THE MARITIME CANAL OF SUEZ. 265 



of Suez. This Meeting, representing upwards of three million 

 tons of shipping, advocated the construction of a parallel, and 

 conterminous Canal, in preference to the widening of the existing 

 Canal, and the reduction of the tolls. 



Two alternative schemes were put forward,, one by Mr. Fowler, 

 which proposed to construct a waterway of 240 miles through 

 Egypt, and thus bring the Desert within reach of the means of 

 irrigation; and, the other, by Sir George Elliot, to start from 

 Alexandria, and running parallel to the present Canal to Suez, of 

 150 miles in length. 



At the annual meeting of the Suez Canal shareholders, held June 

 4th, M. Ferdinand de Lesseps declared, that improvements were 

 being carried out which would sufifice for a traffic of io millions of 

 tonnage, and, that to secure this, it would be necessary to consider 

 the construction of a second Maritime Canal ; and, on the following 

 day, the Chairman of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation 

 Coilipany declared, that these improvements were absolutely 

 necessary. 



On July 6th, M. de Lesseps, and his son arrived in London, 

 and the Government of Mr. Gladstone, for the first time, 

 attempted a solution, by entering, on the one hand, upon negotia- 

 tions with Ferdinand de Lesseps, as the President of the Suez Canal 

 Company, and, on the other hand, with the Chambers of Commerce 

 in England, and the latter were invited by the Government, to 

 formulate a definite plan, which would be considered ; but while the 

 representatives of the Chambers of Commerce were taking pre- 

 limininary steps to obtain the necessary information, the country 

 was startled by the unexpected announcement, that the Government, 

 from whom no immediate action was expected, had concluded a 

 provisional arrangement with M. de Lesseps, the terms of which 

 would be submitted to Parliament for confirmation. 



When the result of these negotiations were submitted to Parlia- 

 ment, it is not surprising, that they were received with astonishment 

 by Liberals, and Conservatives alike, and hardly a man could be 

 found, to recommend the adoption of the Ministerial propositions, 

 which amounted to this : that England had occupied Egypt, in order 

 to obtain the power of making a second Maritime Canal, under 

 French liianagement, and, for providing the _;^8,ooo,ooo necessary 

 for its construction, at 3^ per cent., which was a far lower rate of 



