AN ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL. I I I was no self-reliance among the wealthy people there, and whoever might be named governor would have to face the situation without funds for paying the Soudan garrisons in the towns. The only slight hope against anarchy would, so far as Gordon could see, be to place iooo Soudan troops in Khartum, 500 in Berber, 500 in Dongola, 500 in Kassala, 500 in Sennar, or 3000 in all, costing about ,£70,000 a year. He would also place a governor or meglis in each town, hand over to him the whole administration of taxes and of government, keeping apart the ,£70,000 a year for the payment of the 3000 men, and would place a supreme officer over them. By these means anarchy would be prevented, at anyrate for a time, and if it did occur it would be the fault of the native government. Should an outbreak occur, as the troops would be natives, there would be no chance of their being massacred; the only risk would be for the European commander. This was evidently regarded by Gordon as a faint kind of alternative to the proposition Reappointing Zebehr, which the English ministry had negatived, because they did not wish to go beyond the original instructions which he had received. Sir E. Baring, who had telegraphed to ask Gordon whether he could suggest anyone beside Zebehr Pasha to succeed him at Khartum, sent a message to Earl Granville, the conclusion of which was : — " With regard to the wish of her majesty's government not to go beyond General Gordon's plan, as stated in his memorandum of the 22nd ultimo, I would remark that he appears to have intended merely to give a preliminary sketch of the general line of policy to be pursued. Moreover, in that memorandum he makes a specific allusion to the difficulty of providing rulers for Khartum, Dongola, and other places where there are no old families to recall to power.

It is clear that her majesty's government cannot afford moral or material support to General Gordon's successor as ruler of the Soudan, but the question of whether or not he should be nominally appointed by the authority of her majesty's government appears to me to be one of very slight practical importance.

Whatever may be said to the contrary, her majesty's government must in reality be responsible for any arrangements which arc