§ MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM (Limerick, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the police rights of Egypt over the Suez Canal and its ports, he will give the assurance, after communicating with the Ottoman and Egyptian Governments, that, in the event of the Provisional Regulations of the Suez Canal Company authorising cargoes of bulk oil to pass through the 1044 Canal, these Governments will undertake not to issue any laws or bye-laws relating to the commerce of petroleum in Egypt?
MR. J. W. LOWTHERThe hon. Member asks me to give an assurance that the Ottoman and Egyptian Governments will not make any Regulations for controlling the sale of petroleum within the limits of Egyptian territory. The Egyptian Government, however, is free to enact its own domestic legislation in the matter, and Her Majesty's Government could not therefore either usefully or properly interfere.
§ MR. ABRAHAMI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, having regard to the 14th Article of the Concession of the Suez Maritime Canal Universal Company, dated 5th January, 1856, which guarantees neutral passages to any merchant vessel crossing from sea to sea without any distinction, exclusion, or preference whatever for persons or nationalities, he will inform the House under what words in this Article the Suez Canal Company have the right, without the sanction of the Sublime Porte and Egypt, to exclude any class of steamer and any class of cargo, as they now for the first time seek to do?
MR. J. W. LOWTHERHer Majesty's Government are not responsible for the decisions of the Suez. Canal Company; but as I understand their contention, it is to the effect that, being charged with the safety of the Canal and its adjuncts, the Company declines, on the ground of the danger which might arise in the event of an accident, to permit the passage of petroleum bulk ships except under very stringent Regulations. If those Regulations are complied with no distinction, exclusion, or preference for persons or nationalities will arise.
§ MR. CRILLY (Mayo, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that under the Provisional Regulations of the Suez Canal, that Company proposes to prohibit from passage on the 1045 Suez Canal British owned steamers complying with the Provisional Regulations, and built in the United Kingdom under a British classification; and whether he will take steps to prevent effect being given to the proposed illegal Provisional Regulations pending the action which has been raised in the Egyptian Courts against the Suez Canal Company for misuser of its Charter?
MR. J. W. LOWTHERSo long as the Regulations are complied with the Canal Company has no power to prohibit from passage through the Canal any British owned or other vessels. The legality or Regality of the Regulations is the subject of an action in the Egyptian Courts, and pending their decision Her Majesty's Government are not prepared to invite the Company to prejudge the question by preventing the Rules from coming into force.
§ MAJOR GENERAL GOLDSWORTHY (Hammersmith)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that in December last, before the Provisional Regulations were issued, a Petition was signed by shipowners representing over 5,000,000 tons of shipping, protesting against the passage of petroleum tank steamers through the Suez Canal?
MR. J. W. LOWTHERA Petition was presented to the Suez Canal Company in December last, a copy of which will appear in the Papers which I hope to lay upon the Table in the course of a day or two. I cannot say how many tons of shipping the signatories to the Petition represent, but a considerable number of firms signed it.
§ MAJOR GENERAL GOLDSWORTHYI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Suez Canal Company has the right to make regulations or bye-laws in excess of the powers given under its concession?