1875]

'YOU HAVE IT, MADAM'

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mirably; advanced the money at a low rate, and the entire interest of the Khedive is now yours, Madam.

Yesterday the Cabinet sate four hours and more on this, and Mr. Disraeli has not had one moment's rest to-day; therefore this despatch must be pardoned, as his head is rather weak. He will tell the whole wondrous tale to-morrow.

He was in Cabinet to-day, when your Majesty's second telegram arrived, which must be his excuse for his brief and stupid answer: but it was 'the crisis.'

The Government and Rothschilds agreed to keep it secret, but there is little doubt it will be known to-morrow from Cairo.

From Queen Victoria.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Nov. 25, "75.- This is indeed a great and important event, which, when known, will, the Queen feels sure, be most popular in the country. The great sum is the only disadvantage.

The Queen will be curious to hear all about it from Mr. Disraeli, when she sees him to-day.

To Lady Bradford.

2, WHITEHALL GARDENS, Nov. 25, 1875.- As you complain sometimes, tho' I think unjustly, that I tell you nothing, I will now tell you a great State secret, tho' it may not be one in 4 and 20 hours (still you will like to know it 4 and 20 hours sooner than the newspapers can tell it you) -a State secret, certainly the most important of this year, and not one of the least events of our generation.

After a fortnight of the most unceasing labor and anxiety, I (for between ourselves, and ourselves only, I may be egotistical in this matter) I have purchased for England the Khedive of Egypt's interest in the Suez Canal.

We have had all the gamblers, capitalists, financiers of the world organised and platooned in bands of plunderers, arrayed against us, and secret emissaries in every corner, and have baffled them all, and have never been suspected. The day before yesterday, Lesseps, whose company has the remaining shares, backed by the French Government, whose agent he was, made a great offer. Had it succeeded, the whole of the Suez Canal wd. have belonged to France, and they might have shut it up!

We have given the Khedive 4 millions sterling for his interest, and run the chance of Parliament supporting us. We cd. not call them together for the matter, for that wd. have blown everything to the skies, or to Hades.

The Faery is in ecstasies about this great and important event.'

...

I have rarely been thro' a week like the last, and am to-day in a state of prostration coma. ...

WINDSOR CASTLE, Nov. 26, 1875.- A most hurried line to tell you that nothing cd. be more successful - I might say triumphant

than my visit. The Faery was most excited about Suez, said 'what she liked most was, it was a blow at Bismarck,' referring, 1 apprehend, to his insolent declarations that England had ceased to be a political power. This remark she frequently made, showing it was the leading idea of her mind.

I got here at 4 to 6, and was summoned to the presence exactly at 6. . . . When I cd. get to general business, tho' I had an awful catalogue of demands and suggestions, they were comparatively soon exhausted: no difficulties made, everything granted, nothing but smiles and infinite agaceries. . .

There were only courtiers at dinner. After din., altho' I had been in audience till 1/2 pt. 7, the Faery came up to me again, and was not only most gracious, but most interesting and amusing: all about domestic affairs. She shewed me, by the bye, at dinner, a couple of tels. she had received that morning from P. of W., and she wished me to write to him about Suez and all that. I wish it,' she sd., 'because he likes you.'

Lady Biddulph said after dinner she shd. resign if the Primo dined often there, as she cd. not stand while the Faery was talk. ing to me.

...

The Times has only got half the news, and very inaccurate, but it is evidently staggered. I believe the whole country will be with The Faery thinks so.

me.

Nov. 30.—. . . The Faery was in the 10th heaven, having received a letter of felicitations from the King of the Belges on 'the greatest event of modern politics.' 'Europe breathes again,' etc.

etc.

It seems that P. Gortchakoff had arranged to call at Berlin on his way home and just catch P. Bismarck after his five months' retirement, and then confer together, and settle, or seem to settle, the Eastern question. It must have been during this meeting, or the day before it took place, that the great news arrived, wh., as it is supposed they were going to settle everything without consulting England, was amusing! Bismarck called on Odo Russell, but the latter unhappily was not at home. Odo called at the For. Office and saw Bülow, who handed him a tel. from Münster, saving the purchase of the Suez Canal has been received by the

1875-1876] AN UNPARALLELED SUCCESS'

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whole English nation with enthusiasm'; but not a word cd. be got out of Bülow himself. . . .

...

2, WHITEHALL GARDENS, Nov. 27, 1875.—. . . He thanks your Majesty for the gracious note of last night.

He is assured, that there was only one opinion in the City yesterday, and the accounts, from all the great centres of your Majesty's kingdom, this morning, re-echo the same feeling.

He believes it may, now, be looked on as a great, perhaps unparalleled success.

But your Majesty predicted this when no one had given an opinion, and when many great judges looked demure.

Sir Philip Rose to Montagu Corry.

1, CROMWELL ROAD, S.W., Dec. 1, 1875.—. Is it not curious that the arrangement which I was urging upon Mr. D. 18 months ago, to secure the Suez Canal for the English Govt., should have been brought about, tho' in a much better way, as my plan contemplated an arrangement with Lesseps and his company, whereas they have now got a title from the Sovereign, and have helped that Sovereign at the same time?

Disraeli did not exaggerate when he said that the Ministerial stroke had been an unparalleled success. Public opinion declared itself strongly on his side; and even among leading Liberals there were many who followed Hartington and Goschen in open or tacit approval rather than Gladstone in indignant opposition. Though there was naturally a little soreness in France, Lesseps, having failed in his passionate attempts to prevent the transaction, had the cleverness and good sense promptly to welcome in a letter to his shareholders the acceptance by English of that share in the company which she might have had at the first, and to point out that the co-operation of the British Government was a fortunate occurrence for the commercial success of the Canal. From almost every European country except Russia there came congratulations. Derby, after his fashion, gave at Edinburgh in December a minimising account of what he had done; we had merely acted, he said, in