MR. J. COWENasked the Secretary of State for India, Whether it is correct, as stated by General Kaufmann to Shere Ali, in his despatches of the 2nd January 1879, and the 7th January 1879, that the Russian Ambassador had "obtained a promise from the British Minister to the effect that they would not injure the independence of Afghanistan;" whether Her Majesty's Government are bound, by any promise made by themselves or by their predecessors to the Russian Government, not to remain in occupation of Candahar; and, whether he will lay upon the Table the terms of the promise alluded to by General Kaufmann?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, the statements made by General Kaufmann in his letters to the late Ameer on the 2nd and 7th of January, 1879, are a mere repetition of those contained in his letter of November 26, 1878. I have no knowledge of anything having passed on the subject 1733 between the Russian and British Governments between the well-known interchange of views in 1875 and General Kaufuiann's letter of the 26th of November, 1878. Subsequent to the latter date two conversations took place between Lord Salisbury and Count Schou-valoff—namely, on the 10th and 12th of December, 1878, and the subject of those conversations is recorded in a despatch of Lord Salisbury's dated December 13, 1878, to Lord Augustus Loftus, and which has already been laid upon the Table. This record does not appear to bear out in any way the statements made by General Kaufmann to the Ameer. Her Majesty's Government, therefore, are not to their knowledge bound by any promise on the part of their Predecessors in Office not to remain in occupation of Candahar; and they certainly are not so bound by any promise they have made themselves.