THE REBELLION IN THE SOUDAN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1122, 25 February 1885, Page 6

THE REBELLION IN THE SOUDAN.

London, P. bruary 19 l h. The Queen tu-di yinspeced at Windsor the Grenadier Guards, who are about to proceed to Egypt. In the Housea of Commons and Lords to-day statements were made respectively by Earl Granville and Mr Gladstone as to the intentions of the Government in respect to the Soudan. They stated that the Ministerial policy was still to evacuate that country, but it was resolved that a British force should go to Khartoum to break the power of the Mahdi. The selection of the time for the advance of theexpedition would be left to Lord Wolseley, but it would probably b 3 in the autumn. Both speakers warmly recognised the beneficial influence of the offers of troops by the Colonies. In regard to Egyptian finances, they said the questions at issue had been honorably arranged with the Powers. In the House of Commons the Marquis of Bartington, Secretary of War, in reply to a question, stated that the troops at El Metemmeh under Major-General Buller would probably be ordered to fall back on I Korti or Merawi. , Sir Stafford Northcote gave notice of .motion censuring the. Egyptian policy of theXabvefriment.; • , „ February 23rd. There is an enormous gathering of the rebels under Osman Digma at Tamai. In an article today on the refusal of the Imperial Government to accept additional Colonial troops, the "Times" states that the .reply is ungrateful, and it further expresses the opinion that the aid uf Colonial troops' will be'nee r ded The "Standard" says the refusal is a disdnct blunder, and characterises the reasons given for not accepting the troops as weak. An engagement has taken place in the neighborhood of El Metemmeh between the friendly Arabs and the tribe of rebel Hadendowas, when 2000 of the latter were killed. Cairo, February 19th. News is to hand that Major-General Sir Herbert Stewart died on Monday last at Gakdul from injuries received at the battle which was fought near Metemmeh on the 19th ult. (Special to Press Association.) London, February 19th. The advance of the Mahdi on El | Mci em m eh is causing great anxiety. The War Office has iequested New Sou'h Wales to send a light batt-ry to Suakin.

Ilf t leading article on the Pacific acnexn' (ion question, the 'Sydney Morning Herald ' of a recent issue says :— lt is perfectly absurd lhat two great countries like England anl Germany shou d carry on, at the same time, two such different colonial policies us are now in vogue. Here arc the Australians with a very slrorg interest indeed in the wuy in which the Pacific Islands are parcelled out, yet its inhabitants are restrained absolutely by Imperial authority from doing anything fc> bring about the solution they most de-ire. If they makn a purchase on ever such fair terms from a chiff or a tribe whose power to s.ll can be conclusively proved, the Mother Country declines to reoognise the b;ir?am, or give it any protection whatever/" .Yet the German traders c;m buy up all. the beat harbors in the PaMßc Islands for kegs of tobaoco, hatchet?, and musket.s, and their Government recognises the purchases and protects them. If Australians had been free to do the ssme thing there would have been no trouble to day over who was first; but their hands are tied, while the hands of others are free. In making commercial treaties the British Government has had many a hard fight to get the footing of the most favored nation, and yet in its policy in the Pacific it has deliberately disrated its own people,and not only not put them on the most favored footing, but denied them any footing at all." ___