In the Commons, Sir Stafford Northcote opened the debate in
a speech singularly wanting in fire. He devoted the first half of it to proving that as the British Government was supreme in Egypt, they ought either to have forbidden General Hicks's march, or have strengthened him, till he was sure of success. He repudiated, however, the notion of using English soldiers for the purpose. He proceeded to admit that the evacuation of the Soudan was right, and to contend that the Government should have compelled that measure before it did, and to argue that evacuation had been made more difficult by the resolve to withdraw the English troops from Cairo, which was never carried out. He thought that while the selec- tion of General Gordon was wise, too much responsibility was thrown on him, and ended a cavilling speech, considered feeble by his own followers, by declaring that in shattering the Egyptian Ministry—a measure quite indispensable to the evacuation of the Soudan—the Government bad grievously increased its responsibilities. Lord Randolph Churchill, the only other speaker of standing on the same side, added to Sir Stafford's argument a more distinct formalisation of his first charge, saying that the Tory accusation was not that the Cabinet did not reconquer the Soudan, but that it allowed an attempt at reconquest with inadequate means. Lord Randolph, as usual, was extremely violent, accusing the Ministry of "lying," and the Khedive of desiring General Hicks's defeat, the latter an accusation without any evidence, except a telegram supposed to have contained peremptory orders to the General to march on El Obeid.
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