Mr. Gladstone rose after Sir S. Northcote, and replied in
a speech which does not satisfy us as to the policy pursued in Cairo, but which was of unusual brilliancy, deeply impressed the House, and, as far as the Soudan is concerned, was un- answerable. After showing that intervention had been forced upon us by the previous Government, which had dismissed Ismail Pasha and established the Dual Control, the Premier contended that the present Government, so far from vacillating, had been obstinately consistent. They had resolved from the first to maintain the dignity of the Khedive, and not to "stir those sentiments produced by foreign domination" which had CO greatly strengthened the hands of Arabi Pasha. They had, therefore, not forbidden General Hicks's expedition, and had given no advice about it, because, if that advice had been acted on and had failed, they must have employed their forces to assist those whom they had counselled. It was not till the defeat of that General that, believing Egypt would bleed to death in the effort to reconquer the Soudan, they insisted on its abandonment, and not only shattered the Egyptian Ministry for that purpose, but induced the new Government to accept the aid of General Gordon to make the abandonment peaceful. That " hero " was despatched on the full responsibility of the British Government, but with the Egyptian commission of Governor-General, to arrange with the Mandi or the local chiefs for the safe withdrawal of all garrisons. The Govern- ment, therefore, after the defeat of Baker Pasha—who had telegraphed his confidence—hesitated to relieve Tokar, lest an advance of British troops should interfere with General Gordon's great plan ; but on receipt of his assurance that it would not interfere, the relief had been ordered. Throughout Mr. Glad- stone treated the occupation of Egypt as a disastrous incident, to be terminated as soon as the Native Government could walk alone, and maintained that many reforms, especially the forma- tion of a Native Army, were very fairly advanced.
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