Mr. Morley, in the same speech, also advised the Govern-
ment to leave Egypt as speedily as possible. We could not annex the country, he said, because of our solemn pledges, because of the heavy Egyptian Debt, and because of the number of foreigners within it protected by their strong Governments. The argument from pledges we admit, with the reserve that Europe could cancel them ; but the Debt would be only £2,250,000 a year, if we guaranteed it; and the foreigners would be no more trouble than they are in London. Mr. Morley would, therefore, retire, maintaining that we have nothing to do with the Soudan, which is quite true ; and that the Mandi can- not invade Egypt because of the distance, and because his wild followers will not accompany him beyond the Desert, neither of them valid arguments. Oriental armies cross vast distances, and Arabs, so far as known, will go anywhere for plunder. Why should they not march out of El Obeid into Egypt, just as readily as they did out of Medina ? Mr. Morley ridiculed the idea that if the British did not intervene France would, declaring that if she did, " so much the worse for her, and none the worse for us." As to the Turk, he said, let him intervene, if he likes. We do not believe in French inter- vention, and the tribes can take care of the Turks; but we do not see why we should let the Turks conquer the Soudan. The Mandi, if he will only keep in the Soudan, will govern a great deal better than a Turkish Pasha, for he will not plunder so much, not hoping to end his days on the Bosphorus with half a million in Italian Bonds.
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