§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he will telegraph to General Buller authorizing him to send a Native Emissary to the Mahdi to offer a ransom for M. Cuzzé, General Gordon's Agent at 1149 Berber, Lupton Bey, and other European prisoners of the Mahdi?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONIn reply to a question I addressed to Lord Wolseley on the subject of White prisoners said to be surviving at Khartoum, he forwarded, on the 2nd of May, a Report from Sir Charles Wilson, in which the following passage occurred:—
Our messengers have been told they would receive large present if they brought back letter from any surviving European; they have brought none, and have never mentioned any European women except the Sisters. No means of communication with view to ransom.Under these circumstances, I doubt if anything more can be done at present; but I will address a further question to Lord Wolseley on the subject.
§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTI am sorry to press the noble Lord, but this is a question of great urgency, because the Forces are about to retire from Dongola; and we have information that not only is M. Cuzzi, General Gordon's agent at Berber, a prisoner, but several ladies, the families of Turkish officers and other Europeans resident in Khartoum, have been placed in a state of slavery by the capture of that place. I would, therefore, beg the noble Lord to telegraph to Lord Wolseley to communicate directly with General Buller, authorizing him to send a Native messenger to the Mahdi with a distinct offer of ransom. Surely that could be done at once.
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONI have already stated that Lord Wolseley's attention was called to the subject at the beginning of the month, and that he then stated that, having consulted Sir Charles Wilson in reference to it, the latter replied that no means of communication with the Mahdi then existed. I cannot pretend to say that I know better than Sir Charles Wilson; but I will make further inquiry of that officer in reference to the matter.