The semi-weekly miner., 1885-04-11
,44oob hnon defeated. q

/ -, - this attack been defeated, at
10 nsu making . gallant resistance: II
as .ea onnarent also that the Russians
WE sf+sr =" the fight, returned to the,i !
el.r el.oo nositiOu. or at least to tne !ei'
L ~ e the Kushk river, wnich
1m;unt uI be equivalent to such retlie'
mls' The Government has been IN
f,rmed fnd that the Russians had macs
~. ,..-,, ondeavor to induce the a.
s sh.1s tn begin the fighting. Tue
Russian troops had even twlce 80
1rmpted to forcibly pass through 'n1 n1
Afghan picket lines. After one y,
these attempts had failed 10 Pl0voAe
,he % %Af,hans to attack. Captain ates
met no n Russian ch,ef OF sfaf1 ana
% ,n;Iod to him about the conduct OF
tha Russian soldiers being an eVloen!
violation of the Russian agreeme III
to NOT advance pending the outcome
" " fneooriatlous. The Russian ohce1
stated that he han no knowledge
1h1t anv arrangement existed against
the Russian advance. Captain ates
referred to in an official dispatch
sent from ST. Petersburg on Marct,
10Th to London assuring Englanu
that orders would be at once
sent to the Russian omcers
at the front, desiring, tnem
to forbid any advance and 90 all In
their power to prevent any prsvoca'
tion Of the Afyhans. The Russian
officer declared that he knew nothing
whatever Of any such arrangement
Gladstone. commenting cn this said,
England had kept her part Of this
agreement up to March 9th, at least
the Afghans made no advance nor
forward movement of any kind, as
far as the information possessed by
the ministers went. Gladstone stated
tnat he must regard the attack by the
Russians upon Penjdeh as unpro-
voked. The government had asked
an explanation of tn attack from
Russia, but of course sufficient time
has not yet elapsed for the receipt OF
an answer. Sir Edward Thornton,
British ambassador to St. Petersburg,
had however last night tnlegraphed
that De Giers, Russian Prime Min
lister, had expressed for himself and
tor the Gar an earnest hope that this
unhappy incident might not prevent
a continuation of negotiations for
peace. [Tnis remark was greeted
with shouts of derisive laughter.
The Cabinet sat two hours. Earl
Granville, British Foreign Minister,
after the adjournment, had separate
interviews with Musurus Pasha,
Turkish ambassador to London, and
Baron De Staal, Embassador from
Russia.
Gladstone, in the House of Com
mons this evening, in answer to in
terrHgatOries, said that on Saturday
the Cabinet considered Russia's re-
ply to England's proposal to limit
the zone ofsurvey to debatable points.
Russla's reply was an agreement to
do this provided the zone of survey
be marked out by England extended
southwark so as to include the Para
pamissan range of mountains. The
Government considered that the re-
ply did not advance the question
towards conclusion. and was dissat-
fled with it. Within the past "a
hours, however, said the Premier, a
subsequent communication has been
received from Russia, and this ap-
peared, in the opinion of the Gov
ernment. t. place the matter in a
more hopeful position. Being asked |
what nature this subsequent commu-
nicatiOn was, Gladstone said it would |
be impossible at present for the Gov
eminent to maze any further state
ments concerning the negotiations.
Sir Stafford NOrthcote, the Tory
Leader at this point, arose and re-
calling the Premier's statement just /
made that the government believed
tn 1t aft n defeating the Afghans in
Penjdeh the Russians retired, and
asked sarcasticially whether it was
not more reasonable to believe that |
after driving the Afghans out CT |
Peljdeh the Russians stayed and 0c-
cupled the place.
TO this Gladstone said that of
course the natural inference would
be that the Russians now occupied !
PeDjdeh, "Copcerning this state
ment, however" the Premier added,
Some confusion exists because toe
statement that the Russians occupy |
Penjdeh emanates from British off,
GERS who had left the spot at the time
of the fight, whilst Sir Edward
Thornton reports that subsequently
10 this De Geirs had stated that the
Russians after attacking the Afghans
did not Occupy Penjdeh.
Many questions were at once asked
Gladstone about the ambiguity Of
he expression used by De Giers and
the Russians might have
it Immediately after the bat
lie.
Gladstone evaded these questions
Is idle and to Others said the Gov
had no reason to believe
my aggressive acts had been done by
he Afghans to provoke an attack on
This declaration caused
ensation for a moment, the House
esounded with cries of "Hear!"
'Heaiu"
LONDON, April 9.-England will at
,nce demand of Russia an explana-
ion of the Russian conduct of fore
ng battle upon the Afghans. This
lemand will, it is understood be
coupled with demand for the with
travail of the Russian forces to the
lorth of Sarakho.
A letter received from Meshed.
lated March 7th, states that it was at
hat time rumOred that recently the
Atghans had sent force out from
derat, and that this force had at
acked the Russian troops in Zulfikar
'ass aud compelled them to retreat
rom the pass. The letter added that
he route OF Russians on this oc-
asion was 80 complete that forty of
heir soldiers and two officers were
lrlven to seek refuge on the Persian
lde OF the Herris rood river.
M. Lessor, Rassian-Afghan boun-
ary, commissioner, at present in
london, In an interview published
n this evenings Pail MaU Gazette
oncerning the statements made in
hls Meshed letter. stated he regarded
ne news as of gravest importance if
was true. He added that the
aeshed letter, if reliable, afforded a
explanation of General
AOmOr0 offs attack on tho frLo