THE MARITIME CANAL OF SUEZ. 269 



supported England, yet the representative of Spain practically held 

 aloof, the representative of Holland said nothing, and the repre- 

 sentative of Turkey agreed to anything. 



The real point of difficulty lay in the proposal of Germany, 

 Austria, and Russia, supported by France, for the appointment of 

 an International Commission, similar to the International Danubian 

 Commission, for the control and navigation of the Canal, and over 

 this proposal a stubborn diplomatic battle was fought. 



This proposal was described as an " imperium in imperio'' for it 

 was to be an International Commission, composed of the repre- 

 sentatives, in Egypt, of the Great European Powers, with an 

 Egyptian delegate ; and the President of the Commission was to be 

 the representative of Turkey. 



The powers of this Commission were wide : to provide for the 

 service of the Canal; to exercise supervision over all the other 

 clauses in the Treaty, (eighteen in number) ; to submit to the 

 Powers for approval, of all measures which it deemed suitable; and, 

 generally, to control, and direct the operations of, the Suez Canal 

 Company. 



Both England and Italy submitted amendments to this obnoxious 

 Article IX. in the Treaty, the former proposing to leave to Egypt, 

 and to Turkey the Executive power of the Treaty, and the latter, 

 proposing that the representatives in Egypt of the Great Powers, 

 should be empowered to watch over the provisions of the Treaty. 



Thus, after three months' negotiation and deliberation, owing to 

 the repugnance of England, and Italy to Article IX., the Conference 

 was practically abortive, for, although the majority of the repre- 

 sentatives voted the French draft of the Treaty, yet, in face of the 

 resolute opposition of Great Britain, and the veiled Neutrality of 

 other Powers, it was looked upon as not worth the paper on which 

 it was written ; and, in fact, at the close of the Conference, Sir 

 Julian Pauncefote, the representative of England, declared as 

 much in these words : 



' ' We have not succeeded in completing the work on which we have spent so 

 much labour. No one will regret it more than Lord Granville, the author of the 

 well-known circular which has been the basis of our labours. But if the edifice 

 which we have constructed remains incomplete, it stands, at all events, on solid 

 foundations, and we have advanced considerably nearer to the object in view. " 



The friendly attitude towards England of Italy, throughout 



the proceedings of the Suez Canal Conference at Paris, was one 



u* 



