in leading strings. He has sent his French and English advisers to the right-about. One master is enough for him ; he pays the Sultan £600,000 a-year because the Turks once conquered Egppt; bnt these English and French, what on earth have they done ? Only lent him a Tew scores ot millions at an interest that he can’t pay, and now, forsooth* they want to watch him to see that he pays all he can, and does not squander his money. But the Khedive wont have it. “ By-by, Mr Rivers Wilson. By-hy, M. Blignteres, Wish you both bon voyage.” This Ismail Pasha, Khedive of Egypt, is a nice fellow, when one comes to think of it; it is a pity . that he should have anyone to annoy him. Plis ideas are not those of ordinary philan-. ihropists. He would not mind sacrificing liimsolf so far as to be general spendthrift for mankind. He came into possession of his nice little estate — Egypt —about sixteen years ago. It. has never entered his mind to donbt that he is the proprietor of what in other countries is the public purse. The people, who nave been slaves from the days of the Pharoah’s downward, allow him to treat them as his flocks, or rath°r as his beasts of burden. A recent traveller says, “ I remember seeing a public road not half an hour out of Cairo being repaired by forced labor. The laborers were men, women, and

clnOren. To each bitch often laborers there was attached a ganger with , a stick, who kept sinking the laborers when they loitered in their work, The foreman, whip in hand, went about cutting at the gaugers, and the- engineer had a kurbash wherewith to chastise the foreman.” , Thus it goes on up to Ismail Pasha, who has the privilege ot kicking everybody. Sixteen years ago Egypt owed about £4,000,000, and though wretchedly managed, was in a healthy financial condition. But the enterprising Khediye has managed to borrow about £00,000,000. which, added to the revenue of Egyyt for sixteen years, makes in numbers, say, £210,000,000 that have passed through his Highness’ liancjs during his reign. This is exclusive of £17,000,000 guaranteed on railways,'.and.of private loans amounting to about £10,000,000. It is saiil that the junual cost of the Egyptian public service is less than £4,000,000, but putting it down at that figure, wo get in sixteen years a total expenditure of £84,000,000. The Khedive lias also executed various public works, such as canals, &c., on which it is said he has expended about. £22,000,000, of which lie has had £4,000,000, for the Suez Canal, refunded. If wc allow in connection with the public debt, for commissions, discounts, and renewals, the sum of £30,000,01)0, there will bo only £113,000,000 out of £210,000,000 accounted for. Tlie neat little balance of £97, 000,000, together with the private loan of £10,000,000, and other small items, have gone to supply His Highness with the necessaries of life. These statements may seem to many cpiite incredible ; they are, however, in agreement with the reports of Mr Cave and Mr Gosehen, who examined the Khedive’s accounts on behalf of the English Government. It was natural that under the circumstances his creditors should wish to wateli him, but Ismail Pasha will submit to no such indignity, ami as the telegrams say, be has dismissed his English Minister of Finance, and his French Minister of Public Works. He probably found them unkickable, and has tlioroforo put natives in ilu-ir places, on wbom he may operate to bis heart’s content.