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 [Page 1349] 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.,
[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.
