ANGLO-RUSSIAN NEGOTIATIONS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume X, Issue 3432, 30 December 1885, Page 4

ANGLO-RUSSIAN NEGOTIATIONS.

fu rtewtly ft botty Bamotwr ra*r cmsiaiobg farther cor- r nspoodeace nwpccting Ceotrtl Asia. It-1 coaufct 109 despatches. telogrspbic »na vtiiltn, negiwt io date from February 7 to September 17, betide* icnnl map* of lb* disputed territory. The sebstaoce of lbs cuiMiMtoo b confainld io tbo foOowin* despatch from Lord Salisbury to Mr QnttMur, in ■ which be thus recapitulates the courte of the aegotia- ' ttcaa' " Foreign Office, Sept. 17» 1883- " Sir,—l ndoM 10, yoo with this de- » copy of tbo (Mocol which wit fad here oo tbo lOUtlbst., and which tfotpt to coadosion the aegoljitioai wilb mspset to the delimitation of tbo northern frontier of Algtaniitw ; aad alio a copy cf tbo mage to which the protocol refers. Is the middle cf April WO Rom&o 'Gotuoatol 'aad tbo British Oomaaieot sorted that Psojdeb aboald bo ezcbasg.ee f for Zolfiksr. Bat tbe mrntij fit to little known tbat no coronoa mssafcg «a* attached to ibo word . Zfttfikar, aad, oo further consideration, Milker OoTtromrat *m able to accept tbo Km propoand by tbo o«ber lo canr *' ' lUi agmmoi iata tlfici. Her M»jf»tya ' * (Jovsnuaent contended that tbo Btuaisa fine woold deprive tbo Am«er of the Pus el Zolfikar, which they bad guaranteed to biaa ; while tbo Bossiaa Government cootended tbat tbo Boglish lino woold enable tbo Afghan* to cot coo of tbo maia rtafc of military cnaoitoictUoa on their aide of tbo frontier. Jf «bo taape which I farmed to yea in accurate, neither of these coolution was eolirely without fWllrfillWfti » • • **la this difficulty tho twoGoveromenta screed to nfir tbe dispated point Io (be fkctiir Commfasfoo. Bat this pUn did Mt lead to a lolaiioa ; for it'wae found, ' ct> trial, to bo itapciaiblc io frame an instruct ton to tbe Owimkron on which " tbe t*o G»tar::towot# itgricr. Tbe Eogtiab Gmtnust hwt>«d tbat tbe command ? of llw p«M by tb*f Af.'luM was the paramoost afcj-it which the Cotnm'Mion were , to »>«(«; white tbe Rojsiaa Government contended tbat tbo object ia which they «m Intetented, tbe preservation of "military tocomuntettirtjw, should lm treated so of tqnl importance wilb tbo other. At this point tbo responsibility of con- , lindag tbo negotiations fell to her Majesty's present adviiers. They did mt ponao farther tbe Idea of w- * - twifag tbe pointa at issue to the Commhsfoo for settlement, as the impossibility of agreeing upon a joint fostructioo appeared t>> present aa iasoperable , 1 4 obstacle. On tbo other band the latest Baasiaa proposal communicated to their pndseaenra Ad not seem to famish tbe bsoh of a settlsmeot. They obiaiaed from Sir J. W. Ridgewsy by telegraph aa Cfbko with respect to ita strategic bearlog. Tbo answer received was not soch as to rteotnmead tbo acceptance cf tbe proposal: 'Crest of bills claimed commands aad readers oseleao Zulfikar Pus, tad sfoo rod from Hhfl Boiak by Ksrn 'E&s at its foot, which is essential to Afghans. It aba gives Russians comof Finn of Dbsn* Zikll and Sans EBtti aad tboo tecores Russian right flank against attack. It practically bw» cnocsssion'of Heri-Bad ap to Char DawH Gorges* Ths coarenatioos and Begctcatkws which bare licce taken place bore bod tbo effect of briagiag oat more distinctly tbo difficult points of the controversy, sad bave suggested to the Government tbe expediency of oliaiißtf Bp several doubtful questions of topography by a more detailed sad sccnrate , survey of tbo ground. Tbe resatt has ' fiisn tbo proposal which her Majesty's . Government, after consultation with Sir P. Lomeden, Sir J. W. Btdgewsy, and tbo Viceroy, were of opinion might properly be accepted. " The object of this new proposal was to reset ru to tbe Bassiaas fall military command of tbe jaoctioa of tbo roads to which reference has beea made, whflo , aotisfying tbe EogHsh view by leaving the fall command of the Zofilnr Pass to tbe Afghans. To attain this latter object the froatier Is poshed back from the crest of tbo heights bordering the ZolSksr Pass to a distance ia every case not less than lflOO yards, sad generally to a much greater distance. The whole of the ZnlBlear Ridge sooth of tbe pus is given to tbo Afghans, and the broken ground musing for several miles eaitward op to tbo next ridge, tho Dinii Dagb. The Mcoad, or eastern-most defile, catting throngs this ln*t ridge, is crossed by the frootier at a distsno-s of about a mile to tho west of tbe jaoctioa of Rnssiao roods; «o tbat the Afghans, while they will be able to bold this secood defile, will not bo abto to oso it for tbe porpoae of intercsptieg the Bassiao commnnicttions. "In tbe opinion of tbe officers whose msaas of Iccil knowledge entitled them to express sa opinioo, tbts proposal was aa sdsqaato nlotioa of tbe difficnlty io | tbe iateresta of tbo Ameer, aad therefore ! In tbo intersstsof this country. MajorGsneral Sir P. Lamsden states that he coosidera that if tbe Bosaian map may be Meapted as correct, everything has been secured which can under say circunistances be of valae to tbe Ameer. . . Sir J. W. Bidgeway, bdng coasalied by tslegrapb, was also favorable to the acceptance of tbe new line, and the Governstent of ladle are of tho lame opinion. Tbere appears now, therefore, to be no further reason why the delimitation sboold not be poshed on with expedition. It appears that aa iaterval of about two moothe from tbe signature of tbe Protocol most elapse before the Bossisa Commissioner will be ia a coaditioo to commence tbe work of delimitation npoa tbe It b mneb to be regrett d tbat the negotiatioos sboold bave postponed the commenemment of this laborions work till ao advuacsd a period nf the s»»s°n. I' may be hoped tbat tbe foil diocossion which tbe details of this frontier hare received will prevent say farther controversy sHWng dnrfatt the progress cf the undertaking.—l am, &c., SUIaSUKT.