THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, the following Question had been put on the Paper by the hon. Member for Eye (Mr. Ashmead-Bartlett); but, as that hon. Member was not in his place, and he (the Marquess of Hartington) could probably not be present to-morrow, he might reply by anticipation. The Question was—
To ask the Secretary of State for India, whether he can give the House any information as to the Civil War which has broken out in Afghanistan, and especially with regard to the statements that Ayoub Khan has crossed the Helmund?The reply he had to make was that the Government had already given to the Press for public information all the intelligence they had received on this subject. The latest telegrams from the Viceroy showed that Ayoub Khan was in the Bakwa, a small district more than 100 miles west of the Helmund. His force, consisting, it was said, of six regi- 1473 ments of Infantry, 13 guns, and about 1,500 Cavalry, was distributed between Farah and Washir. The Ameer's force, which consisted of five regiments of Infantry, two of Cavalry, 1,500 irregular horse, and 16 guns, was said to be at Kalah-i-Gaz, close on the other side of the Helmund. Besides this, it was reported that two regiments of Infantry and 12 guns left Candahar about the 16th of July en route to Girishk, and that further reinforcements were on their way from Cabul.