The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-19 00:00:00

THE .ISTHAIUS OF SUEZ.

(From a Correspondent of the Times.)
ALEXANDRIA, JUNE 2.
M. de Lesseps' proceedings since his arrival here
by last mail are somewhat shrouded in mystery,
and nothing more is known than that immediately
on his arrival at Alexandria he started off to see
the Viceroy, from -whom he has met with a most
flattering reception, and that he declares the works
in the Isthmus are to be pushed on more actively
than ever.
What this may amount to remains to be seen, as
also whether the Turkish Government is not
labouring under too heavy a pressure, in respect to
other matters of more vital importance, to exercise
its admitted rights in conformity with what is well
known to be the, view it takes of its interests in the
question. This much, however, the report of the
meeting of shareholders at Paris on the 15th ult.
has placed beyond all doubt—namely, that what-
ever further sums may be spent in the Isthmus of
Suez Desert, it is this unfortunate country which
will have to bear the heaviest part of the burden.
We are informed that a balance of account exists
against Said Pasha amounting to "15,248,000 f. M.
de Lesseps, moreover, tells us that this is
already credited with disbursements made by the
Viceroy to the extent of 2,395,000 E, the whole I
being passed against the call for the first two-tenths I
of the amount of shares which his Highness has
been induced to take on his own account. It fol-
lows, therefore, that nearly one-haif the capital of
the company will have to be furnished by the
Egyptian Treasury, the embarrassed state of which
you are already well acquainted with. In other
words, the sum which it is proposed to divert from
legitimate and much-needed purro3es of internal
improvements amounts to no less than £3,500,000
sterling.
It is needless to inquire the means of persuasion
that have been used with Said Pasha to induce him
to enter into these heavy liabilities ; but AI. de
Lesseps' report, taken as it is, is an explicit avowal
that already, as a financial undertaking, the scheme
has utterly failed ; that in France, according to his
own statements, he has been able to obtain sub-
scribers for little more than half the capital; that
in no other country, in spite of all efforts, has he
been able to induce capitalists to join; and that it is
only by having recourse to the Egyptian Viceroy
that the scheme has been preserved from spontane-
ously falling to pieces.
M. de Lesseps compliments his 'shareholders on
their intelligence in having been able to discern the
immense material advantage they are to derive
from their participation in the scheme ; and well he
may, for it is shown that no capitalists of any other
nation in the world possess that amount of in-
telligence, and that even in France it is by no
means universal.

Certain " grave difficulties" stated to have been
raised towards the beginning of last year by adver-
saries of the scheme claim a passing notice, but are
otherwise very lightly touched upon.
This can only have reference to the fact that the
sentiments of the Egyptian Government in regard
to the duties it owes towards the Porte were at that
time very different from what they would now
appear to be. Last year the Egyptian Government
protested against any attempt to execute the works
without the consent of the Porte, which it was de-
clared had from the beginning been established as
an indispensable condition to the execution of active
operations, and in a circular despatch addressed to
the European diplomatic agents in the month of
June, a translation of which appeared in the columns
of the Times, after repeating the above the Viceroy
expressed " his determination to oppose the opera-
tions that bad then been commenced on the terri-
tory of the Isthmus," and called upon the Consuls
" to require those of their subjects whom it might
concern forthwith to cease in their participation,
in order that the Egyptian Government might
not be placed in a situation which would compel
it to have recourse to measures that might be ren-
dered necessary for insuring the exercise of its
rights."

The process of reasoning by means of which so
complete a reversal is now made in the ideas of
the Sultan's rights in the matter must be left to
the appreciation of M. Lesseps' readers ; but, what-
ever distinction he may make between the expres -
sions "le pereement der Isthme" and "le creusement"
of what is called "le canal de l'union des deux inners,"
it happens unfortunately for his arguments that
the precise words made use of by Said Pasha in
the letter to M. Lesseps which accompanied the
firman of concession were that the works " relatifs
au pC7 cement d r I sthme" could only be executed
upon receiving the authority of the Sublime Porte.
M. Lesseps contrasts the course which he states
was pursued by the British Government agents
with the ingeniousness (les habitudes loyales) of
French diplomacy. His assurances of the exist-
ence of such habits of upright singlemindedness
will be doubly pleasant to dwell upon after having
seen how easily a line of argument may be adopted
to prove that what is meant is exactly the reverse
of what is said.

The Egyptain Viceroy, it appears, is now in-
volved under a positive engagement to sink a large
sum in the scheme ; but this is not all, for there is
the strongest reason to believe that when the ex-
penditure of money comes to an end, either through
the interposition of the Porte, or with any pretext
that may be adopted to save the bubble from burst-
ing, a strong, and perhaps successful, attempt will
be made to render the Egyptian Government re-
sponsible for what has been done, and to cast the
whole weight of losses upon this country,probably
also with claims for indemnity.
In making the foregoing remarks my chief aim
has been to endeavour to point out the perilous
nature, politically speaking, of the position in which
the Egyptian Government is placing itself, and the
fresh difficulties that are being added to an already
embarrassed state of finances.

These are matters which the British public can-
not afford to look upon with feelings of unconcern,
though without the slightest wish to interfere,
whether by word or deed, with the investments
into which either French or any other speculators
might wish to enter with their own private funds.
The office of Chaplain to the British Protestant
Church at Alexandria has been rendered vacant by
the death of the Rev. E. Winder. A meeting of
the British residents has accordingly been held for
the purpose of agreeing upon a petition to the
Foreign-office for the appointment of a successor.
The minimum amount of contributions from the
congregation towards payment of the clergyman's
stipend has been guaranteed at £250 per annum,
and as under the Act of Parliament the Govern-
ment furnishes an equal sum, the guaranteed
annual salary is £5OO a year, besides the proceeds
of pew-rents. _ _ _

In alluding to this subject, I cannot forbear men-
tioning the sorrow that has been caused by the loss
kustained through the death of Mr. Winder, more
especially so as in giving expression to the feelings
of deep respect which he had earned through his
unobtrusive piety and virtues I am merely echoing
the universal estimate held of his character by all
who knew him, whether it were within or without
the immediate circle of his flock. It is not least to
his high praise that after a ministry of nearly 20
years, he has left his congregations undivided by
party spirit or dissensions of any kind, a thing of
which there are, unfortunately, but few examples
among other communities situated similarly to that
of Alexandria.

Since writing the preceding I learn that M.
Lessaps has received from Said Pasha a concession
for 99 years of Lake Menzalah, against an annual
rent somewhat above that at which the fisheries in
the lake had hitherto been farmed by the Govern-
ment.