THE EARL OF MILLTOWN,in asking Her Majesty's Government, Whether it is true, as stated in the public journals, that a letter has been received by Lord Wolseley from General Gordon, dated on or about the 4th of November; and, if so, whether the Government, having regard to the intense anxiety which prevails on this subject, will communicate the contents thereof to this House, said, that some surprise had been felt at the shortness of the period that had elapsed between the despatch of General Gordon's letter and its arrival at head-quarters. The letter, it was understood, contained 800 words; but all that had been made known of its contents up to the present was that it 11 said that the writer was still holding out, and was aware of Colonel Stewart's most melancholy fate. It was said that the rest of the contents of the letter could not be published for military reasons. Of course, he did not wish Her Majesty's Government to disclose information which, if made public, might aid the Mahdi in his operations against General Gordon. If, however, the Government could, consistently with their duty, reveal more of the contents of the letter than had been disclosed up to that time, he felt sure that the House and the country would be glad.
THE EARL OF MORLEY,in reply, said, that such a letter as that described by the noble Earl, dated the 4th November, had been received by Lord Wolseley from General Gordon, an abstract of which had reached Her Majesty's Government. The contents of that letter, so far as they had been made public, had been, with fair accuracy, published in the daily papers. In addition to the information already given there, he might add to what was said on the previous night in "another place"—namely, that Lord Wolseley had received a letter from General Gordon, stating that the Greek and Austrian Consuls were safe, and also that he had received three letters—one from Sir Samuel Baker, one from his sister, and one from Mr. Stanley from the Congo. General Gordon requested that no further private letters should be sent to him. He stated that the Mahdi was quite aware of everything that was going on; and, therefore, he (the Earl of Morley) thought it would, be clear to the House that it would be extremely undesirable to publish any confidential letters coming from General Gordon which might be of assistance to his enemies. Under these circumstances, he hoped that the House would support Her Majesty's Government in refusing to give any further information of such a character.
§ House adjourned at a quarter past Five o'clock, to Thursday next, a quarter past Ten o'clock.