§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEI wish to put a Question to the Prime Minister with reference to a statement that has appeared in the newspapers as regards a Proclamation purporting to be signed by Gordon Pasha, and said to have been posted on the walls of Khartoum. This document proclaims the Mahdi as Sultan of Kordofan, remits one-half of the taxes, and permits the 1203 trading in slaves to be carried on. I wish to ask, Whether the Government have received any further information on the subject; and, whether they can give any explanation as to whether General Gordon's powers extend to the issuing of such a Proclamation?
§ DR. LYONSI beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman a Question of which I gave Notice this morning. It is, Whether Her Majesty's Government have taken the very earliest opportunity, and in the most distinct manner possible, to disengage itself and the country from any responsibility in the arrangements which General Gordon appears unfortunately to have felt himself compelled to permit in regard to even the temporary continuance of the slave traffic, and whether he has instructions to put a stop to it at the earliest possible moment?
MR. GLADSTONESir, we are not in possession of the text, nor do the newspaper correspondents appear to be in possession of the text, of General Gordon's Proclamation. They have received—and we have received—what appears to be a summary of that Proclamation; but upon the point particularly relating to slavery and to the Slave Trade, we do not think it is possible—viewing especially the arrangements which now exist in the Soudan—safely to extract its true moaning and purport from that summary. [Opposition laughter.] I do not think that this is a laughing matter. The opinions of General Gordon with reference to the Slave Trade are perfectly well known. We rely entirely upon him, and are confident—although we are not in possession of this Proclamation—that when we receive it—which no doubt we shall do shortly—it will not be found in any way to derogate from his well-known general sentiments upon the subject. I link the right hon. Gentleman also asked me—at any rate he gave Notice of it—whether such a Proclamation is within the powers of General Gordon? I cannot answer that, and could not answer that definitively, until I have received the Proclamation itself. But I should think, without any derogation from what I have just said about slavery and the Slave Trade, that the Proclamation relating to the Mahdi and to the remission of taxation would be within General Gordon's powers, and we have 1204 no reason to believe that he will go beyond them.
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEIs the right hon. Gentleman prepared to lay the Proclamation upon the Table as soon as it is received?
MR. GLADSTONEWe shall have to communicate with the noble Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs before doing so; but I should not think that there will be any objection to the Proclamation being laid upon the Table: when it is received.
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEI think that there may be some misunderstanding as to a part of the answer of the right hon. Gentleman. We understood him to say that the Government had received a communication with regard to the Proclamation of General Gordon. I wish to ask whether the summary which the Government have received is identical with that which appears in the newspapers; and, if not, will he lay it on the Table?
MR. GLADSTONENo; it is not identical; and in what I said I intended to signify that there was a difference between them. Neither of them explains the matter fully on a point with regard to which the interest of the House is naturally excited; and there would be no advantage in our producing an imperfect document when we shall have an opportunity shortly of producing the perfect document.
§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFI wish to ask whether, in the instructions given to General Gordon, there might have been anything said by Her Majesty's Government which could in any way have authorized General Gordon to issue the Proclamation as to the continuance of the Slave Trade?
MR. GLADSTONEThe only reason I do not like to answer that Question is because I am not willing to admit—and I do not admit to my own mind in the slightest degree—the supposition that General Gordon has issued any Proclamation of that kind. With that preliminary remark, I answer the hon. Gentleman's Question in the negative.