15 NOVEMBER 1879, Page 3

We strongly advise all politicians to try and read at

once the book which Sir Samuel Baker has just published on Cyprus and the Anglo-Turkish Convention, Sir Samuel is a pronounced anti-Russian, and he went to Cyprus a year ago, to examine for himself the value of the strong "place of arms" which the "peace with honour" was supposed to have added to the British Crown. His conclusion is that "the English Govern- ment has been hoodwinked, in their hasty bargain," not so much in taking the island as in the terms of the cession. The revenue of Cyprus is 2170,000 a year. Out of this we have engaged to pay the Porte 296,000, leaving for ourselves a balance which barely suffices to pay the salaries of our civil establishment, and leaving no margin at all for public works or improvements.