Year: 1876




Marquis of Harrington the leader Of the opposition
Referring the suez Canal purchase and the Turkish
question, the Premier said:-% . II would not do
10 counsel tho Sultan reject the Austrian note and
then when he found himself opposed to all the Powers
OF Europe shrink away and say, gave you that ad
vice but not prepared to support you tCheers)
Would it have been prudent support the Sultan un-
der such circumstances in choosing the question Of tho
government OF small province like Herzegovina the
occasion Of signing the fate Of the Turkish EmpreS
lCheers) / think that that not which
could have been pursued with any advantage. Now.
there third proposed by eminent persons,
and doubt received the sanction OF men whose judg
upon such matters is be despsed and that
a proposal for England to propose q con-
ference in the matter Had proposed
conference upon the state of the insurrec
tionary provinces OF Turkey why the others Powers
would not have agreed TO the conference. In all
probability the other Powers who had their scheme
and maured it after great sacrifices and difficulty,
would not have accepted our proposal But'if we
had succeeded in having conference what could We
have done at the conferenceH We could only pro-
pose the very suggestions which made probably
in the Austrian note. There are matters which
be treated and yet the independence Of the Porto
be respected Then come to this, that under these
circumstances there no other course for England
to take but calmly and carefully to consider whether
it was not better and necessary absolutely support
the Austrian note and advise the Porte to accept
IT. But before we did that We considered our course
carefully. We did not act precpitatey. We did not
agree 10 the step without hesitation, prudent and
proper hesitation. We did not suddenly change our
mind and agree to the course Of policy which we
! have approved We received assurances from Russia
and from Austria which to satisfactory, be-
cause. l am not ashamed to say, | believe
they (Cheers.) Before agreed
TO support the Austrian note it had been
intimated to US, in the most unmistakable manner,
tlo nf tIa
might be opposed to receive such note that II such


note presented England should not stand aoof
(Cheersl hope, therefore, the noble lord viii not
feel that there any foundation for the fears he enter
tains that we have embarked rashly Intervention
to which there could be no limit SO far England s
concerned she as free and as independent 10 act in
this matter-if this attempt at a settlement of the
provinces should aias she was she will act
in the manner which becomes those--so far as her
present administration Is concerned-who wish to
maintain the Empire of England its independence and
its freedom in all those quarters which affected by
this great controversy. (Cheers.) come to the
question OF the Suez Canal which the noble lord has
referred The foundation OF the speech OF the noble
lord upon the Suez Canal question was OF a very
peculiar kind 1t affected the whole Of his argument
Virtually he SAID this, "DId you embark IN this
speculation the reasons alleged by Lord Derby 2"
and the noble lord quoted words attributed TO
alleged other reasons ('fiear, hearl' and laugh
But suppose the House Is not surprised that there
are more reasons than one Cheers s'Did you en-
bark in this speculation for the reasons alleged by
Lord Derby at Edinburgh, or did you do IL on account
Of the Eastern question:, Well, FIRST of all should





question, and should like to know what govern
has used the words Eastern question: with
regard TO the Suez Canal Why, sir the relations be-
tween the British government and the SueZ Canal
relations of yesterday Those who preceded us in
the government had some experience OF the Suez
Canal proprietary and ram6cations OF inter-
OF all kinds When acceded to Office, two years
ago. International Commission had only just
ceased its labors at Consantnope upon the dues of
the Suez Canal and upon the means of ascertainng
and maintaining limit Of them ana u had arrived at
What was the state Of affairs thereS Lord Derby
had to deal with them. The proprietary Of the
canal threatened, and not only threatened. but
proceeded to stop the canal They refused pilots; they
threatened to change the signals; they took steps
which would have terminated-fatally terminated
that mode OF intercourse with India Well what
did the English takeY We appealed to the Su-
zerain then more powerful such questions than ut
present. But it was with extreme difficulty, 1t was
only by exertng our influence at Constantinope and
also at Cairo by the influence not only of the Suze-
rain but OF the Khcdive himself that the mischief
prevented. And how was II preventedf Why,
70 say II positively but believe force Of 600 men
ordered to the OF action and IL was only at
the last moment that the proprietary OF the canal gave
up its hostile operations but under protestprotes


still continually renewed-calling upon the Porte,
Suzerain, to reimburse and compensate them for the
tariff forced upon them From that moment 1t became


matter of great interest to those responsible for the
government Of this country to see what could be done
TO remedy those relations with the Suez Canal Ii
matter of immense difficulty and il was
during that period that more than occa-
sion II. de Lesseps communicated with. There
no other possible means Of settling satisfactorily
with tho parties and what the peculiar influence
by which he managed to bring about toerable state
Of aaira very transitory influence, but still an in
huenceY Why, it was the influence Of the suzerain
and the Khedive-prncipally, of course, OF the
Khedive. We found him-as governments OF England
have generally found him-a faithful ally; one dis
posed iavoraby TO consider every fair claim OF this
country. It was the influence OF the Khedve who
was proprietor OF moiety, certainly Of twohths Of
the proprietary. But II suddenly to knowl-
edge that the Khedve on whose Influence We mainly
depended, is gong to part with his shares We re-
| a
Khedive was anxious to raise considerable sum OF
money upon his shares ana offered them TO England
We considered tho point and appeared TO us to be
complicated traDsaction-one TO which there wero
several objections and sent back to say that We
iavoraby disposed TO assist the Khedve but that


at the same time, we were only prepared to pur
chase the shares outright CHear, hearty What was
the answerf The answer was that the Khedve was
resolved if he possibly could keep his shares and
that he could only, therefore, avail himself Of loan.
There matters seemed 10 end. Then suddenly there
came news TO the government OF this country that
French society-the Socete Generale-was prepared
to offer to the Khedive large sum of money,
very little inferior to the ca O00 but on very oner
GUS conditions. The Khedive communicated with US,
and said the conditions we're SO severe that he would
sell the shares outright and-which had for
gotten TO mcnton-that, In Difference to his promise


that England should always have the refusal OF the
shares If he decided 10 sell them; he offered them 10
the English government l'Hear, hearlh 1t was abso
lutey necessary decdeHt that moment what course
we should take. II thing to be chastity decided.
We knew the 10th Of November that there was a
French society who was prepared-l say nothing about
the erms-tAn honorable member, Hear, hearl l'')-I
say nothing about the terms-cheersl-but they were
sevcrer than ours-prepared TO give nearly four
millions OF money for The shares Now | call the
attention Of the House to a remarkable diplomatic
scene The papers will, no doubt be laid on
the table Of tho House, but quote from the
French dispatches In the Yellow Book placed upon
the table OF tho French Assembly On the 10th Of No
vember 1t was believed in France that the French So
cety had succeeded and had got the Khedve's shares
and the French Mnister-not Ambassador, who
absent, but a gentleman we know and respect highly


NJ Gavard--was absolutely instructed 10 call upon
Lord Derby-I will not say to pump HIM (laughter)-
but TO feel whether England would tolerate the pur-
chase by the French company and Lord Derby spoke
with the greatest frankness the subject He said II
was very grave pontj that he did not think England
would with favor The whole Of the Khcdves shares
passing TO the French company; that whe
corded 70 NJ do Lesseps the glory Of this great work.
and did not want the shares ourselves, should be
very glad n the Khedvo retained his shares, and that
things had gone quietly, should have trusted
TO his just management. But said Lord Derby, II you