NEWS OF THE WEEK.
MR. BOURKE, the Baron de Worms, and others, raised a discussion on Tuesday which drew an important statement Trom Mr. Gladstone, the pith of which is this :—The Conference on Egyptian affairs will be strictly limited to finance. Communi- cations are, however, passing between England and Prance; and should they result in an agreement, it will be submitted for approval to the other Great Powers, though "not in Conference." This agreement will be placed before Parliament in good time ; and Mr. Gladstone " engaged " himself most definitely that the prerogatives of Parliament, among which we reckon the ratifi- cation of any agreement involving possible expenditure, should be fully respected. It is loudly asserted, and apparently believed, that the object of these negotiations is to create a Multiple Control of Egypt, which, in a political sense, is nonsense. A Multiple Control would be a Dual Control, already rejected by Mr. Gladstone as much as by the people. There may, however, be a multiple guardianship of the Bondholders in return for large concessions ; and from the severe fall in the markets we suspect this is the case. A renewal of the pledge to quit Egypt conditionally is also not improbable, and is, as we have argued elsewhere, most unwise ; but it is to be frankly submitted to Parliament and the country before ratification. What else can a Premier do who honestly thinks that Egypt would be a burden only to be undertaken on the direct fiat of the people after full deliberation ? We also want Egypt ; but we do not want to take it behind the electors' backs, or while they are ignorant of the weight of the burden to be borne. Let the "weary Titan" know it to a pound before he is asked to stoop his shoulders once more.
