'File 35/86 II A 45 Muscat - Commercial Treaty of 1891 and revision of treaty 1922' [‎137v] (280/572)

Telegram P., No. 425, dated thp 4th (received the 5th) March 1922.
From The i olitical Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
I have received a wire from the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. Maskat to the effect that al
though the enhancement of the tariff will in his opinion be necessary eventually for
purposes of revenue, the consent of the French and American Governments wtfl he
required before any such action can be taken. • This even in favourable cir. ums!
tances would take some time to procure. He therefore thinks that tariff revkbn
might be taken up later, and that if possible the treaty should he revised (renewed
now, leaving tariff where it is. I agree that it would probably delay matters
considerably to alter tariff (sic.). I think that the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. has 'suggested
the best course to pursue, if alteration of the tariff could subsequently be carried
uut I)} simply amendiiig one of the clauses of the treaty.
This refers to my telegram* No. 364.
Serial No. 29
'vtkj
Serial No. 35.
Xo. 245-8., dated Bushire, the 27th March (received the 10th April) 1922.
Frcm-The H on'ble L ieutenant- C olonel A. P. T kevoe, C.S.I., C.I.E., Political
Kesident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
Maskat Commercial Treaty. 4
With reference to your telegram No. 304 -S.*, dated the 9th March 1922 I have
the honour to forward herewith four copies of a document duly signed 'by His
ig ness the Sultan of Maskat and the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. prolonging the Maskat
Commercial Treaty of 1891 for a further period of one year.
The wording is the same as in the previous documents prolonging this treaty.
i N ote.
We, the undersigned, have agreed to what follows :—That Treaty of Friend
ship, Commerce, and Navigation between Great Britain and Oman, signed on the
eight.day of Shahan 1308-X., corresponding to the 19th March 1891, will bepre-
longed by this writing notwithstanding all, or any correspondence between His
^ate Highness Syud Faisal-bin-Turki and the Glorious British Government in the
matter of the revision of that Treaty. And it will remain in force for a period of
one year from this eleventh day of February 1922 corresponding to the 13th Jamadi-
Al-Akhir 1340-N, unless a suitable treaty by agreement between His Highness the
Sultan oi Mr. skat and Oman and the Glorious British Government be substituted
for that ancient treaty aforesaid.
In confirmation thereof, we, that is, I Taimur-bin-Faisal, Sultan of Maskat
and Oman, with my own hand and I Major M. E. Rae, I.A., duly authorized agent
for that purpose on behalf of the Glorious British Government, have signed this
writing and five copies and have affixed our seals thereto.
Done at Maskat this eleventh day of February 1922 corresponding to the 13th
Jamad-i-Al-Akhir 1340.
Signature [in vernacular] and Seal of Signature and Seal of Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
the Sultan of Maskat and Oman. ' at Maskat.
Telegram No. 110, dated the 29th (received the 30th) January 1923.
From—The Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
C orrespondence ending with Foreign and Political Department endorse
ment of 12th January* 1923, 48-43-Extl.
As time too short for further discnssionl revision or prolongation of commer
cial treaty, propose to authorize Rae to arrange for usual annual renewal if Gov
ernment have no objection.
Addressed to the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India and repeated
to the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. and British Consul Maskat.
Serial No. 50.
sgpi32-1990sg1
Demi-official No. 90-S., dated Bushire, the 23rd February (received 5th March) 1923.
TTjquj The H on'ble L ieutenant- C olonel A. P. T revor, C.I.E., Political
• Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
Maskat Commercial Treaty.
t Please refer to your demi-official No. 3213-43-Ext, dated 22nd December 1922.
2. We (i.e.. Political Officers) do not want the Commercial Treaty revised for local reasons.
But the Sultan is anxious to get the Tariff increased, and to have the right to raise the import
duty to 10%. If he had this, Rae says he would be quite content to renew the existing
Treaty for 5 or 10 years.
3. I do not know whether Government would be prepared to agree to the 5% tariff being
increased or whether a matter like this could be dealt with in a renewing clause. In any
case 1 suppose we could not agree to allow the Tariff to be raised without getting France and
America to agree to do the same. The present time would not, I imagine, be a propitious
t for asking them to do this.