ABSTRACT
From 1834 on construction in Alexandria was regulated by the Commissione di Ornato. The development of the Ornato Commission suggests several things about the administration and economy of Alexandria. The agenda of the commission shifted to an emphasis on appraisals and inspections on behalf of the state. This was a natural result of the agency's absorption into the Egyptian government and its temporary loss of foreign patronage and participation. In 1880, the Egyptian government tried to abrogate the foreign exemption by reorganizing the Intendance Sanitaire. The Egyptian government tried other methods to bring the unruly foreigners to heel. In 1868, a Provisional and Preparatory Municipal Commission was formed to draft an organic law for a projected 'incorporation' of the city. Persons rich and powerful enough to offer patronage to newspaper publishers are also likely to have extensive networks of clientage, which lend to their opinions considerable weight within society.
