"قبرص." [ظ‎‎١‎٨] (١٨٤/٣٦)

30
CYPRUS.
Details of the
occupation.
The policy of the Government with regard to the occupation of
Cyprus, was further explained by the Earl of Beaconsfield in the
House of Lords on Thursday, July 18th. After adverting to the
accession of temtory claimed by Russia in the Treaty of San
Stefano, the Premier said: “It seemed to us that the time had
come when we ought to consider whether certain efforts should
not be made to put an end to these perpetually occurring wars
between the Porte and Russia, ending, it may be, sometimes,
apparently in comparatively insignificant results, but always termi
nating with one fatal result—namely, shaking to the centre the
influence and the 'prestige of the Porte in Asia, and diminishing the
means of profitably and advantageously governing that country
. . . . the time had come when we ought to consider whether
we could not do something which would improve the general con
dition of the dominions of the Sultan in Asia, and instead of these
most favoured portions of the globe every year being in a more
forlorn and disadvantageous position, whether it would not be
possible to take some step which would secure at least tranquillity
and order; and, when tranquillity and order were secured, whether
some opportunity might not be given to Europe to develope the
resources of a country which nature has made so rich and teeming
. . . . Now this was the origin of that Convention at Con
stantinople which is on your Lordships’ table, and in that Conven
tion our object was not merely a military, or chiefly a military
object. Our object was to place this country certainly in a posi
tion in which its advice, and in which its conduct might, at least,
have the advantage of being connected with the military power, and
with that force which it is necessary to possess often when any
great transactions are upon the carpet .... Our object in
entering into that engagement with Turkey was, as I said before, to
produce tranquillity and order. We have, therefore, entered into
an alliance—a defensive alliance—with Turkey, to guard her
against any further attack from Russia In taking
Cyprus, the movement is not Mediterranean; it is English. We
have taken a step there which we think necessary for the main
tenance of our Empire, and for its preservation in peace. If that
be our first consideration, our next is the development of the
country I only hope that the House will not mis
understand—and I think the country will not misunderstand—our
motives in occupying Cyprus, and in encouraging those intimate
relations witli the Government and the population of Turkey.
They are not movements of war: they are operations of peace and
of civilisation.”
The events of the British occupation have since followed one
another in rapid succession; they may be briefly summed up as
under:—
July 11th —Mr. W. Baring, second secretary of H.M.’s Embassy
at the Porte, arrived at Cyprus bearing the Sultan’s firman, and
took official possession of the island on behalf of Great Britain.
At the same time, the cession was proclaimed by Samih Pasha, the
representative of the Sultan.