Office of the Historian

No. 337.
Aristarchi Bey to Mr. Fish.

[Translation.]
Imperial Ottoman Legation,
Washington, February 19, 1877. (Received February 20.)

Mr. Secretary of State: Referring to the note which I had the honor to address to you on the 19th of March, 1874, and to your kind reply of the 28th of July following, in relation to the conclusions reached by the international tonnage commission which met at Constantinople in 1873, I take the liberty to inform you that the Government of Her Britannic Majesty has addressed the Sublime. Porte for the purpose of asking its adhesion to a provisional convention concluded February 21, 1876, between Mr. Ferdinand de Lesseps, president and representative of the Suez Canal Company, and Colonel Stokes, The object of this convention is to introduce Certain modifications in the decision formed on the presentation of the report of the international tonnage commission, dated December 18, 1873.

I have the honor herewith to transmit you a copy of the aforesaid convention, and I hasten to declare to you, in the name of my government, that we can attach no importance to the withdrawal which Mr. de Lesseps proposes in this instrument to make of his protests against the Sublime Porte, which have never been taken into consideration, as being destitute of any legal value.

This declaration being made, the imperial government recognizes, in fact, that the system proposed by Messrs. de Lesseps and Stokes, of first lowering and afterward discontinuing the additional (discriminating?) toll permitted to be levied in 1873, at the periods fixed by them, offers advantages to the vessels of all countries, inasmuch as it will be known beforehand at what precise time the reductions will take place, and at what time the additional (discriminating?) toll will be entirely discontinued.

This system recommends itself still further if, as the company declares, it will enable it to construct works which are acknowledged to be necessary for the improvement of the navigation of the canal.

Thus, while considering as purposeless the announcements of the company touching the withdrawal of its protests against the imperial government, which, I repeat, it has never recognized as possessing any legal value, the Sublime Porte is ready to sanction the modifications proposed by Messrs. de Lesseps and Stokes, the other maritime powers of Europe having manifested a disposition to adhere thereto. The imperial government, moreover, would be happy to see them favorably received by the Government of the United States, and brought by it to the notice of all who may be interested in the matter.

Be pleased to accept, &c.,

G. d’ARISTARCHI.
[Inclosure.]

Convention between Mr. Ferdinand de Lesseps, president director of the Universal Company of the Suez Maritime Canal, having received full powers from the board of directors on the one band, and Colonel John Stokes, C. B., authorized by the Government of Her Britannic Majesty.

It has been agreed as follows:

  • Article 1. Mr. de Lesseps engages to cause the acceptance in advance by the said [Page 612] company of all that has been done at Constantinople in relation to the question of tonnage for the tariff of transit through the said Suez Canal, according to the final report of the international commission, dated December 18, 1873, and adopted by the Ottoman Porte.
  • Art. 2. In exchange for this declaration, the British Government will take charge of the negotiations which shall result in substituting for the present provision in regard to the reduction of the additional (discriminating?) toll, an arrangement by which the first reduction of 50 centimes shall begin January 1, 1877; the second reduction of 50 centimes, January 1, 1879; the third, January 1, 1881; the fourth, January 1, 1882; the fifth, January 1, 1883; and the sixth, January 1, 1884; so that on and after this latter date the additional (discriminating?) toll shall be discontinued, and the maximum of 10 francs per ton on the net official,tonnage shall be the only one levied.
  • Art. 3. Mr. de Lesseps engages that the company shall execute the extraordinary works of construction, besides the ordinary works necessary to keep the canal in proper order, for the sum of one million of frances per annum, for thirty years.
  • Art. 4. As soon as the British Govern ment shall have made known to Mr. de Lesseps the favorable result of the negotiation referred to in article 2, Mr. de Lesseps will withdraw all his protests against the Ottoman Porte.

Done at Cairo, in duplicate original, February 21, 1876.

  • FERD. DE LESSEPS.
  • J. STOKES.