On the other hand, the Government of India is intent
on ex- tending its operations. Telegrams from all sides announce that Sir Richard Temple is forming a new column of Bombay troops, which before March 15th will be ready to hold Candabar. As soon as it arrives, Sir Donald Stewart, with his present column, will march out to the attack of Ghazni, occupying IChelat-i- Ghilzai on his way. A portion of both columns, moreover, is to threaten Herat, aided apparently by a column from the Khyber, under the direct command of Sir Frederick Haines. This officer, the Commander-in-Chief in India, who has hitherto been thrust aside, will, it is stated, enter Afghanistan in the spring, and control all the operations of the new campaign, which in its entirety will be on a very large scale. Whether these plans have been sanctioned at home, or have been arranged in antici- pation of sanction, we do not know; but we judge, from the lan- guage of the inspired organs, that the section of the Cabinet which is against retiring while an enemy remains—that is, in favour of fighting for prestige alone—has finally prevailed. It will remain, therefore, for Parliament to express definitely its opinion.
