Mr. Baillie Cochrane raised a debate on Friday - week on
the progress of Russia in Central Asia, and especially her conquest of the Khanate of Khokand. His idea is that Russia will take Merv, that she will then be too near Herat, and that we must, to protect ourselves, acquire influence over Afghanistan. Sir G. Campbell, on the contrary, who made a very important speech on the Moham- medans of India, whom he described justly as among our best subjects, thought watchfulness, and not restlessness, our best policy. Sir H. Havelock denounced the Native Army in India as "rotten from head to foot," and Mr. Disraeli took the opportunity to repudiate his own escapade on the Titles Bill. He did not mean to defy Russia, for he was not a Russo- phobia. He did not object to her conquest of -Tartary, and only hoped the Tartars might be as happy under her rule as the natives of India had been under ours. He deprecated "a policy of silent suspicion," and only meant in his speech on that occasion to inti- mate that "human nature is much influenced by associations in connection with titles." The truth is, we suppose, that Mr. Disraeli used his famous argument about Russia without a thought of its meaning, and when he found it criticised, withdrew it. That is the kind of " policy " the country has to put up with, and for all that appears, approves.
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