§ MR. ARTHUR ARNOLDasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether the operations of General Graham have fulfilled the necessity to which he referred on the 23rd ult., as to securing the proper and safe retirement of the British Army on the Nile; and, if so, whether Her Majesty's Government will consider whether it is desirable to advise the issue of a proclamation by the Khedive, similar to that of January 26th 1884, which was withheld by General Gordon, which announced the restoration of the Soudan to independence, the evacuation of the provinces by Egyptian employés and troops with all their belongings; their separation from the Soudan "on the broad principles of peace," and which finally called upon-—
All persons in arms to lay them down, and to endeavour by peaceable means to form independent Governments on our frontiers, and to do their best for their own prosperity, so that our intercourse may continue, and commerce be facilitated and civilisation be extended?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONIn our opinion the operations of General Graham have certainly not yet proceeded so far as to fulfil the necessity referred to in the first part of the Question. In these circumstances the hon. Member will probably himself be of opinion that any answer to the second part of the Question would be entirely premature.