HC Deb 09 August 1883 vol 282 cc2109-11
SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been called to the statement in the papers to-day, to the effect that the Directors of the Suez Canal Company held their monthly meeting in Paris yesterday, and that the three English members of the Board present gave their unqualified approval to the letter of M. de Lesseps to Mr. Gladstone; whether the letter in question contains the statement that— M. de Lesseps claims the exclusive right of piercing through the Isthmus of Suez for 99 years; and, whether the English Directors of the Suez Canal Company, who gave that opinion, are authorized to do so by Her Majesty's Government?

MR. GLADSTONE

Sir, as to the proceedings of the Suez Canal Company, I have no information, at the present moment, other than that which is contained in the papers of this morning, and which may or may not be correct; but there is one part of the hon. Gentleman's Question upon which I can give him an answer at once. Her Majesty's Government gave no instructions whatever to the Directors bearing upon the matter to which he has referred—namely, the alleged exclusive claim or otherwise of M. de Lesseps to a monopoly of Canal communication through the Isthmus of Suez. We can, of course, obtain an official account of what occurred; but I repeat that no instructions to give any assent was issued to the English Directors. Of course, we shall, in due time, receive further information.

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF

gave Notice that he would repeat his Question on Monday.

BARON HENRY DE WORMS

asked, whether Her Majesty's Government had the Despatch of the 14th of September, 1872, under their consideration at the time the Chancellor of the Exchequer had his interview with the deputation of shipowners regarding M. de Lesseps's alleged monopoly.

MR. GLADSTONE

I am not cognizant of it. The hon. Gentleman had better give Notice of the Question.

MR. BOURKE

said, he understood the right hon. Gentleman to say the other day that in 1872 there was no question before the Government with respect to the Suez Canal. He (Mr. Bourke) would like to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether there was not at that very time a proposition before Her Majesty's Government for the sale of the Suez Canal to all the Powers?

MR. GLADSTONE

, in reply, said, he was not aware that, at that time, any question with regard to the sale of the Suez Canal to all the Powers was entertained by Her Majesty's Government.

MR. BOURKE

asked, whether a despatch in his hand was not written in January, 1872?

MR. GLADSTONE

You had probably better give Notice of the Question.

MR. BOURKE

said he would give Notice for Monday.

BARON HENRY DE WORMS

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, With reference to Colonel Stanton's Despatch of the 14th of September 1872, in which he states, with regard to M. do Lesseps' claim to the exclusive right of ship communication between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea— A pretension which the Khedive is, however, by no means prepared to admit, as he main-thins, and I imagine justly, that no such construction can be attached to the terms of M. de Lesseps' Concession, and that there can be no doubt as to his own right to make canals or carry out any other public work within Egyptian Territory; and, whether any reply was sent to that Despatch; and, if so, whether it will be laid upon the Table of the House, together with any other communication made by Her Majesty's Government as to the refusal of the Khedive to admit that the Concession which he had granted to M. de Lesseps involved the exclusive right of making a second canal on Egyptian Territory?

MR. GLADSTONE

Sir, no answer was made whatever to the letter to which the hon. Member refers. The Government have no measure before them relating to the Suez Canal, or the acquisition of any interest in it.

BARON HENRY DE WORMS

I would like to ask, whether it is a fact that the document in which the Khedive denied giving M. de Lesseps a monopoly to cut a Canal through the isthmus was laid before the Law Officers of the Crown before they gave their opinion upon the point?

MR. GLADSTONE

This is a Question as to the nature of the case that was laid before the Law Officers of the Crown. I cannot make any answer with regard to the particulars of that case. It was a case the Government considered fully placed the merits of the question before them.

BARON HENRY DE WORMS

I will ask the Question of the hon. and learned Gentleman the Attorney General tomorrow.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES)

You will receive the same answer from me that you have just received from the right hon. Gentleman.