The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1882-09-15
Tho Neutrality of the sueg Canal.

cusSi N in the European !auerS. IE& /
transit through the canal is governed .
by the concession Of January, 1885, !
which was signed by Mohammed ,
Said. the khedive, and ratified at
Constantinople by the Grmau OF
Mrrch 10, 1856. Article 18th is as
follows
I'VE solamnly declare for our
selves and our successors, the great
maritime canal from SueH to Pclusi-
um and its dependent ports open for
ever oS newtraL oo0yS. to every COM
mercal vessel, passing through from
one sea to the other, without dis
tinction, preference or exclusion,
either OF persons or nationaitics,
subject to the payment Of the dues
and the execution OF the rules es-
tahlished 10y the Company for the
use Of the said Canal and its dcpeu-
denotes.
The concession to the Company
includes strip of land, POO metres
(G5G fecD wide on each side of the
Canal. which is claimed as neutral
ground, and which includes Port
Said and Ismaiiia, but not the old
port of Suez, as the canal passes
some distance to the east Of il 10 the
new artificial harbor called Port
Ibrahm.
The terms of the Concession, rs
has been seen, apply only to com
mercial vessels, not TO those Of war,
though the passage of the latter has
not been forbidden.
1t should be remembered that the
Canal is still included in Egyptian
territory, and that the right of
"eminent domain" has never been
ceded to the Company. The Canal
with its dependencies was leased to
the Company for SO years, at the
expiration of which time the Egypti-
an Government may enter into fu!!
possession on paying 10 the Com
pany the value of the plant and mat
erial.
In May, 1877, NJ. de Lcsseps pro-
posed to the Earl OF Derby q plan
for the ''neutralization" Of the Cana
by an International Convention, hut
the British Government declined to
recommend it. The nation which
has made the Canal its highway to
India, and which owns four-iifths OF
the tonnage passing through it,
would never consent to an arrange
ment watch might bar the passage
OF its own war vessels and troops il,
certain contingencies.
In l~70 during tho Franco-Ger.
man war. hostile vessels actually
met in the Canal, and exchanged
salutcs as IN time Of peace. In the
Abyssinian war England made cfiee-
tive use Of the Canal Ia 1877,
during the war between Russia and
Turkey, the British Government
gave Russia warning that any at
tempt to blockade or otherwise to
interfere with the Canal or its az.
prosrhcs would be regarded as q
cauta of war by Great Britain. Tho
lurtl and Khcdivc were also adj
,nonshed to abstain from impeding
tha navigation Of the Canal. The
l.-!tish Government soon afterwards
,isrd the Canal to transport part OF
the Indian army to Cyprus and
Malta.
Now NJ. de Lesseps admits that
thr British Government have the
right to use the Canal to transport
troops, hut denies the right to land
them Oh lis banks. As the port of
Suez does not belong to the Com
pany, il may be occupied without
any violation Of neutrality.
Ftom Suyz two routes to Cairo
would he open to the English, one
directly through a waterless desert,
aud Jae other along the railroad,
passing near Isinaiia. On the other
ei5e il may be said that the late
French Miuistcy themselves propos.
ed to s,u,j 5000 troops TO guard the
Canal, while the !>r,ti3h should pro-