§ SIR GEORGE JENKINSONasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether any information has reached Her Majesty's Government with reference to the reported telegram from Constantinople, in which it is stated—
That several Embassies have received advices from Alexandria that Mons. Lesseps has informed the Khedive that, being unable to work the Suez Canal under the conditions imposed by the Suez Canal Commission, he would dismiss the pilots, extinguish the lighthouses, and thus virtually close the Canal;and, whether Her Majesty's Government have considered this contingency in connection with the establishment of an alternative route to India, as recognized by the Report of the Select Committee on this subject last Session?
§ MR. DISRAELISir, there have been of late frequent communications respecting the affairs of the Suez Canal, and it is quite, as my hon. Friend has just mentioned, true that among several telegrams which have been received, there is one announcing that M. Lesseps had informed the Khedive that, being unable to work the Canal under the conditions imposed by the Commission, he would dismiss the pilots, extinguish the lights, and thus virtually close the Canal the Porte, however, has instructed the Khedive to insist on the complete fulfilment of those conditions; and knowing M. Lesseps myself, knowing also that he is a man of sense, I have for my own part very little fear that he will not yield to the circumstances of the case. We 715 have to-day heard from Paris that the French Government have made very strong representations to M. Lesseps, over whom they naturally exercise great influence, and have suggested to him that he should at once comply with the tariff fixed by the Commission, reserving his objections for future consideration, and, of course, that he should not resort to the violent proceedings which he had threatened to take. I look upon the telegram respecting the intentions of M. Lesseps as representing what may be regarded as a momentary irritation on his part, and therefore I would hope the determination it reports need not be viewed in the serious light in which my hon. Friend seems inclined to take it. With regard to the second part of the Question, as to whether Her Majesty's Government have considered this matter in connection with the establishment of an alternative route to India, I have only to say that if that subject comes before the House in a formal manner, I shall endeavour to give the views of Government upon it, but I do not think it would be either desirable or convenient to attempt to deal with it when put in the shape of a simple Question.