Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-04-10

Afghan outpoStS at Penjdeh. AT this most
important point the dispatch was broken
off, evidently through the cutting
of the wires 1t was decided that
Sir Peter Lumsden had gone at
once to Gulran, for the purpose of remain
ing on guard at Robat Pass, on the road to
Herat No doubt is entertained that be-
tween the time of the receipt of the broken
dispatch and to-days developments, the
Government, while believing that the
Afghan defeat at Penideh was really less
disastrous than reported, still considered
the incident, unless satisfactorily explained.
casus belli. 1t is believed, also. that
they discussed the question of at once send
ing the six ironclads now at Malta to the
Dardanelles.
There is great agitation this evening in
all Government departments. 1t is stated
that L, 600 reinforcements will be at once
sent to India. The first army reserve will
probably be called out Immediately.
THE BROKEN DISPATCH COMPLETED.
LONDON. April 9th.-Later in the day the
surmise of the Government in relation to
the movements of Sir Peter Lumsden was
substantiatcd by the receipt of a telegram
from him at Gulran. The telegram. dated
April LIST, completes the broken dispatch.
II states officially that the Russians at
tackled the Afghans intrenched at Penideb.
and slaughtered 200 of the garrison Sew
enty thousand British and Indian soldiers
are now stationed along or near the north
ern Indian frontier, and may, it is thought,
reach Herat i'll time to prevent the capture
of that important point by the Russians.
The Cabinet sat two hours. Earl Gram
vile, the British Foreign Minister, after the
adjournment, had separate interviews with
\ Ii, /
to London, and Baron de Staal, Russian
ambassador.
RUssIA's CONDUCT DISCUSSED IN THE HOUSE
OF COMMONS.
LONDON, April 9th.-Gladstonc, in the
House of Commons this evening, in an
swer TO Undergraduates, said that on Satur-
day the Cabinet considered Russia reply
to England's proposal to limit the zone of
survey to the debatable points Russia 5
reply was an agreement to do this, provided
the zone Of survey, as marked out by Eng
land, extended southwark SO as TO include
the ParapamiSsam range of mountains.
The Government considered that the reply
did not advance the question towards a con-
clusion, and was dissatisfied with it. Within
the past tWenty-four hours, however, said
the Premier subsequent communication
has been received from Russia, and this
appeared in the opinion of the Govern
ment. 10 place the matter in a more
hopeful position. Being asked of what
nature this subsequent communication was,
Gladstone said it would be impossible
at present for the Government TO make anv
further statement concerning the pending
negotiations about the Afghan frontier, in
view of the grave occurrences just reported
Continuing, Gladstone said that it was evil
y 81 y l.. IL. i
ghans. That the Af9hanS had, in this at
I ,ck, been defeated, after making gallant re-
sistance, was apparent also. The Russians
after the fight, returned to their former
position, or at least to the left bank of the
Khushk river, which might be equivalent
10 such retirement The Government has
been informed, the Premier went on, that
the Russians made every endeavor to in
duce the Afghans to begin the fight
ing The Russian troops had even
twice attempted to forcibly pass
through the Afghan picket lines
After one of these attempts failed to
provoke the Afghan attack, Captain Yates
met Russian chief Of staff and talked to
him about the conduct of the Russian sol
diers being an evident violation of the Rus
sian agreement not to advance pending the
outcome of negotiations. The Russian
officer stated that he had no knowledge that
any agreement existed against the Russian
advance. Captain Yates referred to an Off
cial dispatch sent from st. Petersburg
March 18th to London, assuring England
that orders would be at once sent to the
Russian officers az the front, directing them
to forbid any advance, and TO do all in their
power to prevent the proYocation of the
Afghans. The Russian officer declared that
he knew nothing whatever Of any such
arrangement. Gladstone, commenting on
this. said that England had kept her part
of this agreement. Up to March 30th, Al
least. the Afghans made no advance
nor any forward movement of any kind, as
far as the information possessed by the
Minister went. The Government Glad
stone stated, must regard the attack by the
Russians upon Penjdeh as unprovoked
The Government had asked an explanation
of this attack from Russia, but of course
sufficient time had not yet elapsed for the
receipt OF an answer. Sir Edward Thorn
ton. British ambassador 10 St Petersburg
had. however last night telegraphed that
De Giers, the Russian Prime Minister, had
expressed for himself and for The Gar an
earnest hope that this unhappy incident
might not prevent the continuation of the
negotiations for peace. This remark was
greeted with shouts of derisivc laughter
Sir Stafford Northcote, the Tory leader
at this point arose, and recalling the Pre-
mier's statement justmade, that the Govern
ment believed that after defeating the
Afghans in Penjdch the Russians retired
asked sarcastically, if it was not more rea-
sonable to believe that after driving the
Afghans out of Penideh the Russians stayed
ard occupied the place.
To this Gladstone said of course the nat
ural inference would be that the Russians
now occupy Penjdeh
Concerning this statement, however the
Premier added: Some confusion exists,
because the statement that the Russians
occupy Penideh emanates from British
officer who had left the spot at the time of
the fight, whilst Sir Edward Thornton re-
ports subsequently to this that DeGiers
stated that the Russians, after attacking the
Afghans, did not occupy Penjdeh
Many questions were at once asked Glad
stone about the ambiguity of the express
sion used by DeGiers, and whether the
Russiana might not have occupied Penideh
without having occupied it Immediately
after the battle.
Gladstone eyaded these questions as idle.
and 10 others said the Government had no
reason to believe that any aggressive acts
had been done by the Afghans to provoke
the attack on Penjdeh.
This declaration caused a sensation, and
for moment the House resounded with
cries of % Hear" Hear
STATEMENT QUALIFIED.
Later in the evening Gladstone, replying
to a question by Sir Richard Cross, said the
Government had received another telegram
from Sir Peter Lumsden, which tended to
qualify the statement by him (Gladstone1
in reply to Sir Stafford Northcote, which
was based on Sir Peter Lumsden' 5
statement that the Afghans had made no
advance either before or after March 17th.
- Sir Peter Lumsden now says" continued
Gladstone, at that when the Russians threat
ened an attack on the Afghans' position by
an advance in force on Aktep, the Afghans
threw out a vidette and extended their
pickets to Palikhisti, on the left bank of
Kushk river, and gradually strengthened
this position until, on March 30th, the bulk
of their force had been transferred across
the river. Sir Peter Lumsden is of the
opinion that the movement does not corlsti-
tute an actual advance on the part of the
Afghans, but merely the occupation of a
more advantageous military position.
WHAT ENGLAND WILL DEMAND-ANoTHER
BATTLE REPORTED.
b LoNDoN, April 9th.-England will at
once demand of Russia an explanation of
Russian conduct in forcing battle upon
the Afghans. This demand will. it is I'M
derstood, be coupled with demand for
withdrawal of rho Russian forces 70 tho