Page:The European Concert in the Eastern Question.djvu/122

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106
EGYPT.

Deposition of Ismail.imposed by the judicial reforms, and the Sultan was induced to telegraph, on 26th June, an Iradé deposing Ismail, and appointing his son Tewfik to be Khedive in his place[1].

Appointment of Tewfik.The Firman granted to Tewfik allowed to him so much less liberty of action than was enjoyed by his father that, on the remonstrance of the representatives of the Powers at Constantinople, it was superseded by another, dated 2nd August, which was read at the citadel of Cairo on the 14th of that month[2]. Even under the revised Firman the Khedive is prohibited from contracting loans without the consent of existing creditors, and from maintaining more than 18,000 troops.

Revival of the Dual Control. The foreign ministers were not reinstated under the new Khedive, but the Dual Control was revived; Major Baring and M. de Blignières succeeding by a Decree of 4th September to the positions formerly occupied by Mr. Romaine and M. de Malaret; and the powers of the Controllers were newly defined by a Decree of 15th November[3]. The English and French Controllers were to have equal authority, to have the right of being present at Councils of Ministers, and, though nominally Egyptian officials, were not to be removed without the consent of their respective Governments. The Controllers were instructed by Lord Salisbury and M. Waddington to make the Khedive understand that the establishment in Egypt of political influence on the part of any other Power, in competition with that of England and France, would not be tolerated[4].

The Rothschild decree.On 19th December a Decree was issued, with the assent of all the Powers, as to the advances of the Rothschilds[5].

The Comission of Liquidation. On 31st March, 1880, a Declaration was signed by the Consuls-General of the five powers, promising to accept the decision (and get it accepted by the other powers) of a proposed 'Commission of Liquidation,' and also to consent that
  1. Parl. Papers, 1880, Egypt, No. 1.
  2. Ib. p. 43; q. v. infra, Texts, No. IX.
  3. Ib. p. 138.
  4. Ib. 1884, Egypt, No. 14.
  5. Ib. 1880, Egypt, No. 1, pp. 136, 160 (Texts, No. XV).