§ MR. KELLY (Camberwell, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Suez Canal Company has the right under its concession to make regulations excluding from passage through the Canal any class of cargo wihout the sanction of the Sublime Porte and of the Egyptian Government; and whether it has the right to make regulations excluding from the Canal vessels built under the recognised registers of classifications of the Maritime Powers, but not in compliance with the Rules which the Directors of that Company may lay down as to construction, without first having obtained such sanction?
MR. J. W. LOWTHERI must refer the hon. Member to replies which I gave to the hon. Member for Oldham and to the hon. Member himself last Friday. If the Suez Canal Company has exceeded its powers, I understand that the parties who consider their interests to be injured can take the usual steps for the vindication of their rights.
§ MR. KELLYI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether vessels passing through the Suez Canal under the Provisional Regulations for petroleum tank steamers will be compelled to pay tolls and charges not heretofore charged under the provisions of the Suez Canal Charter to vessels passing through the Canal; and whether such tolls and charges can be made without the sanction of the Sublime Porte and the Government of Egypt?
MR. LOWTHERThe navigation tolls and the tonnage, anchorage, and pilotage dues are not raised or altered by the new regulations. Convoyage by a specially fitted tender, which was formerly optional, is now to be made compulsory. This does not, in the opinion of Her Majesty's Government, constitute any infringement of the declarations of the International Tonnage Convention.