The Afghan Question.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1683, 1 April 1885, Page 3

The Afghan Question.

■Dunedin tiur ) u;i ti.u 3rd of ti»is mouth Earl Granville, iu the lit use of Lords. notified that be had reewed isikiKiatii.u tint the Russians bad ccciuio i tiie Guiiikar IV-s of the Hindu Kush Mountains, and were advancing towards iani-Kh. a town iu Afghanistan, and tiiat Sir peter Lumsdeti, Commissioner of the Ftor.t.*,r Boundary Com mission had advised the Apluns to re.-i-t, and tn .1 the action of the British Commis.-i-'in.-r was approved of by Inin. On the c'.h Me Oil Gt-me, initio Hull-e of Gmiitcli, Stated ih it a (JUrsti'-.D i>f the .;r>:iU=t ddtc>cy was no., i on hoc Lctv.-cen Euauud and Ilusti o un.i that ha det-recate-i any c-auaiiies <-n the subject. To understand the par ity of the p .sition, v.: must te ihse that a tuaty exists between , England and Afghani-tan, which in the eunt of the Afghans repelling tue Russian CDoroatl.mtt.ts l.y arms, must lead eventually to war between Lr.gian i and Russia. Again, to .-L w huw we are bound to the Afghans in this c ,ntrov.-rsy, the following extract from Pail illf on's letter to the Ameer of Afghanistan may be ([noted. The GovernorGeUcr ti thro writes to the Ameer:—“ As iegar..3 tnaUeos if extetnal p-.lhry, y.-ur ILfcht-ess was ini'-rnud, iu a conimumcaiion i fioint;.e I-', reign Secretary to the Government of lu iia dated 'JUi’i July, loco, and ngain in Li.v letter of tt.e 2'2n.i Pcbruaiv h'Sd, that if any fi.reign power should attempt to interfere in At.uauistan. and if such inteiierei.ee sh-a.i ie id to an u iptuvokcd aggression on uouuuii'-r.s M v.-iir Highness, in that toe Prstt.-n Guu-tnmeut would l.e prel > oi v.-n to eit.-ii extent and in such u... n - u _i - ['[t at to the Prili.-h Go. ununei.t nee .- ir. iu rep i inc if, provided tii.t y i'.r llv t.t.c ' l.h os uni.t v. .1 ,y the aavico t i tie ilrui-ii ii muiui-nt in leg-itil to Vijur e-xtcin d leluttous," To this wa» spf ended a .-iii si ly oi twelve lakhs of rupees [L2U-001 I y. i! l [ iv.tbl- uiulitiily. Ne-r to to., o:. Wh.-n the Ila-sios aivs.icci tf in Me.,- oi. 1 oectipied h.lliS.oS, n0..;. ( . ,c-.- th- y 'hi . iho-J ly treaty ,hj ;.. trie l’.r-.0.-, Vil, V ,gu,- riolli.liis »Otl s,t ,o ! o it t . :.I- i.:'..;:i.ito lie-sign- of 1b.15.-id. in .1 li.-.-i .n-d ,-r. ,t une-tnoios to the : .a... -.r i- s .t -. Mie-i.t ii'ii uifa-t tnat he | ag i-i idles-- t t .e G ■ :n r- ieiit-ra! oi ‘ la ill i -- th - .-ire -11 -i ruiiitol ill; Pe-bIU- '- ill. 21 1"1. in,, i ii.o.v.ug r,-i ly Tn.- h-tter, after litcli-.ii. tj t:,e- -ibi/Ve- i[U irt i, t'.nliiiS.l Tt.'.is .— '■ I n 0.-c in-so cite iu-st in-o-s vi-iir fi..tit.ess i.ee 1 To Under 1,0 111-gl enei.SU 11, 1 n. ,v r-e-t m -e-cuic r,-h m. a Tu it U.c Li.it:-n (jjVifailiei.t have b ail the* v. .I; and t . ■ n ■: t ■ ci ,- g -.1 ini IneU c-u r ;-. h e' lile-ts Vv.,1l ;• o iilghbess ” wnv i. gsri i i-osil t: W.,;-,. Th-:- .->• i‘- ;-.o - C .■ lire sp .1. lent of ihe Sf ; J In- s' UiO v.-.itllig Oi tnr; JSi'. lo i of aiiiirs in i.u-- i-.iv.-Sv iii t-aus oi fear, i.-U e ;v t.-r in- p-r.-io-nl safety of the Cc-ir, ' but of -1 g- Uilai I.- n.’, au.i tspr.el.niy e-i a mi i a-v ti . un.i "ii every side*. Pe-cit-laticm ei.-i otiic. hj c -iu.i'tioin after receiving a in in iitatv Cic-c-k, me ft 3 nfc ns ever. liuu-e it iii.i aft- r i..0 liar-o-Tiiihi-ii war. the i hj; it in i-n ( ,-t ..-in., nic uiiuiiipt at inform in this uir-.-cti n. an at it inpt wukh aia-os: !•■■ , • d in ids tiiiu-ing one i f his own i.c-ar reiative- le-forc a i- .tt;im .r-iri . but of late* hehas seemed to ackr.onv ti at the task of cleansing poof, a gigarnic Augean stable as the Russian Administration is beyond even bis theoit-tijihy unbounded power, and things have graduihy drifted oac-k to their former deplorable, state. Jew-baitmg, Rihtiist-huut-tug. oppression of the Baltic provinces iu the and extension of the frontier in the east on the principles laid dewn iu General Sobeioff's celebrated letter, suffice to fully occupy the time and attention of the Emperor's present counsellors, who would regard any attempt at internal reform as a most dmcctous proceeding. The more intelligent and eolightened m-uni tii oven of tire Conservative party vie-- tu« at,nation with undisguised alarm. Tue higher the pressure at which the machinery c. ... .-pclic government is being driven, and the tighter -verc safety valve is screwed down, the more violent amt disastrous, they prognosticate, will be the final explosion. That the present state of affairs cannot la-t much longer, unless pubUr attention is distracted from home matteis ir- - a great war, is an article of faith with tiery sciismle ataa tiitcudlidwj vm? empiie.”

Me (,V.nli Otago Times) aie hj formed ! ■■■<•' the produce of '2O acres of oats beloupinp, Mr G. Falconer, ol the Home Farm (one f the Maiewbenua deferred payment selccli lsi was threshed recently, and returned the h.--i.d.-ume jie.d of 103 bushels to the acre. The weather continues satisfactory in \ictoiia, where ploughing is in full swing and making rapid progress. lielative to the impending war between England and Russia, the New Zealand Tablet remarks ;—“ Tire hearts of file colonies and of ail their settlers will certainly be with England in her contest with the Power whose existence in Europe is a disgrace to the century, and whose record of blood and tyranny is infinite. The assistance, nevertheless, that our colonists can render in such a struggle must be trilling, and their strength perhaps, is hardly sufficient for their own protection. Their loss would also he the loss of England, and tire imperative duty devolves upon litem, both for their own sake and that of the old c< unlry, of looking at once to their defences. Every man among us should be at once piepared to meet a brutal enemy even in our own streets and to give him a reception worthy of those three nations, who after aii, whitcu-r their divisions among themselves may be, hj ive in union, acquitted them- ' Eves like men on far too many a hard-fought heir to be divided in the hour of danger.”