276 THE MARltlME CANAL Ol? SUEZ. 



fore, of the policy to which Her Majesty's Government are pledged by the De- 

 claration of London, it appears to me that it is right to examine again whether the 

 differences on questions of substance which made the negotiations of 1885 unfruitful 

 are such as to make an agreement definitively hopeless. 



"I enclose proposals for a Convention, following in their form and arrangement 

 the draft which was under discussion in 1885, and containing the stipulations on 

 which, in the judgment of Her Majesty's Government, the two Governments may 

 properly come to an agreement. On some of the points which two years ago 

 they were unable to concede they have offered alternative suggestions by which 

 the difficulty may be turned ; on others they have good grounds for hoping that 

 the Government of the Republic will be disposed not to insist. 



" It must be borne in mind, that the two Governments were requested by the 

 other Powers represented in the International Commission to enter upon special 

 negotiations, and, to come, if possible, to a preliminary understanding in order to 

 facilitate a European agreement. But no instrument to which they, set their 

 signatures can have any practical value until it has received the assent of the 

 Suzerain and of the other Powers concerned. 



"In laying this proposal before M. Flourens, it is my duty to renew the words 

 of a reservation made, without opposition on any side, by Sir Julian Pauncefote 

 at the close of the sittings of the Commission of 1885. It was to the following 

 effect : — 



"'Les Delegues de la Grande-Bretagne, en presentant ce texte de Traite 

 comme le regime definitif destine a garantir le libre usage du Canal de Suez, 

 pensent qu'il est de leur devoir de formuler une reserve generale quant a I'appli- 

 cation de ces dispositions en tant qu'elles ne seraient pas compatibles avec I'^tat 

 transitoire et exceptionnel oii se trouve actuellement I'Egypte, et qu'elles pour- 

 raient entraver la liberie d 'action de leur Gouvemement pendant la periode de 

 I'occupation de I'Egypte par les forces de Sa Majeste Britannique. ' 



" I have, in conclusion, to request that you will give to M. Flourens a copy of 

 this despatch, together with the draft Convention which it encloses. 



" I am, &c., 



"Salisbury." 



A change in the French Administration of Affairs, by the accession, 

 on May 31, 1887, of M. Rouvier to power, with M. Flourens as 

 Foreign Minister, gave good promise of a favourable issue of this 

 interminable discussion; and, M. Flourens, who throughout this 

 critical period of the final negotiations proved himself worthy of his 

 position, cordially welcomed the Despatch and the Draft Convention, 

 and expressed to Lord Lyons the gratification of himself and col- 

 leagues, at the probable termination of the Suez Canal negotiations 

 between England and France. An agreement having been thus arrived 

 at, between the two Governments chiefly interested in the Canal, on 

 the two main subjects of controversy, of its neutrality in time of war 

 and peace, and the nature of the supervision in Egypt of the pro- 



