54 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



tainly cannot undertake to use their influence with the 

 Sultan to induce him to give permission for the con- 

 struction of this canal, because for the last fifteen 

 years her Majesty's Government have used all the 

 influence they possess at Constantinople and in Egypt 

 to prevent that scheme from being carried into execu- 

 tion. (Hear.) It is an undertaking which, I believe, 

 as regards its commercial character, may be deemed to 

 rank among the many bubble schemes that from time 

 to time have been palmed off upon gullible capitalists. 

 (Hear and a laugh.) I believe that it is physically 

 impracticable, except at an expense which would be 

 far too great to warrant the expectation of any returns. 

 I believe, therefore, that those who embarked their 

 money in any such undertaking (if my hon. friend has 

 any constituents who are likely to do so) would find 

 themselves very grievously deceived by the result. 

 However, this is not the ground upon which the 

 Government have opposed the scheme. Private indi- 

 viduals are left to take care of their own interests, 

 and if they embark in impracticable undertakings they 

 must pay the penalty of so doing. But the scheme is 

 one hostile to the interests of this country opposed to 

 the standing policy of England in regard to the con- 

 nection of Egypt with Turkey a policy which has been 

 supported by the war and the Treaty of Paris. The 

 obvious political tendency of the undertaking is to 

 render more easy the separation of Egypt from Turkey. 

 It is founded also on remote speculations with regard 



