§ MR. ERNEST NOELasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he 738 can inform the House what was Lord Lytton's authority for saying to the Nawab Atta Mahomed Khan, the British Agent at Cabul, on the 10th October 1876, that if His Highness the Ameer did not desire to come to an understanding with England, Russia did so, and desired it at Shere Ali's expense; whether, seeing that Lord Derby's published communications with Russia of the same date point to no such negotiation, Lord Lytton was authorized to state that there was nothing to prevent us from providing for the security of our Frontier by entering into an understanding with Russia which might have the effect of wiping Afghanistan out of the map altogether; and, whether the Viceroy's intention that all that was in his mind should be faithfully communicated without reserve to the Ameer was carried out by the Vakil?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI must point out to the House that the Viceroy of India is not in the position of an Under Secretary of State, and that it is really impossible to expect that we should answer Questions upon matters of this kind, which really rest within the Viceroy's own discretion and competence. Therefore, I can only say, with reference to the first and second Questions, that it was not in consequence of any official communications from the Secretary of State that these things occurred; that Lord Lytton was perfectly authorized, from his position, in giving his opinion as Viceroy from such information as he had received; and that with regard to the last Question—
Whether the Viceroy's intention that all that was in his mind should be faithfully communicated without reserve to the Ameer was carried out by the Vakil"—I am utterly unable to answer as to what was in the Viceroy's mind.