'Italian proceedings on the African coast of the Red Sea' [‎137v] (30/32)

•“ portation will probably be weapons for the arming
“ of that dangerous and aggressive neighbour.”
Concurrently, on the 3rd September, General
Menabrea visited Lord Granville at Walmer Castle,
for the purpose of discussing the matter.
His Excellency brought with him an extract of a
telegram which he had received from his Govern
ment, and which he read. It was a comment on the
reply returned by Lord Granville on the 31st August
to the Italian' request that Her Majesty’s Govern
ment should dissuade the Egyptian authorities from
their intention of landing troops at Eaheita. It
stated that it appeared from Lord Granville’s lan
guage that the object of this request had not
been understood. The Italian Government did
not ask that of Her Majesty to make objections
to the sovereignty of Egypt over Eaheita, nor
to say or do anything to prejudge the general ques
tion of sovereignty over the west coast of the Eed
;Sea. What they had asked, and hoped to obtain,
was that Her Majesty’s Government should make
use of their incontestable influence with the Egyptian
Government to advise it to abstain from an act
which might have the most unfortunate conse
quences. They asked this as a friendly service, and
they believed that, in their own interest, Her
Majesty’s Government ought to be inclined to
render it. Eor Her Majesty’s Government, on the
one hand, must assuredly recognize that complica
tions in the Eed Sea might become dangerous, and
on the other hand, should be anxious to prevent
public opinion in Italy being excited and led astray.
After the support which Italy had faithfully given
for two years to Her Majesty’s Government in
every question which affected England, either
slightly or closely, the Italian Government consi
dered that they might on this occasion count upon
an act of reciprocity, and they would feel their dis
appointment all the more keenly if their expecta
tions were deceived, inasmuch as they would be
unable to explain to themselves the reasons for a
refusal.
General Menabrea then recapitulated the request
which had been made by his Government, and the
answer given him. He complained strongly of the
•conduct of the Egyptian Government, and said that
the inquiry into the recent massacre at Beilul had
been a farce. Although the criminals were well
known, although they were actually wearing the
dresses of the victims, the Egyptian Government
had produced none of them. A proof how idle the
procedure had been was given, he said, by the fact
that the Captain of the English vessel of war present,
who had no orders to take any part or to make any
observations, when he was asked by the Egyptian
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. to give a sort of certificate of the regularity
of the proceedings, had indignantly and con
temptuously refused.
General Menabrea said that the conduct of the
Egyptian Government as to this inquiry, and their
subsequent pretension to disturb the status quo in