'File 379/1906 Railways: Aden; railway construction in Aden hinterland; Aden-Lahej Railway' [‎72r] (148/308)

(/) No portion of the ^ line shall be opened to traffic of goods or
passengers until it has been inspected and pronounced fit for
such traffic by an officer appointed by Government.
( 0 ) The general principles of the Indian Railway Act shall be followed
in regard to inspections, accounts, returns, weight of loads, and
reports of accidents.
{h) Proper arrangements for the protection of the line and of traffic
and passengers shall be made and approved by Government.
(£) The Government Postal Department shall be allowed to use the
line on the terms in force in State railways in India.
(j) No telegraph line or telephone shall be erected except with the
sanction and subject to the control of Government.
(k) All proprietors or shareholders in the railway shall be persons
subject to or protected by the British Government.
(1) The Abdali Sultan shall have a prior right to own shares in so
much of the railway as lies within his own limits and shall he
allowed to borrow capital for the purchase of such shares upon
terms approved of by Government,
(m) The Abdali Sultan shall at any time after the expiry of 70 years
have a right to purchase so much of the line as lies within his
limits. Government shall have the same right to purchase so
much as lies within their limits.
(n) None of the above conditions shall affect the Abdali Sultan’s
present claim to transit dues which shall be collected at a
special Customs House established for the purpose and managed
by the Abdali Sultan’s own officials in accordance with the
advice of Government. Government, however, is at liberty to
make some arrangement with the Abdali Sultan to purchase or
compound this claim hereafter.
12. I think that most of the above terms and conditions will be considered
necessary by Government and that most of them called for no special remarks.
Upon clauses (a), (6), (c), (d), (/),(#),(£), (i), (j), and (&), I think that
insistence will be considered necessary.
13. As to clause (c), the question of jurisdiction must of course be expected
to present difficulties which it may not be easy to at once overcome. It
would appear necessary to insist upon entire cession of jurisdiction over British
and European foreign subjects, and to secure as far as possible Government
supervision over all others.
14. Clause (e) I think politic and is in accordance with local usage and
tradition.
15. As to clauses (l) and (n), I think that some concessions of the kind
are advisable with a view to gaining the sympathy and interest of the Abdali
Sultan in the undertaking.
16. As to clause (n), it is of course much to be desired in order to facilitate
trade that the matter of transit dues should, if possible, be settled by com
promise and that this troublesome imposition should thereafter cease.
17. The opportunity presented by negotiations to secure the above terms
and conditions might perhaps be utilized with advantage to endeavour to
arrive at a more satisfactory understanding on the subject of extradition of
criminals.
18. Meanwhile I have the honour to recommend that the earliest possible
consideration may be paid to the proposal to construct a railway from Aden
to Sheikh Othman, and that I may be informed as soon as Government are
inclined to view with favour any practicable scheme which may be put
forward for the construction of that portion of railway. The actual con
struction of such a li&e would probably tend to facilitate negotiations for its
extension into Abdali territory, and itself would tend largely to the material
benefit of the settlement of Aden.