Sir Stafford Northcote made his last Egyptian speech on Monday
on the motion to go into Committee on the Appro- priation Bill. He wished, he said, at a moment when England is taking a new departure in Egypt, to say a few words of warn- ing, which might now have more effect than they could have had earlier or would have later. He feared that the Anglo-French Agreement, though at an end, still represented the ideal of the Government ; and he objected to that Agreement, firstly, because the Commission of the Caisse would have established a multiple control ; secondly, because, by fixing a date for leaving Egypt, —a course he desired to see taken as soon as it could be safely taken,—it rendered the occupation of Egypt barren of result ; and lastly, because the proposal made under it to " neutralise " Egypt, when the English Army left, seemed to him impractic- able—partly on account of the barbarous African powers which will not understand neutralisation, and partly on account of the inability of Egypt herself to co-operate in that neutralisation. Finally, he objected to Lord Northbrook's being sent out to inquire and advise. There had been enough of inquiring and ad- vising, and more of it looked like a mere pretext for delay. Lord Northbrook should have power to act, and to act for the benefit of the people of Egypt, who had been lost sight of in the various difficulties of the situation.
