§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been called to the letter in The Daily News of Tuesday, from a Correspondent who was present at the battle of Pul-i-Khisti, in which it is stated that Colonel Alikhanoff ordered his Sarik Turcomans to attack Captain Yate's party; whether Captain Yate was deputed by Sir Peter Lumsden to watch the course of affairs at Penjdeh; whether Captain Yate had taken any part in the engagement of March 30th, or in any way transgressed the limits of his Commission; and, whether Colonel Alikhanoff is one of the gallant Officers whose conduct is not to be inquired into?
MR. GLADSTONEThe Question of the hon. Member is in four parts, and I 1860 shall reply to them as they are stated. With regard to the first statement, as far as the Russian Government is concerned, the report has been repudiated by them in the strongest terms. As far as we are concerned, I am not aware of any foundation for the report except rumour. I have not seen the letter referred to. As to the second part of the Question, Captain Yate was deputed by Sir Peter Lumsden to watch the course of affairs at Penj-deh. With regard to the third paragraph, so far as we are informed, Captain Yate took no part in the action, and did not transgress the limits of his commission with regard to it. With regard to the fourth paragraph, Colonel Alikhanoff, as I presume, stands relatively to the agreement in exactly the same position as all the other officers on both sides who were concerned in directing the operations.