LORD STRATFORD'S OPPOSITION.

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the matter to a conclusion, so as to be beforehand with the Sultan, and anticipate the demands of the English Ambassador. The Austrian Internuncio, to whom I confided how things stood, told me that his personal and official support was at my service. His successor, whom he expected every day, would, of course, bring special instructions; but, in the meanwhile, he did not hesitate to pledge himself, and would do all in his power to counterbalance Lord Stratford's influence.

Whilst M. Scheffer was gone, at M. Benedetti's instigation, to induce Reschid Pacha to obtain me an audience with the Sultan, I wrote to the Grand Vizier, and received an immediate reply.

XXI.

TO HIS HIGHNESS RESCHID PACHA, GRand Vizier. CONSTANTINOPLE, February 19, 1855. MAY I request your Highness to submit the subjoined note to his Imperial Majesty's Council?

I have to thank your Highness, on M. Benedetti's behalf and my own, for the Imperial audience of which M. Scheffer will give you an account.

The kindness shown me by his Imperial Highness gives me great hopes of the success of the negotiation with which I am entrusted by Mohammed Said Pacha, who has full confidence in your Highness's support. Your noble co-operation with him in bringing about the realisation of one of the grandest schemes of ancient and modern times will add yet another signal service to those you have already rendered to the cause of the pacification of the East.

NOTE FOR THE Council of HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE SULTAN.

CONSTANTINOPLE, February 19, 1855. IT would be superfluous for me to point out to the distinguished members of the Imperial Council the immense advantages of constructing the Suez Canal. The

only obstacle consists in the personal hostility of a foreign Representative, which, should it be successful, will inflict a moral blow on your exalted authority.

I am confident that this obstacle will not prevail over the wishes I am charged respectfully to express of a noble prince who, as in duty bound, defers to his sovereign. as a faithful and loyal vassal.

XXII.

TO HIS HIGHNESS RESCHID PACHA.

CONSTANTINOPLE, February 24, 1855.

AFTER spending a fortnight in Constantinople, where I received a most friendly hearing from his Imperial Majesty the Sultan, I yesterday decided to return to Egypt, with the answer your Highness promised me for Mohammed Said Pacha. But before embarking I heard that this answer would not be such as the Viceroy is entitled to expect. I therefore postponed my departure, so that I might, to the best of my ability, avoid those untoward results of which I took care to warn your Highness at our personal interview.

I am informed that it is thought necessary to demand and wait for explanations relative to the scheme of his Highness Mohammed Said Pacha. This fresh objection, which might have been made to me the very day of my arrival, seems to me easy enough to answer.

Permit me to state the facts, and to beg you again to call the attention of his Imperial Majesty's Council to the object of my mission.

His Highness Mohammed Said Pacha wrote to your Highness in December to acquaint you with the scheme of cutting a canal through the Isthmus of Suez. Before making formal reference to the Sublime Porte he had already made known his views to all the Representatives of foreign Powers in Egypt, in order that they might apprise their respective Governments, and learn their wishes on the subject.

The Viceroy at once ordered a scientific survey of the

DIFFICULTIES WITH THE OTTOMAN GOVERNMENT. 85

isthmus to be made by two engineers in his service. When convinced that there was no physical difficulty in the way of the success of the scheme, and having from November 30th to February 1st received nothing but congratulations from foreign Governments, without one discouraging suggestion, he finally addressed himself to the advisers of his sovereign, submitting to them the original plan and all documents necessary to its due appreciation, charging me with the mission of recommending it to your Highness. I was, therefore, in a position to give every information and answer all inquiries at Constantinople.

If you have not already done so, I beg you to inform his Imperial Majesty's Council how matters stand, and to call attention to the fact that my presence in Constantinople removes all ground for the unexpected suggestion that we should wait for explanations from Egypt.

I venture to hope your Highness will shortly have the goodness to send me a decisive answer for his Highness Mohammed Said Pacha.

XXIII.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY BARON KOLLER, INTERNUNCIO FOR AUSTRIA AT CONSTANTINOPLE.

CONSTANTINOPLE, February 24, 1855.

I HAVE the honour of forwarding the documents mentioned to you yesterday, for your Highness's private perusal. I also enclose a copy of the letter sent to Reschid Pacha this morning, which M. Benedetti took charge of.

The matter is again submitted to the Sultan's Council, and before any decision is come to, may I beg to be allowed to count on your valuable co-operation and support for carrying through this international scheme, in which, as you are aware, the Government of his Majesty the Emperor of Austria has long taken the greatest interest?

ANSWER OF BARON KOLLER TO M. Ferd. de Lesseps. CONSTANTINOPLE, February 26, 1855.

I RETURN the documents you were good enough to enclose in your favour of the 24th, with many thanks for both. In an interview with Aali Pacha on Saturday, I took the opportunity of warmly recommending his Highness to bring about a prompt and favourable decision with reference to the proposed Suez Canal. Your zeal in the matter deserves the gratitude of all Europe. The interest taken in the scheme by my Government is in proportion with its immense importance.

With hearty wishes for your success,

I beg to remain, &c.

XXIV.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY LORD STRATFORD DE REDCLIFfe, ENGLISH AMBASSADOR AT CONSTANTINOPLE.

(Letter sent the morning after a banquet at the English Embassy to which M. de Lesseps had been invited.)

CONSTANTINOPLE, February 26, 1855.

I HASTEN to forward you the papers, which will at once enable you to understand my mission at Constantinople. I venture to hope that I shall no longer incur the powerful opposition of the representative of her Britannic Majesty.

Your Excellency was kind enough to say that you only wanted information, that you had not come to an irrevocable decision, or given any but a personal opinion.

The question has been in due course submitted to the Sublime Porte, without any pressure from outside. As agent of Mohammed Said Pacha it is not open to me to quit the scene, as your Excellency suggested. The Viceroy of Egypt had the right to put me here, and to keep me here.

Just as he did not desire a French or Austrian character to be given to the enterprise, neither does he wish to give

FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH LORD STRATFORD.

87

it an exclusively English colour by having the question discussed in London, and made to depend on the decision of one Government. He intends the initiative in the Suez Canal scheme to be taken solely by the Egyptian and Ottoman authorities.

Your Excellency is a true patriot, and understands too well the value of a close alliance between our two countries (an alliance which I thoroughly appreciate) to promote in any way a difference of opinion between them. To wound the amour propre of two Governments on such a question, by any unfriendly steps that might be taken, would be deplorable.

England very rightly declares that she only drew the sword against Russia in the interests of civilisation, to insure free right of navigation, the independence of Europe, and the integrity of Turkey. Your Excellency, then, would hardly desire it to be said that England alone of all nations is hindering a work that is essentially favourable to the principles aimed at in the Austro- FrancoEnglish treaty for the pacification of the East.

I congratulate myself, my Lord, on the interview I had the honour of having with you. It removed from my mind impressions that I do not hesitate to confess. I beg to ask your permission to renew our conversation, and will therefore come to-morrow, about one o'clock, to the English palace.

P.S.-The Viceroy, by a letter dated Alexandria, February 17th, acquaints me with the fact that up to that date Mr. Bruce had made no representation to him on the part of the English Government.

ANSWER FROM LORD STRATFORD TO M. de Lesseps.

(Private.)

HOTEL DE ANGLETERRE, February 27, 1855.

I WRITE early, not only to acknowledge the receipt of the documents enclosed with your note, but also to ask you to put off the visit you are kind enough to promise me till another day. Engagements which I cannot postpone prevent my accepting your kind proposal to-day.