New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-18
REPORT FROM SIR PETER LUMsDEN'
MR.. GLADsToNE's STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF


APP GIADsToNE's STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF
COMMONS.
LONDON, April 17.-Mr. Gladstone, in the House
of Commons this afternoon. stated that tne
Government had to-day received from Sir fetei
Jnmsden n reply TO their request for an lndepend
ent report upon the Penjdeh incident In TINS IL vs.
stated that General Komarof was aware at as early
y date as March 2S of the understanding agreed
pnon ON March II between Russia and England
According 10 the terms of this understanding Eng
land was TO deter the Afghans and the Gar was 70
deter his troops from advancing beyond tne Po'i-
tons they then respectively occupied until some
subseauent agreement about the demarcatioh VI
the Afghan frontier conld be reached between the
two Governments The battle on the hushR was
fought therefore, several days after Oeherai
Komaroff bad been made aware OF the agreement
not to advance. Captain Yates. British ofncer
who witnessed the battle. assured by
Russian officer who commanded in the fight that
he knew nothing of the understanding of March IL.
Sir Peter Lumsden's present report appears TO
warrant the inference that whatever General
Komaroa knew officially about St. Petersburgs
agreement with London he kept to himself Mr.
Gladstone being asked if the Government had
protested against the recent occupation OF PenJdeh
bv General Komarof and his forming Russian
administration there. answered that the Govern
ment had not yet made either occurrence SUBJECT
of official communication with Russia. The Gov
ernment was awaiting further information the
Premier said. concerning these matters
Continuing Mr.. Gladstone said: "We asked Sir
Peter Lumsden for full and consecutive account
of the affair of March 80 the day the battle on
the Kushk was fought. A telegram from him has
arrived since we sent our request. This telegram
a dated at Tirpul ON April 49, 1t is now being
deciphered We shall be unable to say anything
further upon this branch of the subject until this
dispatch is fully deciphered. The fact that the
Russian commander was aware OF the agreement
of March II before March 80. and the question as
to whether OF not he acted upon instructions or
contrary to instructions concerning that agree
ment would form the subject Of future cOmmunica-
tions betwe cen the Government and Russia. In re-
gard to the reported establishment by the Russians
of an administration at Penideh. the Government
knew nothing officially. and must await fuller in
formation" Mr.. Gladstone concluded by saying:
sThe Government will on Monday or Tuesday next
ask the House TO sanction vote of credit. When
this Is requested we will state how much money is
wanted. and what it is wanted for, and then shall
probably be able to cover the entire question
fully"
Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice, Under Foreign Secre-
tary, in answer to an interrogatory put by sr
Stafford Northcote Conservative leader IN the Com
mons said that the Government considered renJdeh
frontier
ST. PETERSBURG, April 17.-General Komarof re-
ports to the Gear as follows:
"The Afghans have evacuated all their frontier
posts Our outposts now occupy their former po-
sitiens / will proceed soon TO inspect their out
posts"
The Central News. whose statements in regard TO
the proposed cession of Penjdeh 10 Russia were
classed by Earl Granville in the House of Lords
among the " unauthorized and always inaccurate
reports" which he could not afford to waste
time in answering affirms positively that Lord
Dufferin sent dispatch To the Home Government
in which he said that in his opinion Peajdeh was
not worth fighting for. The same agency asserts
that the Cabinet, after deliberaion, adopted Lord
Dufferins reported view of the situation, and
maintains that the delimtatl0n of the Afghan
tssne.
steamers to be used as cruisers
number of eighty-ton oins are he,,o sb;nnod
English stations in China "'N ''"'-