HC Deb 21 August 1883 vol 283 c1548
LORD GEORGE HAMILTON

said, he wished to refer to one point—that was, the policy of the Government with regard to Afghanistan. The right hon. Gentleman the Prime Minister had, in giving the Ameer a fixed subsidy, claimed that he was following the policy of Lord Lawrence and Lord North-brook; but a few words would suffice to show that the Government was effecting a reversal of the policy of Lord Lawrence and Lord Northbrook. What had Lord Northbrook laid down? That there was to be no fixed subsidy to the Ameer. The origin of the last Afghan War was the Conference of Simla in 1873, the result of which was almost incredible. The Afghans were a greedy and rapacious people, yet Shere Ali was so disgusted at the treatment he had received, that he actually declined to take the sum of £100,000 which was waiting for him in the Treasury at Peshawur. The policy of Lord Lawrence was perfectly intelligible—namely, that of declining to interfere in any way with the affairs of Afghanistan. But if they assisted the Ameer with large subsidies, if they took control over his external relations, and in any way implied that they would assist him if he got in to difficulties, they must take care that he made a more or less proper use of the money that was given to him, and that he did not make such use of the assurances given to him as to bring them and him into collision with a Foreign Power. If they entered into alliance with the Ameer they must take certain risks which that alliance conveyed, and the only mode by which those risks could be minimized was by obtaining reliable information from trustworthy agents in Afghanistan. He was glad that the Government had adopted the course of giving the subsidy and of keeping their troops at Quetta; but what they were now doing was proof that they had blundered 10 years ago, and was only another illustration of the fact that the Government were now compelled, by force of circumstances, to bless the policy which they were put in Office to curse. He hoped they would deal generously with any advances which might be made by the Ameer.