HC Deb 14 February 1884 vol 284 cc885-6
MR. GIBSON

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he could state on what day did the Government receive from General Gordon "his plan for the pacification of the Soudan;" when will the Papers and telegrams laid upon the Table on the 12th be printed and circulated; and, have any further Papers or telegrams been since received; and, if so, could he conveniently state their purport in a concise form?

MR. STAVELEY HILL

Will the Government lay on the Table the cable message to General Gordon, to which the message read by the Prime Minister last night was the answer?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

With regard to the Question on the Paper, General Gordon's Memorandum was received on the 1st instant. It has been laid on the Table to-day in "Egypt, No. 7," together with the instructions to Baker Pasha. I believe that copies of this Paper and of "Egypt, No. 6," containing the further instructions to General Gordon, are now in the Library of the House. I cannot give definite pledges as to the further presentation of Papers and telegrams, but I shall continue to make every effort to keep the House informed of anything material, and there will be no objection to lay the telegrams on the Table which the Prime Minister has read.

MR. GIBSON

Yes, Sir; but this is the second night of the debate, and we have not got the documents referred to by the Prime Minister. I will to-morrow ask the noble Lord to state specifically, in terms, what was the form of the telegram in which General Gordon was asked his opinion as to the relief of Suakim, and the very terms of his reply; and I will also ask him to state whether the Government wired to Admiral Hewett, asking him if he could relieve Sinkat, after the failure of Baker Pasha; and, if so, how long after that failure; and whether he will give us the terms of the message?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

I may just explain that when I alluded to telegrams, I meant telegrams mentioned not only in this House, but in Parliament—I alluded, of course, to Foreign Office telegrams, and not to Admiralty telegrams?