No intelligence of any moment has been received from India
this week, and Indian society appears to be solely occupied with discussions on the propriety of retaining Candahar. Accord- ing to the correspondent of the Times, opinion is generally in favour of retaining the province, because it will be a valuable outpost,—which is just the ground of dispute ; because if we re- tire, the fruits of the war will be abandoned,—as if the Treaty of Gundamuck had included Candahar ; and because the city may become a place of much trade,—which, threatened as it would be, is very doubtful. It must not be forgotten that only one side of opinion is ever reported from India, and that many of the ablest men there hold Lord Lawrence's views. We should imagine they prevailed strongly in the Government. The Viceroy evidently holds them; Mr. Aitcheson, the member best acquainted with foreign policy, though a Tory, and perhaps an Imperialist, dislikes the Afghan policy ; Mr. Evelyn Baring, the Financial
Member, is Lord Northbrook over again ; and Sir Donald Stewart, the new military Member, considers the whole inva- sion, from first to last, an error. Sir F. Haines's opinion we have not heard, but his disappearance from affairs during the whole war does not indicate that he was heartily on Lord Lytton's side. If he had been, we should have heard of him in every despatch.
