A kind of revolution has occurred at Cairo. The Ministry
had resolved to reduce the army, now nearly 40,000 strong, to 10,000 men, by summary disbandment, and to dismiss 2,000 officers, with or without their arrears of pay. The officers believed the latter, and on February 18th, 400 of their number attacked the Ministry, insulted and threatened the Armenian Premier, Nubar Pasha, and the English Finance :Minister, Mr. Rivers Wilson, and shut them up in their office at Cairo. The Khedive, who is declared, in a cipher telegram pub- lished in the Times, to have been at the bottom of the whole affair, soon arrived and addressed the mob, but it was at last necessary to order the guards to disperse the officers. The Khedive then declared that he would not answer for order unless Nubar Pasha resigned, which accordingly he did, the Khedive himself assuming thepresidency of the Council. Up to Friday afternoon, Mr. Rivers Wilson had not resigned; but there is little doubt that Ismail is tired of the experiment, does not intend to part with his army—preferring, doubtless, to part with his creditors—and intends to take power into his own hands again. He is not bound, it must be remembered, to retain the foreigners, but only bound, if he dismisses either Mr. Wilson or M. de Blignieres, to dismiss the other also. He must have made up his mind before he acted to run a great risk, and may possibly dis- miss both, suspend the service of the Debt, and be very comfort- able, the Great Powers being too jealous of each other to inter- fere with sufficient vigour. Cetewayo is felt in cities he never heard of.
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