HC Deb 08 July 1884 vol 290 cc511-3
MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, as over three months of the time for which General Gordon stated Khar- toum to be provisioned have now passed away, any practical measures are being taken by Her Majesty's Ministers to rescue their Agent and Governor at Khartoum?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

Sir, I presume the telegram to which the hon. Member refers in this Question is one which is not dated, but which was inclosed in Sir Evelyn Baring's despatch of April 19 to Her Majesty's Government. In that telegram General Gordon, describing his position, used these words— We have provisions for five months, are hemmed in by some 500 determined men and some 200 (?2,000) tagrag and bobtail Arabs. As yon know, our position will be much strengthened when the Nile rises."—[Egypt, No. 18 (1884), pp. 33–4.] That telegram does not contain, and, so far as I am a ware, there is no other telegram which does contain, any opinion of General Gordon's as to the possibility of obtaining further supplies; and although the information which we have received since that time has been extremely meagre, it does rather point, as far as it goes, to such a possibility. The telegram to which I have referred also indicated an intention, or, at all events, a desire, on the part of General Gordon to undertake offensive operations against the Mahdi, the necessity of which has never been recognized by Her Majesty's Government. We have already stated that it is not our intention to despatch an expedition to the relief of General Gordon, unless it is clearly shown that that is the only means by which General Gordon, and those dependent on him, can be relieved. We have received at present no information which could make it desirable that we should depart from that decision.

MR. J. LOWTHER

Is the noble Lord, or any Member of the Government, able to inform the House as to any recent news from Khartoum, and whether the Government attach any importance to rumours of the fall of that place?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

The Government has no fresh information.

MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

We may understand, then, that no practical measures are to be taken by Her Majesty's Government to rescue Gordon? Is the House to understand that the Government intend to leave the rescue to a Conservative Government in the autumn?

[No reply.]