§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been drawn to a proclamation 369 of General Roberts, dated 13th October, 1879, promising a reward of fifty rupees for every Afghan soldier who had fought against the British troops since the 3rd of the previous month; a reward of seventy-five rupees for every Afghan captain or subaltern officer; and a reward of one hundred and twenty rupees for every Afghan field officer; if he can state what was the total amount distributed in rewards for these purposes; and, whether such amount was charged to the British or to the Indian contribution to the expenses of the Afghan War?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONThe attention of the Government has been called to the proclamation referred to in the hon. Member's Question. It was contained in a Blue Book (No. 1) on Afghanistan, published in 1880. In consequence, however, of the change in the aspect of affairs at Cabul within some days of the issue of that proclamation, it was practically never acted upon in the sense of the Question of the hon. Member. I have the personal authority of Sir Frederick Roberts to say that no payments were ever made under that proclamation.