, 1885-05-08
THE PENJDEH AFFAIR.
IHE FENJUEH AFFAIK.
Gladstone Further Remarks on
This Important Question.
Strange Remarks Of Earl Gran
vile Yesterday.
The Disputed Question to be
Settled by Arbitration.

LONDON. MAY NH. Gladstone, re-
plying to questions in the house of com
mons this afternoon, said that although
on receipt of the first kilograms, he had
described the Penjdeh affair as an act Of
%unprovoked aggression, still he had never
presumed that the information in his
possession, when he had made hat dec
l%aration, was unq~uestionable. As a mat
ter of fact, within twenty-four hours after
ward, the news containing important
qualifications of that first received had
come to hand. Mr.. Gladstone had no
doubt, he said, that when the earl of
Dufferin, British viceroy in India, at
Lahore. after his return from a conference
with the aneer at Rawal- Pindi, described
the Russian attack as an act of unpro-
voked aggression, without any qualifca-
ton, the viceroy's statement was war
ranted by the circumstances under which
he spoke and the knowledge in his pos
session; but Russia had since denied that
Col. Alikhanoff had ordered the Tur-
comans under his command 10
make any attack. The report that Col.
Alikhanoff had issued such an order was
made to England by Capt. Yates and his
party, who belonged to Sir Peter Lums-
denis boundary commission, who were in
Penjdeh during the battle. But it had
been ascertained since hat neither Capt.
Yates nor any of his party were aware of
any other foundation for the report than
than that of rumor. Mr.. Gladstone said
that Lord Dufferin had arranged with
Abdurrahman Khan, the amer of At
%ghanstan, the basis upon which the
British government had so far proceeded
in the frontier affair, and if further com
munications with the ameer on the sub
ject should become necessary, they would
be made. Being asked if Lord Dufferin,
as yiceroy of India, approved of the gov
ernment's course toward Russia in the
Afghan dispute, Mr.. Gladstone refused
to say whether he did or not.
The conference between Earl Granville
and Baron de Staal arranged to be held to.
day at the foreign office for the purpose
Of formally opening a discussion on the
delimitation of the Russo Afghan bound
AIRY was postponed, as Baron de Staal is
awaiting communication on the subject
from st. Petersburg. Negotiations con-
tinue on the demand of Granville that
Russia's assurances that her troops will
not advance to Herat, shall take the form
of a treaty. tit is reported that NJ. de
Giers maintains that the simple express
sion of such an intention is a sufficient
pledge. Gen. Zelenoy has been recalled
from Tihis to st. Petersburg to assist the
delimitation inquiry. NJ. de Giers has
instructed Gen. Komarof to prepare q
detailed report with charts, of the advance
on Pcnjdeh as the basis for reference to
an arbitrator.
ST. PETERSBURG, May THE follow
ing announcement appers in the Official
Messenger. In consequence of the d.
vergence of views between the cabinets OF
Russia and England on the Interpretation
of the March agreement, it has been de-
cided to submit the question to the de-
cision of an arbitrator, Meanwhile both
nations have agreed to resume frontier
negotiations, but ON a different basis,
namely, hat the principal points of the
frontier be fixed by a previous under
standing between the two cabinets, the
demarcation of a frontiera on the spot,
and the placing of indicating posts being
reserved for the commissions which both
powers will send in order to facilitate the
work of delimitation. The outposts oil
both sides will not be withdrawn from
their present positions until the arrival Of
a joint commission, when as fast as the
direction of the frontier lins is fixed, tn,
frontier points will be occupied by the
troops of both parties concerned. 1t will
then be the duty of each to maintain or
der and security in its respective terri
tory.
Col. Zakijefski's report of the battle Of
March 30, is identical with that of Gen.
Komarof. He admits that the Afghani
were armed with poor rifles, but say
their guns were better than those Of thu
Russians. He asserts that the Afghan
forces numbered 5000 men, while Their
were only l,5O0 Russian troops. He
brings with him two captured Afghan
standards. The colonel is the hero Of tn,
day.
LONDON, May S.-The Morning Pos
asserts that Earl Dufferin has resigned Al
viceroy of India, in consequence of th'
disastrous effect upon British prestige il
India of Gladstone's timorous policy.
NJ. Lessar, the Russian boundary com.
missioner, had a conference with Ear
Granville yesterday, with respect to thu
delimitation of the Russo-Afghan from
tier. An arbitrator has not yet beel
chosen. The Daily Neos says it is abb
to state that Earl Dufferin warmly ap
proves that a settlement be made by Eng
land and Russia, as will appear from tn
papers which are about to be laid on tn
table in parliament. The Ne1cs also say
that the prospect Of peace will not affeC
the budget. The money will be devote
to the work of increasing the navy. an
any residue will be applied to the sinkin
fund.
Rough on PAIN