The British Occupation 113
Under-Secretary of War. The demand for an increase in
the army, which meant almost doubling the army
estimates, also brought the Colonels into conflict with
the foreign Controllers, who eventually granted two-
thirds of the amount asked for.
This collision between the Colonels and the foreign
control was aggravated by a conflict between the Con-
trollers and the Constitutionalists. The Chamber of
Notables had met (December 26, 1881) to vote the
new Constitution. The Constitutionalists claimed for the
Chamber the right of voting that half of the Budget that
was concerned with revenues not affected by the debt.
The Controllers claimed the right to control the whole
Budget without reference to the Chamber. This has,
indeed, been the crux in all States under foreign financial
control, and is the criterion between foreign administra-
tion and autonomy. It could have been compromised
for the time by giving the Chamber a consultative voice,
as the British suggested. The British officials were
sensibly working for such a settlement. And Colvin, in
a memorandum of this date (Modern Egypt, p. 221),
lays down principles for a ct partnership of three'' that
would have avoided all subsequent troubles. But, un-
fortunately, the French were at this time working for a
conflict, and not for a compromise.
Gambetta had come to power (November 15, 1881)
with a policy of pushing French imperialism in North
Africa and of extending the occupation of Tunis to
Egypt. Gladstone and his Liberals were bound to
acceptance of French policy by the agreements of the
Congress of Berlin, and were themselves averse from
active intervention in Egypt. So the French, who were
already preparing a mysterious military expedition at
Toulon, now drafted a Joint Note that was intended to
8