There has been no real discussion on Egypt in Parliament,
everybody being satisfied with the papers, on which we com- ment elsewhere; but there has been a curious debate on Uganda. Mr. Labouchere raised the question on Friday week, as he had promised; and Mr. Gladstone, in his answer, minimised the mission of Sir Gerald Portal as much as pos- sible. He was not to administer Uganda, or do anything else, except supply the Government at home with information, which they did not as yet possess. On Monday, however, the scene had changed. Mr. Chamberlain asked a question, and the Premier confessed that there was a document, a despatch from Lord Salisbury, which gave our Commissioner in East Africa, this very Sir G. Portal, full powers of control over Uganda, the details of which he read to the House. Mr. Gladstone had, he said, " overlooked " these powers, and was obliged to acknowledge that Sir Gerald had instructions to administer as well as to report. It is evident, in fact, that Mr. Gladstone had not attended to the matter, and that it was only after a conference with Lord Rosebery that he understood fully, and sanctioned, reluctantly or otherwise, the measures which the Foreign Secretary had decided to take. Till Home-rule is settled, in fact, strong Cabinet Ministers are, to an unusual degree, independent.
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