§ SIR WILLIAM PALLISERasked the Secretary of State for India, Whether they have any information showing what obstacle, if any, exists which might prevent the Russians from completing the Caspian and Askabad Railway, and from establishing themselves at Herat whenever it may suit their plans to go there; and, whether, in the event of Russian influence being established in Afghanistan, it would be necessary to augment the garrisons in the unhealthy Peshawur Valley and along the Valley of the Indus, unless Candahar were held, and our extended north-western frontier thereby reduced into a secondary line of defence?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, I am not sure whether the hon. Member refers in the first part of the Question to the material or the political obstacles which may exist to prevent the Russians from completing the railway. If the hon. Member refers to material obstacles, any information which may be 1241 in the possession of the Government would be in the Intelligence Department of the War Office, and the Question ought to be addressed to the Secretary of State for War. It would hardly be possible for me, in reply to a Question, to enter upon a discussion of the political obstacles which may exist to this object, if it be entertained by the Russian Government. The second part of the Question is of so hypothetical a character that really I hope the House will not expect me to answer it. I believe the object of Questions addressed to Ministers is to obtain, as shortly as possible, information on matters of fact which is not accessible to Members generally. I am always extremely anxious to give the House all the information I can as to matters of fact; but there is no object to be gained by my offering an opinion on the subject. If I thought the hon. Member would accept as conclusive a statement of my opinion, I should be glad to give it; but, otherwise, it would be useless for me to offer an expression of my opinion on a subject that may be more properly discussed in the debate on Candahar.