Yesterday week Sir Charles Dilke, in moving for papers on
Cyprus, made a very telling speech on the inaccuracy of the information given by the Government as to the state of Cyprus, and the faults of the island administration itself. Indeed, he made out his case, and for that matter neither Colonel Stanley, who replied on the statements made concerning the health of the troops, nor Mr. Bourke, who replied on the civil administra- tion generally, could do much more than plead the difficulties of the position, and the many creditable set-offs against the blunders which had been made. It seems quite clear that, in Cyprus at least, the subordinates of the Government have not been uniformly trustworthy, and have done some very tyrannical things. But we are quite willing to believe that, as Mr. Bourke and Sir Stafford Northcote say, very good things have been done in Cyprus, as well as some bad things, and that how- ever bad the Turkish law may be, no effect will be willingly given to it by English authority, in relation, for instance, to its legalisation of slavery. But that is saying very little. If we were justified in taking Cyprus at all, of course we must have done something to clear away corruption in nine months. But the real question is,—why are we to be hampered at all by the vices of Turkish law, and the iniquities of Turkish adminis- tration ?
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