§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Her Majesty's Government will inquire of Sir Edward Malet and Sir Evelyn Baring whether any telegrams or other communications were addressed by them, while employed on Her Majesty's service in Egypt, to any Egyptian officials in the Soudan besides those mentioned by him in his reply in this House on the 11th February, and will lay upon the Table any such communications without delay?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEThere will be no objection to make this inquiry.
§ LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILLIn reference to this Question, I would like to ask the noble Lord whether he has read the Blue Book Egypt No. 22; and, if so, whether he has observed on page 22 that General Hicks alludes to a telegram to Sir Edward Malet on June 20, inquiring for information from General Hicks, and whether that telegram has been withheld by the Foreign Office? Secondly, Sir, I would ask the noble 677 Lord whether his attention has been drawn in the Blue Book No. 22 to a despatch from General Hicks to Sir Edward Malet, in which General Hicks referred to a telegram of the 31st of May, and also another telegram asking for much information on many important points, and why that and the other telegrams were not laid before the House?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI can only say I must ask the noble Lord to give Notice of that Question.
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHWill inquiry be made by telegraph?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI shall make it immediately. Of course, when I say immediately, I shall make it in whatever way I consider best, in order to obtain full information.
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHThis information will be required, and will be of great importance in the debate. Will the inquiry be made this evening by telegraph?
§ LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILLDoes the noble Lord require Notice of a Question relating to a telegram, copies of which must be in the Foreign Office at the present moment? I wish also to know whether the noble Lord wishes the House to understand that Her Majesty's Government deliberately conceals the information?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHWill the noble Lord make inquiry by telegraph or not?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI have no objection whatever to make the inquiry by telegram; but I must be guided by the instructions given by the Secretary of State in the matter.
§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked whether or not those two telegrams were in the Foreign Office; or whether it was intended to pursue the policy hitherto pursued by Her Majesty's Government of concealing information?
MR. GLADSTONEOn the part of my noble Friend the Under Secretary of State, I distinctly decline to answer such Questions. The noble Lord has used words which, I am sorry to say, convey what between Member and Member of Parliament is an insult. The statement I am making on behalf of my noble Friend does not refer to matters of fact embraced in the former portion of the Question, with respect to which it is not 678 possible for me to give information, but to the imputation contained in his closing words.
§ LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILLI wish to ask you, Mr. Speaker, on a point of Order, whether the right hon. Gentleman is in Order in imputing to an hon. Member a deliberate insult to himself and his Colleagues? I wish to ask the First Minister of the Crown whether he did not frequently charge the late Government with deliberately suppressing information?
§ MR. SPEAKERIt is desirable to recall to the recollection of the noble Lord and the House the position in which matters stand. I understood the noble Lord to ask a Question of the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and the Under Secretary, acting entirely within his own right and discretion, stated his desire to have Notice of the Question. Upon that, it seems to me, the matter should drop.
§ MR. BOURKEasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether the Correspondence which had taken place during the past year between Sir Evelyn Wood and General Hicks would be laid before Parliament; and whether Sir Evelyn Wood had made any communication to Her Majesty's Government with respect to the affairs of the Soudan; and, if so, whether this communication could be laid before Parliament?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE, in reply, said, that Her Majesty's Government were in possession of no Correspondence between General Hicks and Sir Evelyn Wood, neither of whom were in the service of Her Majesty's Government. Sir Evelyn Wood had made no written communication on the subject of the Soudan to Her Majesty's Government; but he had been consulted by Sir Evelyn Baring, and his views were contained in the telegrams and despatches laid before Parliament.