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172 parliament, as Havelock called it — to consider the terms on which he proposed, in reply to an inquiring letter from Sháh Shujá, to treat for the surrender of his post and the safe-conduct of its garrison to Pesháwar. Macgregor acted as Sale's spokesman, and the picture he drew was dark enough to win for his main proposals the votes of brave men like Dennie, Monteath, Backhouse, and Abbott. One member only — for Havelock, though present, was not of the council — had the courage to stand forth as the champion of his country's honour, and to fight tooth and nail against a project at once so needless, unwise, and disgraceful. In language hardly too strong for the occasion, George Broadfoot refuted every point in Macgregor's statement, and contested every clause of the draft letter addressed to Akbar through the Sháh. We had no right, he pleaded, to take any orders save from our own Government. Elphinstone's capitulation could bind no other garrison than his own. Instead of making terms with a faithless enemy, it was our paramount duty to hold out to the last, or else to cut our way at all hazards to Pesháwar. The Government would not abandon us, although Wild had been repulsed. The lives of the garrison were of less importance than the welfare of the State. 'What would you do if attacked?' he asked Sale. 'Fight,' was Sale's reply. 'Why then invite all Afghánistán round you before fighting?'

At the close of a hot discussion which lasted two days Broadfoot found himself in a minority of one.