§ MR. E. STANHOPEasked the Secretary of State for India, What further subsidy has recently been paid, or is intended to be paid, to the Ameer of Afghanistan; and, under what head in the Financial Accounts these subsidies have been and are included?
§ MR. SALTasked the Secretary of State for India, What is the amount of pecuniary aid to be afforded to the Ameer of Afghanistan, and for what purpose and from what sources such aid is given, since it has been stated—
* * * * the Governors of Candaha, Ghazni, and Jellalabad were all suppliants for pecuniary aid. It was believed that with the very large subsidies granted to the Ameer by the Indian Government he would be able to render the required assistance?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, we have no information of any further subsidies having been given or promised to the Ameer since the last statement which I made on the subject to the House, or since the date of the Return laid on the Table of the House extending up to March of the present year. In reply to the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Salt), I have to state that the amount of pecuniary aid to be given to the Ameer of Cabul has not up to the present time been fixed. Advances have been made, and I presume will continue to be made, by the Government of India from time to time as may be considered advisable under the circumstances. I have no knowledge of the large subsidies referred to in the extracts from The Times' telegram to which the hon. Member refers. In 1880–1 the subsidy appeared in the accounts under the head of "Military Operations," and in 1882 under the head of "Political." The subsidy will, of course, be provided for out of the Indian Revenue.