§ MR. E. STANHOPEI beg to ask the noble Lord the Secretary of State for India, Whether the telegram which has appeared in The Times, stating that the Government have given peremptory orders to the Government of India for the evacuation of the Pishin Valley as early as practicable, is true?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONThere is no foundation for the statement, and I cannot find out how it could have originated. In the only despatch sent on this subject since the discussion in this House, while we asked for an explanation as to the large force said to be kept in Pishin and Sibi, we repeated, and rather confirmed and extended than restricted, the discretion which had been given to the Government of India as to the time at which the evacuation of this district should be carried out.
§ COLONEL MAKINSasked, Whether the statement by the Correspondent of The Times was correct, that the Government had made terms of peace with the Bheel tribe, and that one of the terms was that in future the Bheels were to be allowed to levy black mail on travellers?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONIf the hon. Member wishes for full information on this subject, he had better give Notice of the Question. I cannot give particulars as to the terms of the arrangements made with the Bheels; but my impression is that the statement Has as little foundation as that mentioned in the previous Question.