England that Russia was making rapid advances towards Afghanistan, and whenever the matter was mentioned in the House of Commons, the leader of the Opposition, Mr. Gladstone, inveighed in the most emphatic manner against any credence being given to the reports. The right hon. gentleman had always shown himself a warm partisan of Russia, and now, with all the powers of his marvellous eloquence, he protested against any doubts being thrown upon the distinct pledges given by Russia; and this not-withstanding that the history of Russia proved that she never respected pledges a moment longer than it suited her to do so. But Mr. Gladstone had strong Russian sympathies, and, now that he languished in the cold shade of Opposition, he declaimed in vehement and fiery language against those who chose to hold diametrically opposite opinions.
The Government, however, felt that it had a duty to perform, and that it was of paramount importance that measures should be taken to insure the safety of India. When the Conservatives had been in office before, under Lord Beaconsfield, they had seized certain strategical positions which were admitted by military experts all over the world to be perfect safeguards against invasion. But, when Mr. Gladstone came into power, he yielded to the dictates of the dressing-gown, carpet-slipper, fire-side politicians amongst his followers, and proceeded to evacuate those very positions for which English blood had been shed and English gold had been spent. Very speedily, however, their importance became apparent, and there is little doubt that, had the Gladstone Administration remained in power, they would have endeavoured to rectify their blunder. But now that they were no longer in power they opposed any re-occupation of the abandoned points. In spite of this, the Conservatives determined to take immediate steps to guard against any mischief Russia might contemplate. With this end in view, they asked for a vote of credit for £3,000,000, to be added to £1,000,000 promised by the Indian Government; and which was to be spent on adequately fortifying and garrisoning the Indian frontier. Against this vote the Liberals, with some notable exceptions, rose in arms; and meetings were absolutely called in different parts of
