3 DECEMBER 1842, Page 7

Lord Palmerston has a new point today in his course

of daily strictures on Lord Ellenborough. If, according to Lord Ellenborough's proclamation, argues the ceaseless writer, we created the anarchy in Afghanistan, " we ought to take every means in our power to prevent these poor people" from experiencing that worst of evils ; and therefore we ought at least " to give them the advantage of our presence," and the opportunity of choosing a sovereign without bloodshed and foreign aggression ; and especially is it due to the Kuzzilbashes, who have be- friended us. So the occcupation of Afghanistan ought to be continued for the sake of the Afghans!

The first article in the Times this morning, which appears to be sug- gested by the circular of " A British Merchant," but is in the powerful style of the Leading Journal, recommends, if not the prohibition of the growth and trade in opium by the British Government, at least its dis- couragement, instead of countenancing anti protecting it and deriving a revenue from it ; with further inducements of the secular class indi- cated by the British Merchant.