§ Mr. Escottwished to know whether the right hon. Baronet at the head of the Government could, consistently with the interests of the public service, make any statement relative to the circumstances which had led to the war in Affghanistan, or any facts which would enable Parliament to decide on the justice and policy of that war.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, that several extracts from official documents respecting the war in Affghanistan were laid before the House some time since. Those extracts conveyed all the information which it was at that time expedient to furnish. With respect to the events which had more recently occurred, the information received by the Government, except with respect to the melancholy facts which were before the public was exceedingly imperfect. The causes which had led to such an enormous loss of life, as well as the motives of those who had entered into the capitulation, were very imperfectly known, and the information which the Government possessed upon that point was obtained rather from private sources than official communications.