HC Deb 16 April 1885 vol 296 cc1862-3
MR. TOMLINSON

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Her Majesty's Government have any information leading to the conclusion that the condition of Sir Peter Lumsden's Mission is less serious than would appear from the letter of the Correspondent of The Standard newspaper, published in their issue of the 15th instant, or that the statements in that letter are, to any extent, overdrawn? The hon. Member said he desired to put the Question in the form in which he originally placed it on the Paper—namely, by substituting for "serious" the words "humiliating and disastrous to British interests."

MR. SPEAKER

Those words would be out of Order.

LORD EDMOND FITZMAUBICE

The Foreign Office have not received any information showing that the condition of the Mission is serious. Some regrettable loss of life among the camp followers occurred when crossing the mountains between Gulran and Tirpul owing to a snowstorm.