268 THE MARITIME CANAL OF SUEZ. 



" 2. That, in time of war, a limitation of time as to ships of war of a belligerent 

 remaining in the Canal should be fixed, and no troops or munitions of war should 

 be disembarked in the Canal. 



" 3. That no hostilities should take place in the Canal, or its approaches, or 

 elsewhere in the territorial waters of Egypt, even in the event of Turkey being 

 ne of the belligerents. 



" 4. That neither of the two immediately foregoing conditions shall apply to 

 measures which may be necessary for the defence of Egypt. 



" 5. That any Power whose vessels of war happen to do any damage to the 

 Canal should be bound to bear the cost of its immediate repair. 



" 6. That Egypt should take all measures within its power to enforce the 

 conditions imposed on the transit of belligerent vessels through the Canal in time 

 of war. 



"7. That no fortifications should be erected on the Canal or in its vicinity. 



"8. That nothing in the agreement should be deemed to abridge or affect the 

 territorial rights of the Government of Egypt, further than is therein expressly 

 provided." 



This was followed by a voluminous correspondence from each, 

 and all of the Governments of the Great Powers, agreeing generally 

 to these proposals ; and France, so largely interested in the question, 

 suggested the assembling of a Conference for their consideration, 

 and the negotiation of a Treaty embodying its provisions. 



Other Maritime Powers, such as Turkey, Holland, Spain, 

 Portugal, Greece, and Sweden, appealed for permission to be repre- 

 sented at the proposed Conference, which was assented to ; and in 

 March, 1883, the Conference assembled at Paris, a strongly repre- 

 sentative Conference of all the Maritime Powers of Europe ; and at 

 this Conference, England was ably represented by Sir Rivers 

 Wilson, and Sir Julian Pauncefote. 



The Ambassador for France, M. Billot, presided at the 

 Conference, and, at its opening, two plans were submitted as a 

 basis for negotiation, one by England, and one by France ; and 

 for three months these, and other counter-proposals occupied the 

 attention of the Conference. 



Throughout this Conference, England found herself isolated, for 

 she was confronted with a disciplined coaUtion, consisting of 

 Germany, Austria, and Russia, whose representatives on every 

 occasion voted with persistent harmony, inspired, it is believed, by 

 the representative of France. 



It may be said, the representatives of England fought step by 

 step, and gallantly, but in vain ; but they were powerless, single- 

 handed, against so formidable a coaUtion, because, although Italy 



