Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 6, 1875, Volume II

No. 661.
Mr. Beardsley to Mr. Fish.

Agency and Consulate-General of the United States in Egypt,
Cairo, July 15, 1875. (Received August 17.)

No. 336.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that by a decree of the Khedive, dated July 5, 1875, the Gregorian calendar will be adopted by the Egyptian government on and after the 11th of next September, in place of the Coptic calendar which has heretofore been employed in all affairs appertaining to the internal administration of the country. In its communications with foreigners, the government has heretofore employed the Gregorian calendar, while the people, in all their transactions of life, use the Mohammedan calendar., Much confusion in dates has necessarily existed, and great inconvenience; an almanac, showing the corresponding dates of the three calendars, being always necessary.

I inclose herewith a copy of a translation of the decree referred to.

I am, &c.,

R. BEARDSLEY.

[Inclosure in No. 325.—Translation.]

Decree of His Highness the Khedive, addressed to the minister of finances, on the 5th July 1875.

Considering that the ministerial relations with Europeans are, in nearly all cases regulated to correspond with the Gregorian calendar, and that the accounts and budget are generally regulated to correspond with the Coptic calendar, although there is no difference in the number of days composing the year, to prevent all confusion between the Gregorian dates and the others, we order that the government accounts be made to correspond with the Gregorian calendar after the 1st Thaut, 1592, corresponding to the 11th of September, 1875.

In regard to the balance of the present year, that is to say, from to-day until the day preceding the first Thaut of the year 1592, corresponding to the 10th day of September, 1875, the accounts will be kept in the same manner as they are kept now. The period from the 1st Thaut, 1592, until the 31st of December, 1875, which will complete the year 1875, will form a part of the year 1876; that is to say that the year 1876 will include that period. At the beginning of the year 1877, the equilibrium will be established, or in other words, the year will be counted in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

In consequence, I now address my present order to your excellency in order that it may be uniformly executed in all the administrations, as is our desire.

ISMAIL.