§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, in accordance with Article 12, the Statutes of the Suez Canal are drawn up in the Turkish, German, English, French, and Italian languages; and, whether, in accordance with Article 24, the Council is coin-posed of members "representing the principal nationalities interested in the enterprise;" and, if so, what is the proportion in which such nationalities are represented on the Council?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEThe hon. Member probably refers to Article 7, which lays down that the shares should be drawn up in the languages mentioned. This was done in the case of the original shares. It was not done in the case of the Loan of 1867, as there did not seem to be the same necessity for it. Article 24 was drafted under the impression that the various European nations would take part in the subscription, and that it would be right that they should be proportionately represented. The Council originally consisted of 32 members, of whom about six or seven were foreigners. England having refused to subscribe was not represented. At the time of the Franco-German War, the foreign members had dropped off, and the number of the Council was much reduced. There was a difficulty in filling up the vacancies, and it was decided that the 161 Council should be fixed at 21 members. The change was approved by tbe Khedive. When the Khedive's shares were purchased by Her Majesty's Government, M. de Lesseps at once proposed that the number of Directors should be increased to 24, giving Her Majesty's Government three places, and allowing the Directors to be nominees of the Government, instead of the Council. France and England are now the only nationalities represented.