AFGHAN DIFFICULTY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1983, 6 May 1885, Page 2

AFGHAN DIFFICULTY.

{REUTEM ; TELEGRAMS-COPYRIGHT.) - y , [ London, May 5. During tihe course o£ a long and animated debjate in the House of Com-mons-to-day,-on a vote ; of.cpadit,qf. for tr.ilitary purposes introduced I by-. Mr Gladstone, Lord Randolph jphurchill. characterised: the agreement jconie to with Russia in the; strongest fei ms as a cowardly surrender of Eng land's rights. ; The vote was finally adopted, by the Home, Mr Gladstone consenting to the discussion on the policy ot the Government being fixed for IJhursday next, ,: ' ' k lopoNliiiy, 5. '• In the' House of Comuions to-night Mr Gladstone announced that it had been arranged that the work of deliniatiug the Afghan frontier should be proceeded with in Loudon. Generals Lumsden and Stewart have been recalled from Afghanistan.

A despatch to tire Times from Guiran, dated 3rd April, states that the Russians, wjnle.makinga pretext ot charging the positions of their outposts on the Afghan frontier, attaqkedPenj-Deh on 30 March and drove the Afghans out of their position, ; The Afghans stubbornly, resisted their assailants. The weather was wet at the time of the attack, which rendered the muzzleloading guns of the Afghans useless.

Two companies held one position t)|f| Russian forces until the defemlurs pj:e. e]J kilhj, 'The Afghans retreated to Maritchslf iif jie£feot order. The Russians nmde no pursuit. Sanihka renmined neutral, but the Russians plundered the Afghan cumji. '£jjp Jjritish officers remained tilj the A/|lmn3 jsjfujtwi tip* yjientjiey joined the ciiinj) of Sir later li)fflsi},eij. ilij rejjQrt ojf the affair by General Eon)aj,'o(|, jtjjie Qnfjefuj says tliafc manifestations qE tlfu A/gjians were so, hostile that he was eoiliplleii to attack them. ' The Afghans were posted on both sides of the river Knslik, ill fortified positions, and. their force Gonsisjii'd tyfjo men, with eight guns They'lost 500 men, ail their artillery their camp outfit, and their provision's, The Russian.loss was three subalterns, and jailed, and 29 wounded, the fighting' wenjfoff general' J|'ouwroff returned across the river to tjji ( 9 jp had formerly occupied, ojf tjp JBritisy ffejre eyewitnesses to the d|(| not [wrtlfflpato jn jt. They appealed to the Russians Iw w^eii they saw the Afghans were tajfe#, but unfortunately the convoy, which was immediately disputphed to the relief of the officers, was unable to overtbo.y t|ie Afghan cavalry, who carried the oncers iiyay them in their flight, j Jears are officer# fell.