'Memorandum respecting the Claim of the Euphrates and Tigris Steam-ship Company to use Barges on those Rivers as a matter of "right"' [‎100v] (9/18)

8
In February 1875 Messrs. Lynch and Co. renewed Messrs .Lynch and Co.,
their request to be allowed to replace one of their February 25, 1875.
old vessels by a new one, and in the following
month the Porte authorized them to do so, and also Sir H. Elliot, No. 168;
, . . . March 31, 1875.
to employ their steam-launch m exceptional cases
and when the water was low ; but as it was reported
that Messrs. Lynch were about to place an addi
tional steam-vessel, as well as two iron lighters, on
the Tigris and Euphrates, a letter was written to
the Company, by Lord Derby's direction, to know To" Messrs. Lynch and Co.,
if the report was true, and they were at the same A P ri1 24 » 1875 *
time told that Her Majesty's Government were not
prepared to ask for further privileges for them than
those which the Porte had already accorded.
The report, however, was stated by Messrs. Lynch Messrs. Lynch and Co.,
to be entirely without foundation, as they " had no Apnl 2,J ' 1875,
intention of placing either an additional steamer or
lighters on those rivers."
In May 1879 the Euphrates and Tigris Company Sir H. Layard, No. 34
asked to be allowed to put an extra steamer on la - v 27,1S/9 *
those rivers, in order to enable them to carry out
more satisfactorily their contract for the conveyance
of Indian mails, for which they received a subsidy
from Indian finances; but the Porte refused to
comply with their request, although it was strongly
supported by Her Majesty's Government, stating as
a reason that they were about to reform and
improve the service of the steamers of the " Osman
Company.''
This reply was deemed far from satisfactory, more Messrs. Sassoon,
particularly since Messrs. Sassoon had also applied January 22, 1879.
to Lord Salisbury to endeavour to obtain permission
to employ one or two suitable steamers on those
rivers for the accommodation of passengers and
merchandize, and his Lordship had repeatedly in- To Sir H. Layard, No. 90
structed Sir H. Layard to impress upon the Porte November 23 » I 87 ®*
the, importance of opening the Rivers Tigris and
Euphrates to navigation by vessels under the British
flag.
On the 23rd October, 1879, the Tigris and
Euphrates Company (L mited) addressed a letter to
Lord Salisbury, praying that steps might be taken
to induce the Porte to throw the navigation of the
rivers open.
In this letter the Company said that, " by special
Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). from the Porte, they had been engaged since
1861" in the navigation of these rivers; but it will