Cash balances very low, and unless India can be relieved from British Treasury, it will be necessary to borrow; drought in central and upper India gets worse; has arrived in Calcutta.
Lawrence is far from well, suffering 'a good deal from my head'; policy towards Muscat; some rain in Oudh and Bihar, but prospects for next harvest gloomy; Abdul Rahman Khan seems likely to lose in Afghanistan; PS: news of heavy rain in Gwalior and Lahore, but more is needed.
On Afghanistan, Amir Sher Ali has been sent six lakhs and told he can collect arms from Peshawar; danger of feeding his appetite for money; disagrees with Mansfield (C-in-C) on management of border tribes and proposal to have separate representative of Govt of India on Frontier; drought in upper ...
Council agreement on separate Irrigation Dept within Public Works Dept; if private companies under take works, it would be best if this happened in Provinces with permanent land revenue settlement; need for young engineer officers; continuing distress in Orissa, and need to support 1500 to 2000 o...
Importance of Viceroy corresponding 'freely and fully' with Secretary of State; India's financial situation better than anticipated; outlines his financial views; hopes Northcote will follow Cranborne's policy regarding irrigation works which 'are of primary importance to India'; India's telegrap...
Question of knighthood for Professor Oldham; proposes purchase of Orissa Irrigation Company; reasons for preferring public to private enterprise for construction of irrigation works; Burma situation unsettled; anxiety regarding relations between Tirhut indigo planters and ryots; if there is crisi...
Situation in Afghanistan; hopes Northcote will allow papers on this subject and on occupation of Quetta to be printed to counteract press agitation for movement; hopes Northcote will not reach decision on decentralisation before receiving all papers being prepared in India; minor mutiny among tro...
Regrets Northcote considers papers on Central Asian should not be published since opposite party's views have been; gives reasons why India should not bear any costs of Abyssinian expedition [cf Northcote's letter of 9 December]; disagrees with Northcote's argument that overall division of defenc...