HC Deb 28 March 1881 vol 260 cc10-1
SIR HENRY TYLER

asked the Secretary of State for India, If he will be good enough to state the amount of military force with which he expects the Ameer of Cabul, Abdul Rahman, will occupy Candahar and Southern Afghanistan on the withdrawal of the British troops?

MR. ONSLOW

asked the Secretary of State for India, Whether it is true, as stated in the "Times" of that morning, that General Hume, commanding at Candahar, refused to leave it on sanitary and humane grounds, and whether any special arrangements have been made to secure the health of the troops marching at this season of the year, now that the Government have ordered their immediate withdrawal from Candahar?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

Sir, the information which has been re- ceived, and which was communicated to the House last week, was to the effect that 4,000 Infantry and 1,000 Cavalry had left Cabul for Candahar. I am not aware whether this force is to be followed by any larger one, or what are the numbers of the forces to be collected locally at Candahar. As to time, it is believed that the Cavalry would reach Candahar in about 12 days from the date of their departure from Cabul; I do not recollect what the date was. It was expected that the Infantry would reach Cabal four days after the Cavalry. I have received no information whatever which corroborates the statement referred to in the Question of the hon. Member for Guildford (Mr. Onslow).