Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-08-27
THE SUEZ CANAL.

Ii the attention OF our country was not 80 Sreaty
pre-occupied by the consideration of domestic
questions, relating to the war in which it is en-
gagged, there are in other lands many topics which,
as they emerge, would claim at the hands of all
that interested discussion which is now awarded
to them by few. Before the thoughts of our
people were engrossed by the great events passing
before their eyes at doors the public curiosity
had been directed to the gigantic work projected
by Nj. Lesseps for the connexion of the Mediter-
ranean with the Red Sea by the construction of
canal across the Isthmus Of Suez This enterprise,
it is known, has encountered some opposition in
England, founded, it is alleged by some, on no
better ground than the fact that the peroraton of
the isthmus will make Marseilles port nearer to
India than Southampton. 1t is also known that,
after exhausting his patience in appeals to the
British Government and public to take part in
the undertaking, M. Lesseps proceeded to form
French company with the active assistance of the
Viceroy Of Egypt, and under these auspices the
canal has been carried forward with energy and
skill. Recently, however, on the accession of the
new Vioeroy Ismail Pacha, that prince was in
duced to prohibit the further progress of the canal
except under conditions which it was supposed
would be inadmissible by the Powers interested.
The Boston Daily Advertiser, from whose CO.
lumns we compile these statements, relates the
subsequent progress of events under this head as
follows:
"The Sultan's conditions, stated by Aai Pacha, his
Minister of Foreign Affairs, in note dated April 9th,
three in number He required that the complete
neutrality of the canal should be guaranteed by inerna
tonal spuatons that the of forced labor in the
cution of the works must and lastly that the
papy abandon it's claim to certain large tracts OF
land presented to them by the late Vceroy These lands
adjoining the freshwater canal which built
feeder from the principal line into the Scrptura land of
Goshen.
These :" requirements Of the Sultan we're formally
brought under the consde ration of the English and French
Governments last spring. negotiations have since taken
place. and we are informed understanding
been establishes between all the parties On the point
which the British have (either sincerely for efect)
always attached most Importance, the employment OF
forced labor the that has been made scarcely
satisfactory. The complaint of the Sultan was that, 10
opposition to the rule of Turkish administration and the
Vceroys decree against forced labor the works OF the
canal being carried ON by forced labor alone. Aa
Pacha wrote:
THE Egyptian administration forces 0,0O0 per
month abandon their families and their caugs work
at this canal These the end Of their of labor
are left their families their cost and most
OF have very long distances say nothing of the
which they suffer the compulsory neglect of their
The number Of hands thus diverted from agcu
manuaclures and commerce is not limited to twenty
forty Thousand always the road preparing set
that sixty thousand permanently absraced
from their homes and business.
tThe arrangement will not absolutely put an end to
this wrong The telars st to be taken from their
homes but in mitigation of the injustice done them they
are be paid higher wages 1t s to be presumed that
consequence of the engagements which Isma Pacha in-
herited from former Viceroys, this ameioraton all
that he able to stpuate for his subjects.
'Tbe next point the neutrality of the canal has been
accepted by the French Government to the satisfaction Of
the Sultan The remaining question that relating to the
possession of the lands bordering the freshwater canal
offered the most difficulty, the Sultans Government having
publicly declared that it should ose its selrepect and
forfeit consideration Of it's neghbors If it permitted
foreign ontstock company to create colonies almost in
dependent aud subject to the jurisdiction of foreigners
to be established important points of the Empire aud
de Lesseps having been rash to his recent
report that the of this land necessary 10 the
company and that the Emperor's power would 1T
to them. This difficulty, however, is now surmouned
and company will abandon the lands in question,
ceivng their value in money from the Viceroy.
"Dplomac sentimental and ply sca arguments against
the canal real aud unreal have thus been forced to vie
and we may expect that the work will go rapidly forward
to completion until the modern world shall witness tho
newa Of direct commercial intercourse between the great
waters Of East and those of the Western hem phere