Ambassador of England. It will not be in my power to act in the sense of the instructions of my Government, until the Sublime Porte shall have declared that it considers the submission of Mehemet Ali as complete. But I cannot demand of the Sultan any declaration whatever on that matter, for I should think that I trenched upon his rights. It is for his Majesty to decide.
Envoy of Prussia. I think, as I have already said, that the Sublime Porte ought not, in the present case, to act with too great severity, and I must always exhort it to act with moderation.
Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Porte has never wished to act with severity; facts have already proved it. It does not wish to do so even now. It wishes, on the contrary, to act in concert with its Allies; and although it is doubtless for the Sultan to decide on the submission of Mehemet Ali, nevertheless, as his Allies have declared their intentions in the Memorandum, I have thought it right to consult their Representatives to know whether Mehemet Ali’s proceeding is in conformity with the spirit of the Memorandum: but, since their opinions are at variance, they might refer to the decision of the Conference of London.
Internuncio. But there is no variance between us; we all think that Mehemet Ali’s submission, in order that it should be complete, must be followed by the execution of the conditions which are imposed upon him. I think, moreover, that to refer the question to the decision of the Conference of London would be to appeal from the Conference to the Conference, and lose time in useless adjournments.
Minister for Foreign Affairs. I think that Mehemet Ali must first execute the conditions imposed upon him; as for the hereditary succession, that is another question upon which I am not prepared to explain myself.
Internuncio once more declares, that when the time arrives, he will concur in the steps of the Ambassador of England on that point, and the Envoy of Prussia makes the same declaration.
Minister for Foreign Affairs. You are aware, gentlemen, that on his accession to the throne the Sultan had granted to Mehemet Ali the hereditary administration of Egypt; he rejected that favour. Still later, with the view of sparing the shedding of blood, the Treaty of July 15 granted it to him; Mehemet Ali equally rejected it. It was necessary to have recourse to measures of coercion, and the Sultan withdrew this favour from him. At present it appears to me that there can no longer be a question of a right in favour of Mehemet Ali, and the Sultan is free to take his decision on this point.
Representatives unanimously admitted that the Sultan possesses his entire freedom of action in this respect, and that Mehemet Ali could not appeal to any right.
Envoy of Prussia added, that any concession in favour of Mehemet Ali could only be considered as an effect of the Sultan’s generosity; for the independence of his Highness is the object of the Convention of July 15; but the more advantageous the Sultan’s position is at the present time, the more will it perhaps allow him to be generous.
Minister for Foreign Affairs. Since Mehemet Ali has rejected the Treaty of July 15, that Treaty no longer exists for him, and other conditions might be imposed on Mehemet Ali.