Granville to Sir H. Elliot, April 15, 1873
Earl Granville to Sir H. Elliot.
No. 78.]
Sir: Her Majesty’s government have duly considered, in consultation with the law-officers of the Crown, the report of the commission on judicial reforms in Egypt, inclosed in your excellency’s dispatch No. 69, of the 4th of March.
They have had before them, also, memoranda communicated to them by the French ambassador on the 28th and 31st of March, of which I inclose copies for your information.
I have how to acquaint your excellency that Her Majesty’s government are for themselves prepared forthwith to accept the proposed arrangements, and to sanction the report of the international commission.
The only point raised in the French memoranda, to which I think it necessary specifically to allude, is that relating to consular jurisdiction in matters of bankruptcy.
Her Majesty’s government consider that the consular jurisdiction should not have jurisdiction upon the personal status as affected by bankruptcy in Egypt, and that such jurisdiction, until some serious inconvenience is found practically to exist, should be committed to the newly-erected tribunal.
There only remains the question as to the form in which the assent of the powers should be given to the new system of judicature to be established in Egypt; and as regards this point Her Majesty’s government consider that the sanction of the Sultan should be obtained; and that the best mode of preserving the rights of the Porte and of the Khedive would be that the Sultan should issue a firman to the Viceroy, recommending the adoption of the changes; and that this firman should be communicated to, and receive the consent of, the powers interested. By this means the consent of the Sultan, of the Khedive, and of the powers interested would be obtained to the very particulars of the changes introduced.
Your excellency will communicate to the Porte the conclusions at which Her Majesty’s government have arrived in regard to these matters, and Her Majesty’s representatives at foreign courts will be instructed to do so likewise to the governments to which they are respectfully accredited.
I am, &c.,