LORD IIARTINGTON S REPLY. 1 73 merely the great military risk but the small military advantage which would have resulted. Mr. Gladstone had previously said, in answer to questions (on the 24th of April), that though there was apparently at that time no military or other danger at Khartum, he admitted that the country felt a profound interest and a strong sense of obligation dependent upon it with regard to the safety ol General Gordon, and he now (May 13) read the telegrams received from Gordon, including the one from Dongola, to show that therewas still no military danger. He, however, admitted to the full the obligations of the government to General Gordon, and conceived that, by the despatch of April 23d, they had entered into a covenant with him that on reasonable proof of danger he would be assisted. The country would never grudge any reasonable effort for the protection of its agents; but it was the duty of the government to consider the treasure, the blood, and the honour of the country, and the circumstances of the time, the season, the climate, and the military difficulties. Conscious of what their obligations were they would continue to use their best endeavours to fulfil them, unmoved by the threats and the captious criticisms of the opposition.

It was to Lord I lartington, in his reply to succeeding speeches, that a more complete answer to the proposed vote of censure was left, however. He stated that he should make no reference to those expressions contained in the telegrams of General Gordon which had been somewhat eagerly grasped at by the opposition. What thev had to look at in these telegrams was the information and the advice contained in them.

" As to the expression of General Gordon's opinion, or the language in which it is couched, I do not think that we ought to trouble ourselves much more about them than if they came from any other sources. It is quite clear to any one who has read the whole series of General Gordon's telegrams that he is a mafl extremely impulsive character; that as soon as an idea comes to him he immediately proceeds to telegraph it; and that his frame of mind varied very rapidly from day to day, even from hour t 1 hour. It is also perfectly well known that General Gordon,