Yesterday week, in reply to the Duke of Somerset, who
put a question, accompanied, of course, by caustic remarks, as to the intentions of the Government in relation to Cyprus, and espe- cially, to the harbour of Famagosta, the Marquis of Salisbury explained that it was not the intention of the Government to undertake anything immediately towards the construction of such a harbour as they assure us is possible and desirable at Famagosta. They say that there is no immediate hurry for a great naval station; and that the first efforts of the Government must be devoted to the improvement of the sanitary arrange- ments, and especially the dredging-away of the fifteen feet of sewage which form, at present, the bottom of the roadstead. Even "drainage and planting cannot be undertaken effectually till the next financial year ;" and at all events, about the works to improve the harbour there is no hurry. "The time possibly may come when it will be necessary for England again to look actively after her interests in that part of the world, and to adopt the means which she has at her disposal for giving force and effect to her policy. But I hope that time is far distant, and therefore we do not wish to incur any financial extravagance, for the purpose of accomplishing works of this kind with unnecessary speed." That announce- ment has a sane and even prudent ring about it; but the real reason why the prize snatched in such a hurry is now to be im- proved so very leisurely, is that the ground-rent paid to the head landlord,—the Turkish Government,—out of the taxes of the Cypriotes, is so large. As in Egypt, we are unable to do justice to the population, by reason of our iniquitous contract with their oppressors.
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