WHY GORDONS MISSION WAS PROMOTED. I 75 of things the government never have admitted or accepted any responsibility. It was not her majesty's government who sent the Egyptian officials or garrisons into that position of danger. They did not encourage, but, on the contrary, they dissuaded the fatal expedition of General Hicks which brought about the collapse of the Egyptian authority in the Soudan. In the opinion of the government, the first condition of the problem before them, a condition openly and frankly avowed to the house, was that British troops should not be employed for the purpose of extracting those garrisons and officials from the position in which they were placed, owing to no action of the British people or government, but to the mistakes made in former times by their own Q-c-vernment. The attempt might have failed in its object, and could only have succeeded through the reconquest of the Soudan and the subjugation of those who had revolted against what was universally acknowledged to be an intolerable and oppressive government.

Her majesty's government was not prepared to reconquer the country either for the Egyptian government or for this nation; neither were they prepared to make sacrifices of English treasure and life for the purpose of re-endowing the Egyptian government with the provinces of the Soudan. It was, in their opinion, no part of their duty to risk English treasure or life in enabling the.

Egyptian garrisons to march out with flying colours from their positions in the Soudan. At the same time there existed in this country a very strong and natural desire that some effort should, if possible, be made to mitigate the sufferings of the retreat of those garrisons. One chance of this there appeared to be. There was one man of known ability and energy who had great experience in the government and affairs of the Soudan, who was believed to have acquired great influence in that country, who was universally pointed to by the public opinion of this country, and who appeared himself to be of opinion that it would be possible, by sending himself, without the support of any military force, t»> accomplish something for the withdrawal of the garrisons. In the conversations which General Gordon had with members 01 the government, before he undertook his mission, he explained