§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether it is the intention of the Government to give to the House an opportunity of discussing the arrangements for the future management of the Suez Canal previous to the general meeting of shareholders of the Canal Company; and, if not, whether any modification of such arrangements, when once approvedby the Canal Company, will not be rendered impracticable by the necessity thus forced upon Parliament of accepting or rejecting them as a whole?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERIt does not appear to the Government that there would be any advantage, but, on the contrary, rather an inconvenience in discussing in this House the future arrangements of the Suez Canal. Whatever might be done might be open to some objection, and it would be always open to Parliament to object to any arrangement that might be entered into. It would, however, be better to wait until those arrangements had been made.
§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFsaid, the right hon. Gentleman had not answered the latter part of his Question, whether any modification of the scheme would be practicable, or must the whole plan be accepted or rejected.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, it was difficult to say, but that it would probably be necessary to accept or reject the scheme as a whole.
§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFsaid, he would repeat the Question on going into Committee of Supply.