As regards the first point, there is certainly no cause for doubt.  Under the Anglo-French Agreement of 1904 the French Government specifically declared that “they will not obstruct the action of government in Egypt by asking that a limit of time be fixed for the British occupation, or in any other manner.”  Moreover, one of the last acts that I performed before I left Egypt in 1907 was to communicate to the British Chamber of Commerce at Alexandria a letter from Sir Edward Grey in which I was authorised to state that His Majesty’s Government “recognise that the maintenance and development of such reforms as have hitherto been effected in Egypt depend upon the British occupation.  This consideration will apply with equal strength to any changes effected in the regime of the Capitulations.  His Majesty’s Government, therefore, wish it to be understood that there is no reason for allowing the prospect of any modifications in that regime to be prejudiced by the existence of any doubt as to the continuance of the British occupation of the country.”  It is, of course, conceivable that in some remote future the British garrison may be withdrawn from Egypt.  If any fear is entertained on this ground it may easily be calmed by an arrangement with the Powers that in the event of the British Government wishing to withdraw their troops, they would previously enter into communications with the various Powers of Europe with a view to re-establishing whatever safeguards they might think necessary in the interests of their countrymen.

As regards the second point, that is to say, confidence in the manner in which the administration of the country is conducted, I need only say that, so far as I am able to judge, Lord Kitchener’s administration, although one of his measures—­the Five Feddan law—­has, not unnaturally, been subjected to a good deal of hostile criticism, has inspired the fullest confidence in the minds of the whole of the population of Egypt, whether European or native.  I cannot doubt that, when the time arrives for Lord Kitchener, in his turn, to retire, no brusque or radical change will be allowed to take place in the general principles under which he is now administering the country.

The rights and duties of any such Chamber as that which I propose, its composition, its mode of election or nomination, the degree of control to be exercised over it by the Egyptian or British Governments, are, of course, all points which require very careful consideration, and which admit of solution in a great variety of ways.  In my report for the year 1906 I put forward certain suggestions in connection with each of these subjects, but I do not doubt that, as the result of further consideration and discussion, my proposals admit of improvement.  I need not now dwell on these details, important though they be.  I wish, however, to allude to one point which involves a question of principle.  I trust that no endeavour will for the present be made to create one Chamber, composed