LORD DUNKELLINsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether the present invasion of Bhootan has been undertaken with the consent and sanction of the Home Government; whether it be true that two of Her Majesty's European Regiments have been ordered up to support the invading force; and whether it be the intention of the Indian Government to keep the Troops in the unhealthy country of Bhootan during the coming rainy season; and, if so, what, if any, arrangements have been made for putting them under cover?
§ SIR CHARLES WOODsaid, in reply, that when the failure of the mission that had been sent to Bhootan was known, three courses were suggested for the Government to follow. One was permanent occupation of the country; the second was a temporary occupation; and the third was to take possession of a small portion of the country, including the passes leading into the hills, through which the plundering bands came down into the plains. He was averse to a permanent occupation of the whole country, and equally so to a temporary occupation, because he did not see how it would be possible to withdraw when we had once taken possession, and therefore the Government of India and 782 himself were of opinion that the third course he had mentioned was that which they ought to adopt. At the end of December all the passes had been occupied, and our loss, except by one unfortunate accident, had been only five men. We remained in peaceable possession until the end of January, when the Bhootanese assembled in great force and attacked our troops. He would not express any opinion upon what happened then, as it was a subject of pending inquiry, but the result had been that it had been thought desirable to send forward a regiment and a half of British troops. He could not say what arrangements had been made or would be made for ensuring protection against the effect of the weather, but in the last despatch he had received there was this statement, "We shall spare no pains to provide shelter for the troops and to secure their health as far as possible."