MR. GRANT DUFFasked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether 1646 his attention has been called to an article in "The Times" newspaper of December 27, 1878, in which it is asserted that the Maharajah of Cashmere has been instructed to carry out operations in the direction of Chitral and the Hindoo Koosh; whether he is able to assure the House that the Maharajah of Cashmere has not been instructed to carry out operations in that direction, and that he has not in fact been either carrying on nor is about to carry on operations in that direction; and, whether he is able to inform the House that the Maharajah is not carrying on nor is about to carry on operations beyond his own borders, and that the rumour of his having been instructed to co-operate in the "rectification of the frontier" is without foundation?
§ MR. E. STANHOPESir, I have read the article in The Times of the 27th of December, 1878, as to military operations in this quarter. I am able to assure the House that the Maharajah of Cashmere has not been instructed to carry out military operations in the direction of Chitral and of the Hindoo Koosh, or beyond his own frontier; and that he has not been instructed to cooperate in the "rectification of the frontier; "and so far as we know, he is not carrying out, nor about to carry out, any such operations. The hon. Member will, however, of course understand that that my answer applies to existing circumstances and not to contingencies at present unforeseen.