, 1880-03-17
PERSIA AND HERAT.
From tie TtmeS9

AS was to be expected, the leaders of
the Opposition in both Houses of ParIia-
ment Oh Tuesday 10 Feb. questioned he
Government us to the negotiations between
this country aud Persia ou the subject
OF Hefaf. The answers given were not
precisely Identical. Lord Bna cousheld's
reply was the more cnpious of the two,
but tie few words of the Chancellor OF the
Exchfqucr Were in reality a good DIAL
EUre communicative. The Prlme Miuls-
ter began by affirming that there is no
"i0undafIOn whatever for the statement" i
that the Government has relieved + efsia
from her treaty engagements not to-
enter Herat. He added, however, that
communications have been made from the
Court OF Persia referring TO the northeast
trontler OF that country. Nothing has been
concluded, however, and as matters at pre-.
sent stand it would be most nconvenisn.
and most Injurious to the public interests
that the charac'e of the communications :
should be made known. The Chancellor
OF he EXcheqrer's reply, though shorter,
is more explicit. 1t admits that the Sub
jet Of a Persian occupation OF Herat has
wv Al u LfAb u iOHS lhOhSp w
agreement has vet been come to. Thus,
when the Necessary allowance tor e@officiaI
reserve is made, it will be seen that the
answers given on bel alt of the Govern
ment are not Inconsistent with The aEn
nouncement made in The "Times" of +
Tuesday, the material accuracy of which
we still maintain. If, as we may assume,
Persia has asked to be released from the
Obligations OF the treaty Ut 1857 as regards
llerai, OF course the rtquest could only
be granted snbirct to certain conditions
springing out OF The altered circumstances i
of the case; but we have good reason
to believe that, subject TO those conditions n
whatever TREY may be, the Government
has expressedits readiness to assent TO the
occupation of Herat by Persia, and that 4
Instructions to this effect have been fof"ru
war led to our representative at IehefanSt
1t is pretty clear from Lord BeaeonS
fields remarks hat the negotiations ltlh I
Persia, forn- part of "a general plan for the
settlement of affairs in Afghanistan. In
any sucn settlement the question OF the
future of Uerat must necessarily demand
attention. Persia has long coveted the
city, Russia is said TO long forit, and there
seems nav to be no Afghan lPoWenscapa-
fDiG VI uOINi1S IL 1AAS IL 49,
three courses seem to be opened to US !,
namely, to occupy it ourselves, to hand1
over to Persia, or 10 leave it to it's fate:
There is, of course, d good dealtoi be sfid
Tor and against each of these altephatiyesi
but we may assume that the ,firS u
third Lave now been discarded, ana up
second prattidally adopted. W. are SIN =
hotrsver,2 III the dark both as to thaDreSs@
sons which have determined the chY9lfeeo
and as TO the responsibilities, actual anu
prospective, which.it may beheld to e41an.
tits certainly to be, hoped some fght 3sy
be thrown on these important points Win.
cut very much delay. So fsr,e W&h
selvesSiave given the GovernnaD "a
general and independent support ~ ova.
policy mregsrd oAfghanistan; { eHx4ns
held that the enlargement Of S AZ ai5I5
and the restless movements OF oEssssei
in Contra" Asia,s5 proddcihg 49, ~
sense of at~neasiRess ihartnesrM
.068I isl a9TsM xicT0 r
21fFE