HC Deb 06 December 1878 vol 243 cc200-2
MR. W. E. FORSTER

asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether any opinions were given by any Members of the Council of India with respect to the Despatches from the Secretary of State for India to the Governor General of India, dated 22nd January and 19th November, 1875; and, if so, whether the Government will give the House their opinions; whether he can give the House Captain Grey's Letter to Noor Mahemed Shah, referred to in Dr. Bellew's Memorandum, dated Peshawur, 28th January 1877; whether there is any record of Sir Lewis Pelly's demand from the Cabul Envoy for an explanation of the reported hostility of the Ameer's language and conduct while engaged in friendly and pacific negotiation with the British Government, referred to in paragraph 33 of Lord Lytton's Despatch of 10th May 1877, and of the Envoy's reply to this demand, referred to in paragraph 34 of the same Despatch; and, if there be such record, whether it can be produced; and, whether the Native Agent, Nawab Gholam Hussein Khan, made any report of his Mission to Cabul on his return to Simla in October 1878; and, whether, if so, such report can be produced?

MR. E. STANHOPE

The letters of Captain Grey and also the letters which passed between Sir Lewis Pelly and the Envoy shall be included in the forthcoming Papers. The only official account which we have received at the India Office of the Report of our Native Agent is a very short telegraphic Report; but my noble Friend is in communication with the Viceroy on the subject. With respect to Lord Salisbury's despatches to the Governor General of India, dated the 22nd January and 19th November, 1875, no opinions by any Members of the Council are recorded in the proceedings. They were approved by the Secret Committee of the Council. [Mr. FAWCETT: The Political Committee of the Council?] I prefer to call it by the name of the Political and Secret Committee. While under discussion notes were written by three of the Members for the consideration of their Colleagues and the Secretary of State. These notes were of a strictly confidential character, and it has never been the practice to communicate their contents, or, in fact, to make their existence known. If such notes were to be published, a Secret Committee would be useless, and I am afraid we cannot, therefore, undertake to produce them. The letter of the Native Agent will be produced with the rest of the Papers.

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

said, that with reference to the Report of the Native Agent's Mission to Cabul there were three letters written by Nawab Gholam Hussein Khan, but only abstracts or extracts were given of the contents in the Blue Book. As the letters were written letters, he presumed they might be given as well as the telegraphic extracts.

MR. W. E. FORSTER

Do I understand that we shall receive these Papers as early as possible on Monday?

MR. E. STANHOPE

They will be ready early to-morrow.