THE PANAMA CANAL COMPANX

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2058, 8 February 1889, Page 3

THE PANAMA CANAL COMPANX

• The Home correspondent of an ex* oharge writes : — The most pslnful scenes are reported from Paris In oonneotlon with what is now considered the virtual oollapio of the Panama Osnal Oompany. A large, a lomantably large, proportion of the Investors io De Lessep's {gigantic enterprise are la-4c-s of limited Incomes. Tempted by tho high interest offered, many of them embarkol their Gnanolal all m the o<imp»ny which Is In euoh a perllonn state. These ladles simply besiege the • ffioes of tbe company, aud moro than nt;ce the appearance of the venerable engineer has been the signal for hooting an i groaning and threats of parsons! vlolenoe. De L*esseps was In London about a fortnight ago and locked broken down and unutterably miserable. There is some talk of tl c Boulanger party moving In the direction of Sta'e aid to the 111-starred enterprise, but It is very doubtful whether the Cham ber would agree to Government money being Invested. There o»n be no doubt whatever but that the old gentleman has been very much to blame. For two yesra past he must have known perfeotly well th-t the money subscribed would not be scffiolent to oomplite tbe canal, but be saems to have preferred to keep tbe kno # ledce of it to himself . Had he made a clean breast of It In 1885 It would bave been far better. Thtn be oould have got a few millions more wlthoct muoh difficulty, ! but m view of the present depressed state I of trade In France, and m view also of tbe strained political position, I qneatton very muoh whether the French bourgeoisie De Lesseps' main supporters, will not button up their pockets and prefer not to tiro t "good money after bad.