The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-15 00:00:00

THE SUEZ. CANAL,

The Suez Canal banquet took place last week at
the Exhibition Palace in the Champs Elysees,
Prince Napoleon presiding. At the end of the room
there was a large panoramic painting of the isth.
mus. Covers were laid for 1,500. M. Millescamps
proposed a toast to the Emperor, the Empress, and.
the Prince Imperial, which was drunk with loud
acclamations. The Prince, in a speech which was
loudly applauded, gave an historical sketch of the
undertaking, pointed out its grandeur and utility,
and paid a just tribute of praise to all those whQ
had taken part in it.
The Prince explained what he conceived to be
the attitude assumed by Great Britain in the ques
tion. He did not confound the Government with
the nation; he esteemed the English people, be.
cause they had a love for great things ; he admired
them because they had noble aspirations, and they
loved liberty; bat the people had not a Govern.
ment worthy of them. Eighty years were a heavy
burden on the heads of noble lords as well as on
those of simple mortals. The canal had therefore
nothing to fear from the English nation. Would it
have anything to dread from a warlike veto from
the British Cabinet ? Such a question could not be
serious ; and how, in faci, could any one imagine
that Earl Russell and Lord Palmerston could make
war for a canal from which England would derive
the greatest advantage, when they refused to give
a soldier or expend a shilling for the most noble,
the greatest, and the most generous causes—for
Italy and for Poland P The company, strong in its
right, must therefore persevere. That right had
been, it was true, disputed, bat could it be really
attacked, either as regarded the lands conceded, the
fresh water canal, or the number of workmen which
the Egyptian Government had engaged to furnish.
He treated as they deserved the calumnies
directed against the company on the subject of
forced labour—a bad institution certainly, but
one which was made use of as an element inherent
in the country, but nevertheless rendered milder ill
proportions unknown in Egypt. Did that mean
that the company ought to reject all conciliation
Certainly not. He would, on the contrary, recom.
mend an amicable arrangement with the Viceroy,
taking as basis the principle of a sufficiently remu.
nerative indemnity. The work cost so much with
the fellahs, it would cost more with free labourers
and machines ; let Egypt pay the difference. As
to the lands conceded, the company held them on a
double title—first, by contract, and afterwards in
virtue of the Egyptian law, which accorded the pos,
session of the soil to him who was able to irrigate it.
Those lands, now barren, would hereafter become t%
source of wealth, thanks to the fresh water canal.
To cede them to the Viceroy according to a simple
estimate of their present value would be a pure loss
to the shareholders; but their future worth could
not at present be the object of any serious appre-
ciation. The plan of proceeding must therefore be
one of succceasive repurchase—that is to say, by
portions as they should have been improved by
.ad.,
vantageous irrigations. It was thus that all irate.
rests would be reconciled.
M. de Lesseps afterwards addressed the COM 4
pany present, and explained the results which bad
been obtained and those to be expected. He
thanked Prince Napoleon for the interest he bee
taken in the work, and the shareholders for their
indefatigable co-operation. Proeureur-Gen. Dupin
briefly demonstrated the importance of the junetioh
of the two seas, and, expressing his confidence an
the future success of the undertaking, named it thq
Canal of Good Hope.