The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-04-04 00:00:00

ENGLAND AND AFGHANISTAN.

ARRIVAL OF LORD DUFFERIN AT RAWUL

PINDI.

News from Rawul Pindi, dated March 27, 6.34
p.m., says: The Viceroy arrived here this evening.
The reception at the railway station was most im-
posing. On the platform were assembled the Punjaub
chiefs; Sir E. Aitchison, the Lieutenant-Governor of
the Punjaub; Sir Donald Stewart, Commander-in-
Chief in India; Sir Frederick Roberts, Commander-
in-Chief of the Madras Army; General llardinge,
Commander-in-Chief of Bombay; and a large
concourse of high officials and other personages
of distinction. After an exchange of greetings
between the Viceroy and those assembled to receive
him, his Excellency proceeded to the camp. The
whole route was lined with troops, and the
military display was very effective. Much enthusiasm
was displayed on all sides. A most loyal address
from the municipality was presented to the Viceroy
expressing appreciation of the honour done to Rawul
Pindi by its being selected as the place of meeting
and conference between his Excellency and the Ameer
of Afghanistan, and giving utterance to the sincere
hope that their councils would be so guided as to
ensure an honourable and lasting peace. Lord
Dufferin replied that he was glad that his first public
act as Viceroy of India was to cultivate friendly rela-
tions with the Sovereigns of States which were con-
terminous with the Indian frontiers, and he trusted
that the friendly reception which was about to
be extended to the Ameer Abdur Rahman would
prove to all our neighbours our firm intention and
anxious desire to respect their rights and recognise
their dignity, and would confirm that confidence in us
which had so long been established, and which was
receiving daily expression from all the rulers of India
within our borders. Their offers of loyalty and ser-
vice, said the Viceroy in conclusion, were the most
eloquent proof of the steadfastness of our own good faith
and of the noble confidence of our friends.

THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH RUSSIA.

The Standard of March 30 contained the following
evidently inspired paragraph: We have some grounds
for saying that the course of the recent negotiations
with Russia, apart from the so-called Agreement
about Penjdeh, is as follows: Last autumn the
Russian Government proposed that before the Joint
Commission began work a definite zone should
be agreed upon within which their labours
should be confined, and suggested, as the limits
of this zone: a northern line rtinning from Old
Sarakhs to Kodjah Saleh ; a southern follow-
ing the Borkhut spur of the Parapomisus, and
trending north to the same spot. This prop sal was
rejected, and as Russia in turn refused to leave the
delimitation entirely to the Commissioners, or even
to let Genernl Zeleoni proceed to the spot until some
sort of preliminary agreement was come to, the
Russian Government was requested to state in ex-
press terms what it would consider to be a satisfac-
tory frontier. This request was complied with in the
communications made by M. de Staal on March 3,
and on Saturday, the 14th of March Lord
Granville handed to the Russian Ambas-
sador his reply, regretting that Russ a's de-
man s were not in accordance with the views of
the English Government, and reverting to the old
suggestion of a zone, but this time proposing for the
southern line the frontier claimed by Russia, and for
the northern that which England held to form the
proper boundary between Russia and Afghanistan—
namely, a line drawn from Shir-tepe on the Eferi-rud,
twelve miles below Pul-i-Khatun (i.e., twelve miles
nearer Saraklis) to Sari-Yazi, on the Murgab, and
thence to Kodjah Saleh, leaving Maimen, Aad-joi, &c.,
to the right. To this suggestion the Russian Govern.
ment has, as yet, made no reply.