The Tories, on Thursday, offered, in the shape of questions,
a host of criticisms of a different kind. They all meant that the Government should have foreseen the contingencies of utter anarchy in Alexandria and the disappearance of the Egyptian Government, and should have instracted Sir Beauchamp Sey- mour how to meet them. Mr. Gladstone and Sir Charles Mike replied that it was impossible to foresee all contingencies, that Sir B. Seymour's instructions did not forbid his landing, and that he had now been instructed to restore order, on invitation from the Khedive or any other Egyptian authority. The Tories were not satisfied, and pressed questions until the Speaker in- tervened, deciding that notice must be given ; but the sub- stance of the discussion is contained in the above few lines. It is evident that the weak point of the Government position is the absence of troops on board when the Fleet opened fire, if only to enable the Admiral to garrison the forts, and evident also that the true reason for their absence was fear of exciting the jealousy of Europe about a British coup de main,. On the whole, we think the Government was, on this point, too cautious, as they might have foreseen the anarchy which always breaks out in a conquered but not occupied city. The wilful destruc- tion of Alexandria they could not possibly foresee.
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