ENGLISH MAIL NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 633, 8 February 1870, Page 4

ENGLISH MAIL NEWS.

SHADY SIDE OE THE SUEZ CANAL. The following estimate of the canal project, says the Times 6/ India, is worth atr tention as the opinion of one longfamiliar with the question :— " With overy admiration for the grand work so far accom.pljiahed, it is evident that very muoh reI mains to be done before the canal can be called an ocean canal. The depth of 'Stater is from 16ft to 19ft throughout ? :t|» Lake Timsah, but ouly in the centre, so that extreme care is needed in steering. i Steamers cannot pass each other, the. of the canalf-inf.aomß..j4aißes not allowing it, in others the depth. The qffect of the wash of passing steamers is i. \jery great, all tending to fill the central channel. In fact the work is not half done 3fet. The canal must be made at least double th^p^sent Widith and depth r before it Vill answer the expectations fornred of .it. It is certainly a marvellous monuiiient of energy and ..enterprise, but the present sharehol deis :- caiiiiot .: possibly derive any benefit from it ; as we- see, ..however, m so many other great enterprises, another and perhaps yet anothor company will be formed, to perfect this sjbheme. The capital abready spent must be considered as lost, but at length it s wiJl Bncoeed.and.wilJ pay. . Many millions ijnore, it is true, must be spent on the work before this result is attained ; but in the present state of the world it is nearly certain that, coute gui coute, it will be affected, Not the least thing to be cpnsiderM is^"that the* afiwur. propie of tlie French nation is engaged to carry it through. But while we accord to M. De Lesseps the admiration which his-wonderv f nl perseverence and energy deserves, we must not forget that without the help of the Egyptian Government and people it never could have been even thus far:., con-: eluded. The pressure upon the Egyptian people and has pften been ino^t unjust and tyrannical, such as nb civilised : people would ever have endured. The , Egyptian Viceroys Saidand Ismael, haver Contributed in cash not less than L 8,000,000, 000,000 sterling to the undertaking, and the loss of Egyptian life, and expenditure of Egyptian labor, on the canal, have been prodigious. Nor will it do to scrutinise too carefullj' the means by which French diplomacy has wrung a reluctant consent f rpm the Egyptian Government. It argues frery" little foip the of the Egyptian. Viceroys that they have supported a scheme which will be positively injurious to their own interests ; for the commereepf the canal will leave little or nothing to the country ; it is essentially a transit of commerce, of no benefit to the Egyptian revenue or people. Still, so far, itiseffectecf,' and though some years may elapse before we see laden steamers pass through directly fromrßombay tp LiverppoJ, yetaio dpuht we jsliall s|e thu>.'*|. The rl first>poiiit is now to 'raise fresh capital, to' close 'the panal for the present, and to push on the work with yet^greater energy^; It.reinains to be seen if the success already achieved is able to inspire the capitalists of Europe confidence and hope in its eventual and complete success."