New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-04
FOREIGN MISCELLANY.
MANAGEMENT OF THE sUEZ CANAL.

tFRoM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF T1IR TRIBUNE |
PARIS, March 15.-M. Ferdinand de Lesseps
has just another victory, conquered an
fernal rebellion among Of his Shareholders which
threatened for moment TO expel him from his position
at the head OF the suez Canal Company at time when
tho prospects of the enterprise with which his
viii ever be associated looking brighter than they
have ever yet done The quarrel had arisen with regard
30 the question Of the evyng of tolls according to their
respective tunnago all ships passing through tho
canal Hitherto ships had been taxed according to their
tunnage as declared after the system OF measurement
prevalent in their respective countries g. their regis
tered not tunnagc) This system. though no better
could perhaps have been adopted at starting, was mani
fcstly unjust favored. without rhyme reason
some nations 20 the dctImCnt Of others NJ De LcsSeps
anxious that uniform system Of measurement
applicable TO the ships Of all nations alike
should be adopted. and after elaborate in
qury into the whole matter he proposed that
the British system OF measurement should
lie made Of by the Company for all vessels Of what
ever nation which might, in future, pass through tho
Canal. An opposition he's, however been formed to NJ
dc LesSops among the shareholders and against the right
Of the Council decide how the taria OF tun should
be levied. The members OF this party maintained that
was the assembly OF shareholders alone which had
right TO TO q decision In such matter. To settle
the matter once and FOR all NJ. de Lesseps called gen.
er meeting of shareholders for yesterday the 1?th of
MSreh
he,-here were nearly 200 shareholders presentt was
dct rmned by large majority, that the Directors In
council exercise tho right 10 decide what tariffs should
be levied. In consequence NJ dc Lcsseps proposition
that. from the LIST OF July, 1872 the British system OF
tnnnece measurement should be made use OF by the
Company for all vessels passing through the Canal
was adopted. The proposition which the minority
attempted in vain to carry yesterday was to the eject
that in future ships passing through the Canal should be
taxed not after any system OF tunnage measurement
hut according to the number Of cubic meters
- +hovoo cd do
proposition was il exactly TO avoid the expense
and difficulty Of actual measurement that the various
systems of tunnage measurement had been constructed
aud that il the proposal were adopted would nearly
double the expenses of evying the ton This question
settled NJ dc Lesseps proceeded to read his report on
the position of the Company.
The report OF NJ dc Lesseps the position and pros
poets Of tho great enterprise with which his name VIII
ever be associated, begins by stating that all material
difficulties have now been overcome, and that IL Is
henceforth only moral obstacles with which the Co
pany will have to contend. An everncreasipg nulnDer
of vessels" he said traverse definitely the Canal ana
those who ont Of France were the longest 10 doh the
possibility or the advantage of uniting the Mediterranean
and tho Indian Oceans have now become our best Gus
toners and our most determined defenders. 1t shady
necessary point out that have here aneatyturned
auson to the old and longendurng hostility OF John
Bull 10 the Canal and to the quiet way in which That
gentleman changed his note now that he hnds he Is
the principal gamer by the enterprise, whose feasiby
formerly apt TO smile derisively. Attacks having, how
ever, been made, not by foreign but by French
shareholders, IL was thought nght, says
the report, to convoke an extraordinary
meeting of the shareholders in order to set all questions
nt rest and let all concerned know exactly now the
matter really stood Before stating the main points OF
interest such the state of the Canal ITSELF the increase
OF traffic and the financial position Of the Company,
few words are said about negotiations of minor
Importance with the Khedive of Egypt These are OF no
interest 10 the general reader and pass them by only
remarking that q letter Is printed from NJ Emile OH
yer written his capacity Of legal representative OF the
Ecyan Government in the matter Of the suez Canal I'M
der date Of lh October 1871. 50 Olivier did still re-
tain his appointment representative OF foreign gov
eminent while Minister OF France He received 5000
wear by this pace-half the pay Of one Of NJ The1vs
Ministers While speaking Of the general situation OF the
Company NJ de Lesseps makes the following remarks
with regard TO the rumored sale OF the Canal
few words with regard to the pretended sale OF the
Csna IN e 4 ri ns peope have persisted in
atirbuting without the least reason 10 your BOARD OF
We have only said that diaerent Governments had
deavOred agree among themselves as 10 making lis an
sod S submit it to Inc shareholders who the exclu
siye owners Of the Canal"
The about the present condition Of the Canal
being Of great importance translate at length from the
report as follows
"The Of the Canal forile4 kilomeers 200 miles,
from the extreme end Of the piers at Port sad to tn
depth Of meters 80 centmeters 27 feet nehesl Ae,
10 se ne is iSSuTao Quar-
noers estimate that the maintenance OF the
rocco cubic meters win have be dredged annually
II this snppcson that the budget for 1872 has been
provide for the facing with stone of certain sand banks
OF Canal The extent of the banks which have thus
10 be strengthened is not adding together the African
and Asiatic Sides than 200 meters Along all the
remaining parts Of the Canal the slopes are from the
tnre OF the soil. in danger Of destruction. We
carry out every year. certain ien oyar Vi seyerai
rs Sudge % Of Of @ for this n@ woT Rsen this c
Jrses the walling of 400 meters of bank in the
Port Said section that of the east bank OF the Isnai
basin and, finally, sundry repairs the dykes and
brekwaters at suez. According TO the experience OF
Is7l-72 the maintenance OF beacons the whole
line OF the Canal will render necessary the renewal Of
no OF these instruments, which annually OUT
we set apart 1900 francs for this The maintenance OF
the DOOriu gstakes, which also serve as me-p0Sts VIII
cost 1900 francs year.
Fhe report in referring to the enlargement of the
bends OF the curves Of the Canal remarks that it
4 years suee that work first planned, and it
never then thought that ships 100 meters long would
ultimately make Of the Canal The length OF the
great ships which continually traverse the Canal has
now made necessary the enlargement OF certain curves
OF these been widened from % to a. meters.
works the Canal proper having been finished, the
station or hatng-place OF the Tmsah Lake has now
been completed II finished on the Goth of october
last. This gives the Company internal port for ships
TO halt in &e-of 20 heeares-about 90 acres
perhces aud eight metres 26 feet incbes) in depth.
In order TO show the facility with which vessels
pass through the Canal may be mentioned the mail
steamer Messageres FRANCHISES, the Peiho Of 9l
tuns which passed from one sea 10 another in 10 hours
a. minutes Of actual steaming and the Persia Ial
ian packet which through in IL hours IS minutes.
This would be at the rate of about eight miles an
hour.
Has the Canal really a minimum deptb|of 8 meters
GO IT, in throughout its whole length The Brazilian