'Memorandum respecting the Claim of the Euphrates and Tigris Steam-ship Company to use Barges on those Rivers as a matter of "right"' [‎101r] (10/18)

i)
To Jir H. Layard, No. 69;
November 4, 1879.
Sir H. Layard, No. 90;
November 23, 1879.
Euphrates and Tigris Company,
January 2, 1880.
Euphrates and Tigris Company,
January 2, 1880.
Sir H. Layard (Telegraphic),
January 17, 1880.
Euphrates and Tigris Company,
January 17, 1880.
be seen from what follows that this had reference to
the original Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). of 1834, and not to any special
Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). having been granted to them in 1861, about
the issue of which there appeared at the time to be
some doubt.
Upon the receipt of this letter a despatch was
addressed to Sir H. Layard, in which he was in
structed to remind the Porte of the numerous
appeals which had been made to it by Her Majesty's
Government to remove the restrictions which existed
on the trade of that part of the Ottoman Empire
and upon the development of the resources of the
districts adjacent to the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates;
and his Excellency was then told to urge most
earnestly on the Turkish Government the removal
of the restrictions imposed on the navigation of
those rivers by vessels under the British flag." Sir
H. Layard, however, replied that, considering the
suspicious temper of the Porte at that moment, he
felt sure that, if such a demand was then made, it
would be pretty certain to be refused.
In January 1880 the Euphrates and Tigris
Company applied to this Office for a copy of the
" Imperial Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). by virtue of which that Company
was authorized to employ steamers on the Rivers
Euphrates and Tigris," as they stated " they had no
copy of the document in their officewhereupon a
copy of the Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). of 1834, and of the Vizirial
letters of 1842, 1846, and 1861 (above referred to)
were sent to them; and as they accepted them as
being accurate, I think it is clear that no special
Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). was granted to the Company in 1861.
Just at this time the news arrived that an Agree
ment had been concluded at Bagdad, by which the
Turkish steamers on the Tigris had been let to a
Turkish Company for fifteen years for 4,000/. a-year,
with a monopoly of the entire navigation of the Tigris
and Euphrates, with the exception of two English
steamers.
Every endeavour was at once made to stop the
ratification of this arrangement, and Sir H. Layard
was assured by the Porte that such a monopoly
should not be granted.
In alluding to this proposed monopoly, the
Euphrates and Tigris Company took the opportunity
of renewing their request to be allowed to increase the
number of their steamers on those rivers.
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