EGYPT.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4328, 14 November 1882, Page 3

EGYPT.

The strong reaction in favor of Arabi personally, in England, has been very much intensified ,by the refusal of the Egyptian Ministers to allow English counsel access to their client. Arabi has been promised that he should have such assistance, but it has been persistently denied him. A genuine sensation, therefore, was created on the 15th, when a letter appeared id tbe Times from Arabi's personal friend and sympathiser in London, Alfred Blunt, with a copy of a letter of his to Arabi, which Sir Edward Malet had been instructed by the Foreign Office to intercept, and another letter from Mr Blunt, to Mr Gladstone, accusing the Foreign Office of bad faith, and tbe Government of having actually given up Arabi to be executed. A despatch from Cairo, October 16tb, says Sir Edward Malet announced that the trial of Arabi and his associates will not probably pro* cced unless they are defended by English counsel. The Egyptian Ministry has informed Sir Edward that it will not be responsible for tbe government of the country if the English counsel introduces a method of procedure unknown to Egyptian Court. Arabi persisted in declaring he would defend himself, if denied English counsel at his trial. The chief counts of the indictment against

Arabi Pasha are—(l) In violation of the

.- rights of nations, he hoisted a white flag > in Alexandria, and .under cover thereof retired with his troops, and gave up the city to fire and pillage. (2) That he excited the Egyptians to arm against the Khedive. ,(3) That lie continued the war, despite the news of ,p«-ace. (4) With having incited civil war, devastation, massacre, and pillage in Egyptian terrii tory. Very little documentary evidence has been adduced in the examination of the rebel praoners beyotfd a file of Arabi Pasha's official journal published in Cairo during the campaign. Arabi bas admitted nothing, nor bas he imitated his colleagues in trying to throw the blame on others. According to the agreement between Broadley.and Napier, Arabi's Counsel, and the Government lawyers in regard to ihe_ course of procedure, the English counsel will be permitted, to have access to Arabi, and the right of recalling witnesses for the prosecution for crossexamination, the right of calling witnesses for the defence, and of examining the evidence given during the preliminary inves tigation ' A later despatch says the Ministry have ratified the agreement between Borrelliely, the Government lawyer,' and Arabi's English ceunsel. Broadly Bays all tbe elements of a fair trial have been secured.

The state of the natives is most unsatisfactory. Underlying a thin stratum of fear is a deep hatred among them of Christians. „