9 AUGUST 1879, Page 2

In both Houses of Parliament on Monday, votes of thanks

wore proposed,—to the Viceroy of India, for the ability and judgment with which the resources of the British Army in India had been applied to the support of the military operations in Afghanistan ; and to the officers of the Army, for their intrepidity, skill, indefatigable zeal, &c. ; and to the troops, for their gallant behaviour. The difficulty was, however, that no papers had been laid on the table showing the Viceroy's admirable management of his re- sources ; and even granting what the Government sedulously maintained,—that no approbation of policy was implied in the vote,—this compliment to the Viceroy was really too much of an act of blind faith. Lord Granville pointed out that iu the case of the last Afghanistan war, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert, Peel gave a fortnight's notice of it, and delayed the vote, expressly in order to lay on the table papers justifying the vote. There were, too, serious doubts as to whether the commissariat of the Candahar column at all events, had been at all well attended to ; and yet, in spite of all this, the House of Lords

was asked to vote its praise and thanks in the dark ; and this of course it did, and without a division.