THE NEW ZEALAND OFFERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7191, 4 March 1885, Page 2

THE NEW ZEALAND OFFERS.

(Pas United Pbess Association.) Wellington, March 3 The Cabinet considered for a lengthened period yesterday whether they should offer to the Imperial Government a contingent for the Soudan, They finally came to the conclusion that they would not be justified in accepting Huch responsibility without the sanction of Parliament. They also considered that it was not necessary to specially summon Parliament, as no force could possibly be despatched in time for operations before the summer season, and in the ordinary course Parliament will have an opportunity of deciding what should be done with regard to next season's operations. The Government have further decided to specially thank those who have offered their assistance.

"There is no greater mistake," says St. James' Gazette, " than the notion that Khartoum is to be abandoned. We know that our Gjiverj<nenO Bay..that it is to be, but ihou they fancy that the question is one which they alono have to settle. This notion seems to be shared by ' the country' generally; but it is an error. European concert will have something to say on this subject at the right time, which' is rapidly approaching; and what should be anticipated is that if our Government say, ' Now let Khartoum be abandoned to native rule, and the Soudan with it down to this or that line,' they will hear from some other Governments that that cannot be. They will say that it is necessary for the peace and wellbeing of Egypt that neither Khartoum, nor Berber, nor the Soudan in general should be delivered over to a slave trade regime, and to murder and anarchy even worse than that which ensued upon Lord Wolßeley's arrangement in Zululanci. Should England turn a deaf ear to these remonstrances and march her own troops and the Egyptian authority out, the next question for the Powers will probably ba which of them shall march its troops in. This, perhaps, is one of the points which Hassan Fehmi, envoy of the Unspeakable Turk, iB coming to talk over with Mr Gladstone." Mr Labouchere holds strong views about English interference in the Soudan, which he has never been backward to express. For instance, he says: " I was talking the other day to a gentleman who has been brought into closer relations with the adherents of the Mahdi than any other European. Ho told me that the only difficulty in coming to such an arrangement is that the Mahdi has little confidence in us_ since our massacres in the vicinity of Suakin, and is as much puzzled by our policy as many are at Home ; but that if he can be convinced that we mean fairly to him, he would willingly treat on these terms. The Soudanese, he told me, are not anxious to occupy Suakin, and would leave it to Egypt. It is, however, doubtful whether it would not be better tactics to leave this port to the Soudanese, who would thus be brought into relations with civilisation, instead of being isolated from it. We perpetually hear of communications going on between the Mahdi and persons at Dongola. I do not enter into the question of w.hether it would be advisable, as The Times suggests, to establish a strong, independent, and solvent State, holding the entire valley of the Nile from Khartoum downwards, because the Khartoum expedition was approved of by Parliament on tho pledge that we should rescue and retire. But as this latter is our policy, as Lord Wolseley cannot reach Khartoum much before March, and as the expenditure each day on the expedition is enormous, may we not hope that at length— as I have again and again suggested—some attempt will be made to make peace with the Mahdi upon the basis of our recognition of the independence of the Soudan up to Wady Haifa on condition of his allowing Gordon, his garrison, and all who hold with him to withdraw from Khartoum," THE CAUSE OF THB MAHDI'S BEBELLION. When, in January 1880, General Gordon relinquished his former position as Governor of the Soudan, he left the country comparatively quiet and with its finances fairly settled. He kept his dominion free from the effects of the intermeddling of the Egyptian Government, which had control over it, and the relations between this dependency of the Khedive and the Khedive himself were on theS whole satisfactory. As soon as he had gone, however, the Khedive's administration sent out a horde of half - civilised foreign soldiers with a few of the betterdrilled Egyptian troops, ostensibly to preserve control of the dependency. In other ways they reversed the whole of General Gordon's policy, mismanaged the Soudan, and harassed the Soudanese. Thiß explains why there was such general sympathy with the Mahdi when, in July 1881 — beginning his expedition in the Bouth of Senaar —he arose in rebellion against the Egyptian Government. The Mahdi's object in rising was not directly to redresa Soudanese grievances. He announced that he was the great Prophet whose coming waß foretold by Mohammed, with whom he claimed relationship; that he had a divine mission to reform Islam, to establish universal equality, law, religion, and community of goods, and as well to destroy anybody and everybody who did not believe in | him. WHO IS THB MAHDI? His name is Mahomet Aohmet. He is a native of the province of Dongola. * His father was a carpenter. As a boy the Mahdi was apprenticed to a boatbuilder near Shendi. This man was his uncle. Having been beaten by him he ran away to Khartoum. Here he received a general education at a free school, and specially studied religious teachings. He waa more proficient in these than in the mere oommonplace requirements of reading and writing and figuring. By-and-bye he went to Berber, and joined another free school there, thus completing his religiouß education. Retiring to the island of Abba, near. Kana, on the White Nile, he lived the life of a religious roclnno, gradunlly attracted n proat. many followers, baoame very wealthy, mat ried several .wives, and grew famous. He was ingenious in his marriage matters. The Koran allowed him only four wives at a time. He was a devout man, and hence must keep within the lcgal)B3d number; so when he grew tired of one wife, and was attracted by the charms of

•ome unmarried lady, he divorced the former and made up .the quartette by marrying the Utter. An to bin;personal appearance, he is tall and slim, with a black baard and a lightbrown complexion. He is caid to have great natural ability. He is about 40 years old. One reason besides his successes why he has been bo enthusiastically recoived by tho Mohammedans is that they had been for some years looliing forward to the coming of a new Prophet, whosa advent was foretold by Mohammed. The Mahdi gave himself out as that true Prophst, charged with the mission of working numerous reforms. —Adelaide Observer.

THE ABABS IN BATHE. > . • Mr Tyndall, a young gentleman who was with the 18th Hussars at the El Teb and Tamai engagements, ia now in Melbourne, and in the course of an interview.with a representative of the Herald he thus described tho enemy; "Thoy hava no fear of death. The Mahdi teaches them that English bullets before ' striking them will turn into water, and that if they are killed in this war they will immediately be transported to the realms of bliss. They believe him, and they fight like the fanatics they are. They have no definite order of attack; they don t come into action in columns or battalions, but they swarm down on their foes like bees in one headlong charge. It was with an assault of this kind that they broke the square at Tamai. It was a calm still morning', and there was not a breath of air. The smoke from our rifles when we opened fire lay like a thick impenetrable cloud between the rebels and us, and the beggars keeping close to the ground rushed up under the smoky cover and accomplished a feat which would have been creditable to more civilised warriors, Most of them are armed with spears, having a blade about seven inches long, jand a handle measuring, some 12 feet. Round the butt of the handle there is a piece of iron coiled to balance the weapon, and I have been told they can hurl this spear eomo 50 yards. The blade is a flat one, and the wound 3 inflicted (unless some vital part is struck) are not usually very serious—not nearly bo bad as the stab of a triangular bayonet. They have also ' ham stringing knives.' Some of them are armed with Remington rifles, which they have taken from the Egyptians. On the 4th of February 1884 Colonel Baker led an army of Egyptians into action, and they were slaughtered. They can't fight, those Egyptians ; they're no good, and the rebels got their rifles and four field-pieces, which they used against us.' You may be sure they never miss an opportunity of securing arms and ammunition from the slain."

PATBIOTIC MEETING IN SYDNEY. At a meeting in Sydney in aid of the patriotic fund it is estimated that nearly 7000 persons were present, and many hundreds were unable to gain admission. The Mayor of Sydney presided, and the resolutions were spoken to by Sir Jas. Martin, the Chief Justice, Sir Patrick Jennings, M.P., Messrs H. S. Badgery, M.P., Hy. Copeland, M.P., Mr G. Barton, the Speaker of the Legislative ' Assembly, Mr George Thornton, M.L.0., R. B. Smith, M.P., and others. During the , evening a large number of donations, amounting in all to several thousands of pounds, were announced by the Mayor, but the amount which produced the greatest enthusiasm was that notified by the Commissioner of Railways, who stated that at a meeting of the railway employes it was enthusiastically resolved that the employes of the Railways Department should contribute to the patriotic fund, and that their contributions were estimated to amount to £5000. The following resolution was enthusiastically adopted:—"Tnat this meeting endorses the prompt and patriotic action of the Government of this Colony in placing at the disposal of the Imperial Government a contingent of troops for service in Egypt, and accords its hearty approval of the same." The opponents to the resolution apparently numbered several hundreds, and they were vociferous in their demand for a division, but the crowded state of the meeting rendered such a thing impossible. The second resolution, to the effect that the first resolution should be conveyed to the Government, was moved by Mr Badgery and seconded by Mr Oopeland. The latter in the course of his speech made an uncomplimentary reference to Sir Henry Parkns, who has written several letters to the Press strongly condemning the action of the Government in offering an expedition to the Soudan. A large number of Sir Henry Parkes' frionds were present, and these, together with that section of the meeting opposed to the movement, combined in hissing and groaning at Mr Copeland; and this being kept up for some considerable time, precluded that gentleman from finishing Mb speech. A man named Brown then came forward with the view of moving an amendment, when a scene of the wildest confusion ensued, in the midst of which a number of ladies on the platform had to be taken out. Mr Brown persisted in'trying to speak, notwithstanding the determination of the great majority of the meeting not to hear him. Hundreds of those present hissed and tried to groan him down, while hundreds of others cheered him. In the midst of all this Mr Brown was suddenly seized by the collar by an excited gentleman on the platform, and amid an extraordinary ecene of confusion, yelling, hissing, and groans, the would-be mover of the amendment was unceremoniously expelled at the back of the platform. A considerable time elapsed before order could _be restored,' when Mr Barton, the Speaker^of the Assembly, moved the following resolution, which was carried: —''That by way of manifesting the undoubted loyalty of tho.AustmianJDolonieß to the Cr,owft_and the , integrity-^<B Empire, ana of strengthening the hands of the Government of this Colony, a fund be opened, to be. styled the New South ' Wales Patriotic Fund; such fund to ba for the assistance of the wives and families of the msmbera of the force who embaik, and for the relief of the widows and orphans of those who may fall in battle or during the campaign." Mr Barton's speech restored the good tone of the meeting, and was vociferously cheered. The remaining resolutions were of a iormal character.