"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [و‎‎٢‎٤] (٢٨٤/٤٨)

Mr. Stuart,
No 123,
March 14, 1865.
To Mr. Stuart,
No. 119,
March 30, 1865.
Mr. Stuart,
No. 123,
March 14, 1865.
Mr. Stuart,
No. 202,
April 11, 1865.
33
la his despatch transmitting the memo
randum referred to above, Mr. Stuart remarked
that he had frequently spoken to Aali Pasha
respecting the importance of opening the Meso-
potamian rivers to the commercial flags of all
nations. As regards the " Comet" and
" Satellite," Aali Pasha laid stress on the fact
that they were not merchant-ships, but more or less
ships of war, inasmuch as they belonged to Her
Majesty's Government, and he maintained that,
although the rivers might be open to merchant-
vessels, the Porte could not be expected to admit
the ships of foreign Governments into the inland
waters of Turkey. Mr. Stuart considered that
this plea was reasonable, and thought that the
advocacy of a contrary principle might encourage
dangerous demands from other quarters. He
held it to be more prudent to endeavour to obtain
permission for the vessels to remain on the rivers
upon the same footing as formerly, until it suited
Her Majesty's Government to remove one or both
of them, rather than to raise the question of their
right to be there as ships belonging to Her
Majesty.
Approval of the course taken by Mr. Stuart was
conveyed to him. He had mentioned in his
despatch that regulations were being prepared
by the Porte for the navigation of the Tigris and
Euphrates, which Aali Pasha trusted would be
found satisfactory by Her Majesty's Govern
ment, and he was instructed to express the hope
of the British Government that the arrangements
under consideration would result in throwing
open the rivers generally to the merchant-ships
of all nations. He was also told to protest
against the unfriendly course taken by Namick
Pasha in questions in which British interests
were concerned. According to Aali Pasha,
Namick Pasha's jealousy was not confined to
English, but also extended to foreign, interests ;
and although supposed to have encouraged the
establishment of a French steam-packet company
in Mesopotamia he was really opposed to the
admission of the French company, and had urged
the Porte to prevent its formation.
Mr. Stuart communicated the Foreign Office
despatch (No. 119, 30th March, 1865), con-*
veying the instructions mentioned above, to
the Porte without observation, leaving it to
produce its own effect. In regard to Namick
[163—1] K