'File No. E/1. Hindu Merchants at Qatif' [‎84r] (200/451)

Copy.
Therapia
August 28,1905.
E'
T
i"b.i veierence to .Ir• ey' s Conx iden"tial
c .tiptjCiTi' 01" 10,1904 and "bo ..Ir Acting Consul Gfe—
0 -g xic^dl J.i .'nc.^an' o reply r :>,n" of "tne Slst of October of "the
---"~o""o" same ^ ear > 7 transmit to you,herewith,copy of a "Totice which
0. oo
Aagast a.'J:, J , ,ci c i ecei /ed iroin tlie Silblime Poi^te in answer to the
1905 •
"reprc ^ cn ^a uiont) made to tnem cy i^is . majesty's embassy on
^ J c c o )x ^.^0 11 eatment ox tiie British Tndian traders
by the Aatif Customs.
The promemoria from the British Lmbassy referred to
in the Sublime Porte's ?, " T otice"did not state,as the word
ing of the note would appear to imply,that the 25000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
v/ci,o -c speciiic total of tr.e sums due to British Indian
traders for excess of export duty paid on deposit to the
1 .-Ocil cast.^ms, l at tjiat it was calculated that in the year
190r that amount had been extorted from British India trad-
-ers under this head. The promemoria also said that in
1899,after a prolonged correspondence,the Political Resi
dent in oj.c Persian - ulf had only succeeded in obtaining a
icfiind .1 5012 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. out of a sum of 15000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. claimed
'\y -•■ritis..i Indian subjects who had appealed to him.
'Jhe sum of 2821 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. cited in the enclosed coramuni-
Cati.in j.rom the Sublime Porte as being the amount claimed
1 j. tj^e jndian .• jerchants themselves i. r ould appear to tally
1 .'it.a tne total of the claims the particulars of which were
obtained in September 1904 by the Assistant Political
A^cnt at .;,a..rein and farmed the 1st enclosure in .Ir ."lona-
han's above mentioned despatch.You will observe that : Ir
. .lona^an reported t.-at the Acting "ali had assured him that
■ c had instructed the .'lutessarif of 11 hassa to recover
tnese sums and to abstain from levying such charges in the
future.
You will observe that the Sublime Porte state that
the reason why these claims have not been paid is that the
Indian traders have not yet presented to the Custom house
B |
the properly legalised certifica'tes )! u .1 als
in India proving that the goods exported were really
delivered at an Indian destinati -n.I c .ii idci o c
the production ox these certificates is nov iriimaoci ial
to our case as the^ r ali of Basra has adinit + ;ed tlie Just
ice of the claims by instructing the J.Iutessarix of ^1
Hassa to recover the money,and the question is merely
raised by the Ottoman Government as a pretext for further
delaying payment.
It would,however,be advisable to ascertain from
the Assistant 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. at Bahrein whether the
Indian traders have furnished these Certificates to
the Aatif Customs when applying for the refund of the
excess duty deposited by them or, in the event of their
not having done so,then to advise them to fulfil this
formality,if possible,in order to facilitate the return
of monies unduly levied.
I am etc
Sgd: ~T. .0'Conor.