THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 93 



To Aali Pasha, Grand Vizier. 



11 CONSTANTINOPLE, February 24, 1858. 



" As it may be useful that you should know the im- 

 pression of foreigners, especially of Englishmen, as to 

 the Suez Canal, I think it well to communicate to you 

 the contents of a letter which I have received from an 

 Englishman in London. Many of the remarks made 

 in this letter, which I will ask you to return me, are 

 full of common sense, frankness, and verity. 



u lt is, in truth, quite time for Turkey, in the 

 interests of her own dignity, to come to a decision. 

 I quite understood, as I told you yesterday, that cir- 

 cumstances would not admit of your keeping the pro- 

 mise which you made of obtaining this decision by 

 March 3rd ; but allow me to remind you that it will 

 be difficult, if not impossible, for me, in view of the 

 instructions which I showed you, to wait beyond the 

 15th of that month. It scarcely seems to me that 

 the colds from which several of your colleagues are 

 suffering will be a sufficient reason for adjourning 

 this matter, which has been under consideration for 

 three years ; and it is one in which the Grand Vizier 

 alone is responsible for the decision, right or wrong, 

 which may be come to. I wrote yesterday to the Vice- 

 roy to inform him that your Highness distinctly denied 

 having allowed any foreign Power to fetter your 

 liberty of action, and that you had made no declara- 

 tion, either verbal or written, to any foreign diplomatist." 



