Hawke's Bay Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1885. THE SOUDAN.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7178, 2 June 1885, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1885. THE SOUDAN.

Although the decision of the British Government to abandon tlio campaign in the Soudan was a surprise to most people, yet to thoso familiar with Mr Gladstone's peculiar temperament uc was nof; wholly unexpected. Indeed, even while preparations for pushing on operations wore most active the effect of abandoning tlie campaign was being discussed in the Press of London, where evidently the indisposition of the Gladstone Ministry to push strong measures to tho finnl issue is fully recognised. Thus we find in the Contemporary Review for JVlnr-.'h an article by Sir Richard Temple, which must have been written at a tiino when there was every appearance that the British Government really meant business, and. intended, as s»on as tho season permitted, to push on to Khartoum and bring the I Mtilidi to book. Indeed, retreat seemed

then to bo quite out of the question. Sir Richard Temple, however, looked upon a crab-like movement aa not at all improbable, and devotes a considerable portion of his paper to showing what the effect would be upon India. " Lot any person acquainted with the East, and free from political bias one way or the other," he remark?, " quietly reflect as to what the Indians will think of U3 lif we now hesitate. What will they begin to say among themselves if, after undertaking to rescue Gordon and his faithful adherents from Khartoum, after despatching an expedition for hundreds of miles up the Nile with wellequipped troops of the bravest type, under a renowned General like Wolseley, after collecting marine resources from distant quarters for river navigation past cataract rapids heretofore deemed impassable, we flinch at what will be termed the final crisis ? It wfire vain to tell Orientals that after our hardwon successes on the Nile and in the Nile desert we had done enough to vindicate British authority. They would wonder whether we found the enterprise too hard for completion, or the resistance too stiff, or whether the farther we penetrated the weaker we felt, and so on." Sir Richard takes a good deal of pains to show that the honor of England is pledged in the matter, and that she is bound to wrest Knartoum from the hands of the Mahcli, if only to show her Indian subjects that what she undertakes she will carry out. " The people of India," he continues, " will not consider that we are at all committed to stay permanently in Khartoum or to set up British rule there. But they will expect us to vindicate our authority, to evince our mastery, and then, if we see fit, to retire with honor after settling the country in such form as may be practicable. They have seen us retire on several occasions previously, and will not be surprised to see us do so again. But they have never seen us retire in the face of an enemy re infecta. To begin showing them such a novel sight nowadays, right in front of Khartoum, would be 1 dangerous." Sir Richard Temple points out that the vernacular Press in India i 3 now taking a very prominent position among the native races, not only keeping them well informed on events that are occurring, but also putting a coloring on thoso events not always favorable to English prestige. For tho last five or six years these newspapers have been retailing to the Indian people the news of the subjugation of the Turcomans, the occupation of Merv by Russia, and other matters in which that country figures as a mighty Power, and it concerns England deeply that in the eyes of the natives her strength should not be made to appear insignificant in comparison with that of Russia. "The inference is clear," observes Sir Richard Temple, "that we should look well to the just dignity of our political conduct respecting Khartoum for the sake of public opinion in India, over and above all other considerations. The natives hare a retentive memory for political antecedents. It was the memory of certain circumstances in the Afghan war of > 1840-1 that suggested, in conjunction ? with otlker reasons, the Indian mutiny sixteen years later. On hearing of the j fate of Gordon at Khartoum the natives * of India will recall several notable precedents. They will think at once how Maonaughten was treacherously murdered at Oaubul in 1841, and a British J army of occupation retook that capital ; how Agnew was cut down at Multan in | 1848, predicting with his latest words that, where he fell singly, there thou- ; sands of his countrymen would come L to punish his slayers— a prediction which was fulfilled ; how in 1857, during the great mutiny, the Government was inflexible in prosecuting those who had been concerned in the murder I of Europeans ; how, in 1879, Cavaghari at Caubul, with his escort, a little band, was destroyed by armed multitudes, | and within some few weeks a British force entered the guilty city. They will i probably hold that the case of Gordon 1 at Khartoum falls within the category i of these precedents, and as yet they believe that England is constant to her traditions." Sir Richard gives a number of other reasons to show the importance of carrying out the expedition to Khartoum, probably enough fearing at the very time ho was writing that, as the event has proved, it would bo abandoned. He concludes with the remark, " The fall of Khartoum and the fate of Gordon must have a bad effect upon India and the East unless the reverse shall be retrieved, and from this point of view the recapture of that place is extremely desirable — so desirable indeed, that it becomes hard to draw the line between urgent expediency and necessity. '

commenced carrying out their arrangements in connection with the Napier Telephone Exchange, and the posts to carry the wire are now being erected in the Shakespeare-road. The annual election of borough auditors yesterday resulted as follows : — Mr Y. W. Garner, 92; Mr A. Kennedy, 80 ; Mr T. F. Chamberlain, 44 ; Mr S. J. Williams, 44. Messrs Garner and Kennedy are consequently elected. " Speed the Plough " is not to be forgotten as a motto worthy of practical support, as a meeting will be held at the Greenmeadows Hotel, Taradale, on Thursday evening, in connection with the Taradale and Hastings Ploughing Match Society. All interested are requested to attend. It is desired that the following members of the Union Football Club will go into practice for the match to be played auainst tho Napier Club : — Jarman, Buchanan, W. Fraser, Stubbs, .N orris, Poole, Percy, Tilley, Walker, Grahame, Jas. Ross, Jno. Ross, Leslie, Langhan, Fletcher, Jewett, Milne, Reid, Cameron, Tregonning, and M'Guire. Tho Public Works Committee of the Municipal Council held their usual meeting last evening and agreed to recommend the Council as follows : — l. That clauses 1 and 5 of the overseer's report be deferred and clauses 2. 3, 4, G and 7, be adopted. 2. That the fire brigade bo authorised to* expend the sum of £40 in the purchase of hose. 3. That a reply be forwarded to Mr Kelly that the information conveyed to him by the overseer was correct. 4. That Messrs Upchurch and Morley's request re building be acceded to.

At the Eesident Magistrate's Court 'esterday, before Mr Or. A. Preece, i.M., James Brissey, on bail on. a iliarge of drunkonneas, did not appear. Bis deposit of £1 was estreated. — raines Smith alias Russell, on remand jharged with bigamy, was remanded till Fhursday. — John A. M'Kenzie, oharged with obtaining money by false pretences Erom G. T. Lambert, lessee of the Masonio Hotel, was also remanded till Thursday — William Henry Orossley, alias Clifton, charged with vagrancy, made a long appeal to the Bench for "another chance." His "Worship was of opinion that defendant had been given many chances, and sentenced him to two months' hard labor. A house packed, from floor to ceiling greeted the second presentation of '' The Silver King " at the Theatre Royal last evening. The scenic arrangements went much more smoothly and satisfactorily than on Saturday evening, and the progress of the play was marked, from start to finish with earnest attention on the part of the audience, occasionally varied by hearty bursts of applause. The company, from having played the piece so many times, have arrived at a drilled condition which renders any slip or hitch on their part almost out of the qnestion, and every character last evening was pourtrayed without rant or staginess. As on Saturday, the two most prominent performers were Messrs Leitch and Jewett, both receiving great applause, and deservedly so — the former for his perfect rendering of Daniel Jaikes, and Mr Jewett for his presentation of tae cold-blooded and "gentleman" burglar, "The Spider." The play will be produced again this evening for the last time. A special train will leave Hastings at 6.45, arriving in town at 7.25, and leaving for the return journey 15 minutes after the close of the performance. This will afford to country residents an opportunity for witnessing Messrs Jones and Herman's great modern drama. " The Librarian" is billed for to-morrow evening. The following particulars have been elicited in reference to the unfortunate girl /luguste Peeraen, who left her home on Friday last, as reported in our yesterday's issue. As soon as Constable Schulz was informed of her dieappearamce he at once took steps to ensure a thorough search of the district. A party was organised, and in conjunction with the constable scoured the bush. Constable Schulz was out searphing from 8 o'clock on Saturday morning till 4 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, when he found the unfortunate girl lying in the bed of the Mangarangiora river, about 1| mile from her home. When found she was lying partly under the trunk of a large tree, with her feet and legs lying in the water. She was in a state of partial coma when discovered, and it is feared that her extremities are frostbitten. It seems quite marvellous that she could have stood the exposure, having been out for two days and nights in the bitterly cold weather prevailing at the time. It remains a mystery how she got to where she was found, as the banks of the river are precipitous, and about 70ft deep for a considerable distance above and below the spot where she was discovered. It was a work of some difficulty for Constable Schulz and Mr Julius Hansen to get down to her, and the labor of rescuing her was still more arduous, as she had to be carried a great part of the distance. Constable Schulz caused her to be washed and dressed in dry clothes, and attempts were made to feed her, but with only partial success, as she seemed averse to partaking of anything. She was afterwards taken into custody on a charge of lunacy, and was brought down to Napier yesterday and charged before Mr G. A. Preece, R.M., and remanded for medical examination. The poor girl remains in a very low state. Great credit is due to the settlers of the district, who to the number of over 200, turned out to aid in the search for the missing girl. The local Mail, reviewing Mrs Leavitt's week's work in Oamaru, says : — She closed a most successful mission here. She preached in Wesley Church on the last day of her mission to a large congregation from the text, "Sirs, we would see Jesus." Her address was very earnest and very practical. In the afternoon, at St. Paul's Church, she conducted a children's service for the united Sabbath Schools. The capacious buildiug was filled to overflowing, and the young people throughout attentively listened to her very useful address, and in the evening in the same building, at 8 o'clock, Mrs Leavitt gave her farewell address, subject, "God in Government." Again the church was packed — but with adults — and the rapt attention of the audience was responsive to the full interest of the subject, which was so well sustained throughout. This address was entirely the best of the series (though all were of exceptionably high merit), and we can cordially endorse the report of it from Dunedia which preceded her visit, " That rarely has there been given to the public a more interesting or useful address." Mrs Leavitt seeks more to reach the judgment of her hearers than to simply appeal to their emotions, and we have confident hope the fruits of her mission, which already are very considerable, will not only be abiding but greatly increased. As the committee having the care of the work are convinced that Mrs Leavitt's labors are of a most beneficent character they determined that they would present her with the surplus funds collected at the several meetings (after deducting expenses) to help her through less favored districts, and they thus had the pleasure to hand her the handsome sum of £15. The ladies' committee likewise made a presentation of a purse containing £6, which, as welL as the first-naentioned present, came, to Mrs Leavitt as a pleasant surprise, and her thanks for the gift were •orrespondingly warm and natural. ; V,