§ SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOTasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether any telegrams have been received from General Gordon with regard to the present condition of Khartoum; and, whether, in those telegrams, a requisition has been made for British Troops; and, if so, whether he will communicate those telegrams to the House?
§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been called to the following statements attributed to General Gordon by The Times correspondent at Khartoum—
There is a certainty that the emissaries of the Mahdi will succeed in praising the tribes between this (Khartoum) and Berber. This is not owing to disaffection, but to fear caused by the pronounced policy of the abandonment of the Soudan. We cannot blame them for rising when no definite sign is shown of establishing a permanent government here.…. Be sure of one thing. If Her Majesty's Government do not act promptly, General Graham's victory will go for nought, and with the useless expenditure of blood the effect of it will evaporate. I do not believe we shall send any more telegrams, for it is no longer a question of days, but of hours;and, whether in view of these grave statements, Her Majesty's Government will reconsider their orders for the abandonment of Khartoum, and will, in cooperation with the Sovereign Power, authorize the establishment of a civilized government in that region under efficient British supervision?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, I wish to say that some time ago the Prime Minister said that—
The Government consider it their duty to examine carefully the question how far it may be their duty to produce all the language used, all the views, and all the stops taken by General Gordon from day to day, or how far it may be their duty, in the interests of the great mission in which he is engaged, to reserve them.In reference to that engagement, I have to say that, in the opinion of the Government, it would be extremely undesirable in the interests of the Public Service—in fact, it would be impossible—to make, at the present time, a full statement of all the information which has been received from General Gordon at Khartoum, and that to make a partial statement would be only to mislead the House. I trust, therefore, that hon. Members will not be disposed to press for a definite answer to the Questions they have on the Paper.
§ SIR STAFPORD NORTHCOTEWill the noble Lord have any objection to state whether the Government are still in telegraphic communication with General Gordon?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONYes; telegrams have been received. The telegraph appears to have been cut for a short time; but it is, I understand, 1364 again restored between Cairo and Khartoum.
§ SIR WALTER. B. BARTTELOTremarked that, as it had been so publicly stated, perhaps the noble Marquess would have no objection to say whether application for British troops to be sent either to Khartoum or Berber had been made by General Gordon?
§ [No reply was given to the Question.]
§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTsaid, the noble Lord had not answered the last paragraph of his Question. Subsequently,
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON saidI have referred again to the Question of the hon. Member for Eye, and I find that the last part of the Question relates to the policy of the Government founded upon the statement of General Gordon's alleged views on information said to have been recently received from him. I think the hon. Member and the House will see that the answer I gave, which makes it impossible for the Government to give a full statement of the recent information received from General Gordon, makes it still more impossible for me to give any further explanation beyond that which has been already given.