§ THE EARL OF HARROWBYasked, Whether it is a fact that, in the negotiations with Russia as to the delimitation of Afghanistan, as has been recently stated in the newspapers, England and Russia have been unable to come to an agreement, or that negotiations have been broken off and the British Commissioners ordered to return to England?
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of SALISBURY)It is true that the Commission has not yet come to an agreement; but it is not true that negotiations have been broken off; and it is not true that any orders have been sent to the British Commissioners to return to England. As far as it is possible to forecast such matters, I think negotiations are more likely to last a longer than a shorter time. The matter is one that involves considerable difficulty, in consequence of its previous history, and will involve, I dare say, a great deal of discussion between the Commissioners.