HC Deb 05 May 1884 vol 287 cc1323-5
MR. W. E. FORSTER

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he can inform the House which is the telegram described by Sir Evelyn Baring, in his telegraphic Despatch to Lord Granville of the 18th April, as the only one of his telegrams to General Gordon which, up to that date, he believes to have reached him; and, especially, whether it was the telegram which Sir Evelyn Baring, in his Despatch of 13th March, says he had sent, telling him to hold on to Khartoum, and on no account to proceed to the Bahr Gazelle and Equatorial provinces, or the telegram which, on 29th March, Sir Evelyn Baring says he has sent, conveying Lord Granville's instructions, leaving him full discretion to remain at Khartoum, if he thinks it necessary, or to retire by the Southern or any other route which may be found available; and, whether the Government have any reason to believe that any telegrams sent from Cairo since 18th April have reached General Gordon?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

I shall best reply to my right hon. Friend's Question by reading the following letter, which I have received from Sir Evelyn Baring:— Dear Lord Edmond,—The telegram which has been received by General Gordon is not either of those to which Mr. Forster alludes. It was a short cipher telegram, which, if I remember rightly, ran somewhat as follows:— Osman Digna's followers have been dispersed. There is no intention of sending troops from Suakin to Berber.' Allusion is made to this telegram in General Gordon's telegram of April 8 (which will be in the hands of Members to-day). It will be observed that General Gordon complains of the telegram as 'meagre,' and so it is, considered by itself. But it was only one of several telegrams, none of which, except this one, General Gordon received. In those telegrams I gave General Gordon news from Suakin, and I explained to him at length the views of Her Majesty's Government. The short telegram was only a repetition of what I had said before at greater length. I sent home all the telegrams I received from General Gordon; but there must be several which I sent to him, and which I did not think necessary to send home. They could, if necessary, easily be procured from Cairo; but they would not add any thing to the existing information, as they either contain news, or are a repetition of telegrams I received from Lord Granville.—Yours truly, E. BARING. May 5, 1884. In reply to my right hon. Friend's second Question, I may add that Her Majesty's Government have no information that any telegrams have reached General Gordon since April 18.

MR. W. E. FORSTER

Would my noble Friend say after what date Sir Evelyn Baring believes that no telegrams reached General Gordon, saving that he mentioned? Perhaps I may be in Order in saying that my object in asking is to know in what position General Gordon in all probability feels himself to be now that he is isolated?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

I do not think that Sir Evelyn Baring intended by this letter to do anything except to show that, in his opinion, it is not possible to state an exact date, and that it was a mere matter of opinion. All the information that bears upon that subject is before the House in the Blue Book which has been, presented.

MR. W. E. FORSTER

I understand that in the letter of Sir Evelyn Baring he says that he believes that on the 18th of April only one of his telegrams had reached General Gordon. I do not quite gather from the noble Lord which of those telegrams it was.

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

The passage I read is this— It was a short cipher telegram, which, if I remember rightly, ran somewhat as follows:— 'Osman Digna's followers have been dispersed. There is no intention of sending troops from Suakin to Berber.' Sir Evelyn Baring does not add the exact date.

MR. GIBSON

Does he add any date at all?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

No. The words are—"If I remember rightly," and the purport of the telegram is given by Sir Evelyn Baring from memory.

MR. GIBSON

Can the noble Lord give the House any clue at all as to the date?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

If the right hon. and learned Gentleman will compare the telegrams before the House, as no doubt he will, he will see the dates within which these telegrams were sent to General Gordon; and this telegram, no doubt, came within those dates.