THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 61 



but one interest to serve, that of opening a commercial 

 route profitable to the whole world. 



" I, of course, understand that the Imperial Govern- 

 ment must choose its own time. I will await that time, 

 going on in the meanwhile with the preparations for 

 the project ; and if the matter is allowed to drag on 

 very long, all that will remain to be done will be to 

 formally recognise an accomplished fact." 



To His Highness the Viceroy. 



"July 19, 1857. 



" I beg to forward to your Highness the note which 

 I have just handed to the French Government, and 

 with it I enclose extracts from English newspapers 

 referring to the debate in the House of Commons on 

 the 7th inst. I am not called upon to say what I 

 think of Lord Palmerston's language, which is severely 

 condemned by several important organs of public 

 opinion, among others The Advertiser (Bristol) and The 

 Daily News (London). 



" The Advertiser says : 



" * THE ISTHMUS OF SUEZ CANAL. 



" ' Two great works have for some time been pro- 

 posed to be undertaken. They would both, if accom- 

 plished, take the shape of grand ship canals, the one 

 piercing the narrow strip of land that connects North 

 and South America, the other slitting up the Isthmus 

 of Suez, and thereby joining the waters of the Medi- 



