THE QUEEN AND THE SOUDAN
SPEECH BY LORD CROMER. Addressing the Slieikhs and notables of the Soudan at Khartoum, before the death of the Queen, Lord Cromer said ne had received the special command of his august sovereign, who in othex* countries ruled ovei* many millions of their co-religionists, to express to them the great interest her Maesty took in their ■welfare. He was about, in her Majesty’s name, to confer a British decoration on one of the most distinguished Moslem inhabitants of the Soudan, whose name had been brought to her Majesty’s notice by the Governor-General. “Tlontiuuing, Lord Cromer said much progress had been made since he last visited them. The pledge which he gave them then, that their religion and religious customs would be respected, was fully redeemed. Law Courts were established. The land Tax was assessed at a low rate, and had, he hoped and believed, been collected without illegal exactions. The railway had been brought up to Khartoum. In fact, he trusted they had been able to convince themselves that their new rulers—whether British or Egyptian, he made no difference between them, for they worked in complete harmony with each othei'—not only possessed a power incomparably greater than that of their predecessors, but were also animated by a spirit of justice and a desire to benefit the entire population which were wholly wanting during the days of Dervish tyranny. One of the chief requirements of the country was that communications should be improved. but the burdens on the Soudanese people should be kept as low as circumstances permitted. Low taxation must be placed before every other interest. The first thing to do before enter-
taining any proposals for extensions was to get the existing -railways into proper order, and for this he was informed, on the highest technical authority, that a very considerable sum of money .would be required. He was told that complaints, in some degree well founded, had been made by the native population that the amount of European supervision was inadequate. Military officers m civil employ had performed their very arduous duties in a manner which couici. not be too highly praised. But they required assistance. A few carefully selected British civilians had, therefore, been appointed. They would be under the orders of th e existing Moudirs, and they would, it was hoped, fornr the nucleus of a future Soudan Civil Service. It was also- proposed to appoint a competent hydraulic engineer, who would in due time be able to make some well - considered recommendations, with a view to improving the System of irrigation in some parts of the country, notably on the Blue Nile. In conclusion, Lord Cromer asked the notables by every means in their power to second the efforts which Sir Reginald Wingate, the local representative, both of the Queen and of the Khedive, and the able officers serving under him, were making to improve the moral and material condition of the country.
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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1523, 28 February 1901, Page 59
Word Count
493THE QUEEN AND THE SOUDAN New Zealand Mail, Issue 1523, 28 February 1901, Page 59
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