مجموعة ١٠/١٧(٣) "شؤون داخلية: الوضع السياسي؛ العلاقات مع الحكومة البريطانية" [و‎‎٢‎٤‎٤] (٥١٣/٤٨٧)

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF H [S
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ith the Complinients_ , ^
1940
STY’S GOVERNMENT
IRAQ.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[E 1724/448/93]
May 16, 1940.
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Section 1.
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Copy No.
Sir B. Newton to Viscount Halifax.-{-(Received May 16.)
My Lord!^-'^ Z- ^<?fq3 .(Sj lo Bagdad ' May 6> 1940
WITH reference to my despatch No. 160 of the 10 th April, I have the honour
to inform your Lordship that the parliamentary session, which began on the
1st November last, was prorogued by Royal Iradah on the 30th April. The session
had been interrupted by an adjournment of two months from the 15th November
to the 15th January, and its prorogation therefore came at the end of the
statutory period of four months.
2 . It has been a disturbed session; twice the Government have resigned and
once political life'in the country was severely shaken by the assassination of the
Minister of Finance and the events that followed that crime. Nevertheless, a great
deal of parliamentary work has been accomplished. Over fifty laws have been
dealt with by the Chamber, and most of these have also been passed through the
Senate. In addition to the budget the Bills passed by the Chamber include—
A Civil Service Law.
A Property Tax Law (Bagdad despatch No. 170 E. of the 22nd April).
An Emergency Tax Law (Bagdad despatch No. O.T. (A) 4 of the
2nd March).
A Public Education Law (Bagdad despatch No. 454 of the
16th August, 1939).
A Law for the Improvement of Cotton Cultivation.
A Law for the Establishment of a Summer Hill Station.
A Rice Cultivation Law.
3. No measures Were presented to Parliament for the amendment of either
the Organic Law or the Electoral Law, although constitutional and electoral
reforms were at the head of the programme of Nuri Said’s Administration.
4. I am sending copies of this despatch to His Majesty’s representatives at
Cairo and Tehran, to the Government of India and to the Combined Middle East
Intelligence Centre, Cairo.
[5—85]
I have, &c.
BASIL NEWTON.
RECo. POL. DEPt.
3 vlfcl 940
INDIA OFFICE