" The European employes of the Khedive take care, naturally, that their
position should be defined and secured. This gives them freedom of thought,
speech, and action, which has been in many cases most valuable to Egypt,
Mr. Acton, sent out from the English Board of Trade, is a most useful member
of this class. If men of such character and position were appointed to higher
offices in the CJivil Service, they would, as we believe, bring about most excel-
lent results. They would be checks upon the adventurers who have preyed
upon Egypt ; and they would take care that the adviser upon public works
should be in every case distinct from the person who benefits by their con-
struction. The actual terms of the contracts require the scrutiny of men of
integrity and capacity. It is admitted by contractors themselves that they
charge far more than the fair amount for their work because the conditions of
contracts axe so unnecessarily and absurdly onerous that they are compelled
to make extra charges to protect themselves against possible loss ; so that,
one way or another, Egypt is the loser. An official of high rank said to us
that the great want in Egypt is a body of high-class Europeans, not those
who compete with each other to make money, and put pressure upon tie
Khedive, but m.en like our Indian officials, who have done so much to raise
the tone of the native races.
