THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH AND THE SUEZ CANAL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7718, 15 April 1887, Page 3

THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH AND THE SUEZ CANAL.

Some correspondence has taken place between Mr Thomas Alfred, a working man of l'adiham, and the Duke of Buccleuch, Lord Salisbury, and the Earl of Derby respecting statements made by ,Mr Joseph Howes, a Liberal lecturer in the North of England. Mr Howes stated

that the. four millions given for the Suez Canal shares passed into the hands of the Duke of Buccleuch, the Khedive of Egypt having previously mortgaged thu shares, adding that Lord Derby said that the shares gave England no seats on the Board of Directors of the Canal, and also that after the shares had been purchased, the Khedive wrote to Lord Derby stating that they were worthless. The reply sent on behaif of the Duke of Buccleuch is as follows :— '

"Dalkcith House, Dalkeith, February 5, 1887. Dear Sir, — lam desired l)y the Duke of IBucclcuch to acknowledge ami

thank you for your letter of the 27th ult., enclosing report of lecture delivered by Mr Joseph Howes, lectnrertothe National Reform Union, in the Music Hall, Morecambe, on 10th December, 1886. His Grace has read the following statements made by Mr Howes : — First— the Duke of Buccleuch attended, and spoke at a meeting at Exeter Hall, London, in IS7B, in consequence of which Mr Gladstone ■went and fought hin^ in Midlothian ; secondly, that the four millions paid by the country for Suez Canal shares went into the hands of the Duke of Buccleuch ; thirdly, that on it being pointed out to the Duke that there was no seat on the Board, and no interest was being received, he got the Khedive to pay £2 per cent, on tho total purchase, I have to say that each of 'these statements is an absolute falsehood. Neither the late nor the present Duke of Buccleuch ever attended any such meeting in Exeter Hall. Neither the late nor the present Duke of Buccleuch ever received any such sum as four millions, or any portion of it paid by the country, for Suez Canal shares ; nor have they ever had any dealings whatever with the Khedive with reference to these shares. The purchase of the Suez Canal shares lias been so fully discussed in Parliament that it is scarcely possible to believe any lecturer should so far assume

ignorance and credulity on the part of his audience as to insult them by making such mifcstatoments. The Duke of Buccleuch is indelited to you for having f;ivon him an opportunity of contradicting such wilful nml deliberate untruths, — I am, sir, your obedient/ servant, SCHOMBEUCS K. M'DONAU)."