240 THE MARITIME CANAL OF SUEZ. 



The Viceroy, nevertheless, judged it prudent to insert in the Decree, 

 a provision, reserving to himself the right to secure the express 

 authorisation of the Porte, and on this being secured, the works were 

 to commence forthwith. The promoters of the enterprise were 

 charged by the Viceroy to go in. his name to Constantinople, to 

 settle with the Sultan and his Ministers. They found the Imperial 

 Government favourably disposed to give the mandate that they 

 asked for ; but Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, Ambassador for England 

 at Constantinople, and whose influence was powerful with the Council 

 of the Porte, secured a delay, alleging that he was obliged to wait 

 for the instructions from London. 



At this period, considerable opposition was shown by influential 

 circles in England, which was reflected by the adverse criticism of 

 the English Press, a,nd the resistance of the British Government to 

 the sanction of the Sultan. The Decree of the Sultan was conse- 

 quently postponed, and the Envoys of the Viceroy, after an audience 

 with the Sultan, returned to Cairo, bringing with them a letter of 

 the Grand Vizier, in which the Turkish Prime Minister expressed 

 his cordial sympathy for the success of the Maritime Canal, whose 

 utility, he declared, was recognised by the Ottoman Government. 



In consequence of the delay in the issuing of the necessary 

 authorisation by the Porte for the prosecution of the works of the 

 Company, it was resolved to send a Scientific International Com- 

 mission into Egypt, which should examine the plans and estimates, 

 and prepare a prods verbal, which was indispensable to the financial 

 organisation of the Company. 



This Report, dated 30th April, 1855, was submitted to 

 the Viceroy, who approved generally of the scheme and of the 

 ■ specifications j and on the sth January, 1856, he granted a second 

 Act of Concession, authorising that the capital of the Com- 

 pany should be fixed at 200,000,000 francs, distributed into 

 400,000 shares : he conceded to the Company the ownership 

 of the land bordering both sides of the Maritime Canal, 

 and of the Fresh-water Canal, which also had been deter- 

 mined upon; and he engaged to furnish for the execution 

 of the works, the ouvriers or fellahs necessary, who should be 

 requisitioned by compulsory labour {corvies), after the system 

 adopted in Egypt for all works of public utility. 



To induce the Viceroy to give a vigorous support to the new- 



