- 47 -The aspiration to self-government was not something that any Indian politician would dare to suggest for the country, let alone those from the extremist revolutionary party. Furthermore, my correspondence and friendship with Lord Dufferin were constant. I assure you that he held a clear opinion, not one that was ambiguous or erroneous, unlike the views attributed to him. What remains in my mind from his words and writings is that he did not see the majority of the unrest as stemming from the village, where it originated. He did not witness the extent of the success achieved in the pursuit of self-government, nor was he surprised by it. In other words, Lord Dufferin, due to his limited choice and his keen understanding of public affairs, did not trust the rapid advancement of self-governing councils in Egypt. His greatest hope was to establish in Egypt a "sort of barrier, however weak, between its people and the injustice of previous rulers," and to create councils that could, over time, "improve and refine" until their "purpose became measured." (1) How far this statement is from the rapid promotion of these councils to representative bodies with general suffrage.

Then he turned to the formation of the Legislative Council. It has been mentioned that 14 of its members, or less than half, were appointed by the government. Lord Dufferin said, "The advantages of appointing members are clear." I agree with his opinion, but I believe that this appointment was not given the due attention it deserved for years after the council's establishment, even if the appointed members in those years were selected with great care. The reason for the lack of attention to appointments in the past was the government's fear that the council would be filled with members who would undermine independence. This concern is noble and commendable, but I believe it should not be given more weight than it deserves. The Egyptian social fabric is now composed in a way that allows the government to promote men of good character, ability, and competence in their professions and trades, so that they can regularly attend council meetings, increasing its value and influence in permissible matters. It will not then be said that the government is stuffing it with men whose political views are known and fixed.

As for the members appointed to the council and the General Assembly, it is clear that under the current system, their representation of Egyptian public opinion is proportional to the public's interest in electing the chosen representatives. Lord Dufferin's original idea was to involve the fellahin and the village elders, because he believed that by not exposing their oppressors, he would be able to say, "Freedom should be granted to the people." It is right that the people of each village should be free to elect the person they trust with their votes in the election of council members.

(1) These phrases are taken from a book he published in my memory about a German lady, dated 19.