'A collection of Conventions and Agreements relating to Telegraphs in Turkey in Asia, Persia, the Persian Gulf, and Mekran' [‎27r] (13/36)

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pul'nrdutles j!‘,in the Bnti v h era ? loy ? of , the ^^egrapli Department being charged with
pubhc duties shall be everywhere placed under the special protection of Hie local authorises
who shall furnish guards when necessary, and otherwise assure their personal ^tj"
111 , ' ntl1 t l(> , com P letlon « f the third wire provided for bv the above \rt cle I the
appropriation of the ex.stmg first and second wires for local and international n e ages ’shaU
remam as at present, v.z., as regulated by Article VIII. of the Convention of the SXember
IV. After the completion of the third wire, notice of which will be given to the Persian
^ folio" 3 ' Ct0r ° £ the English staff - the appropriation of thefhree wires shall be
The first wire viz., the one set up originally in 1864, shall be used for local traffic while
he fOT ^ exceptions herein-
Administrations.
i XJ* Should the first wire be broken at any time, one of the others shall be temporarily
lent tor I ersian correspondence, until communication by the first wire is restored, provided
always that both the second and third wires are at the time in good working order throughout
their length, and free from contact.
Should the first wire be in contact with either the second or third wire while the
remaining wire is clear, the wire in contact with the first wire shall be insulated to allow
Irc w oi king bv the I ersian employes on the first wire until the contact is removed.
<ci Should the fiist wiie be in contact with the second or third while the remaining one is
interrupted, or should both second and third wires be interrupted ; or should all three wires
at any time be in contact the resultant single line shall be used by the English and Persian
Administrations in the respective proportions of two-thirds to one-third of the day, the exact
hours to be fixed by mutual agreement between the English and Persian Directors.
AIL Lhe revenue derived from the local traffic on the Persian wire shall belong entirely
to the Persian Government. By local traffic are meant messages originating at one Persian
station and terminating at another Persian station.
\1II. I he Persian Government having already made an arrangement with the Indo-
European Telegraph Company, regarding the revenue derived from the Indo-European traffic,
the English Government will abide by that agreement so far as they are concerned ; that is to
say, the Persian Government, in consideration of a fixed annual payment by the said Company
of either 12,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. or of two francs per message of 20 vrords, renounces all claims to any
portion of the revenue from transit traffic over the line from Julfa (on the Russian frontier) to
Bushire. This revenue shall therefore be divided between the English Government and the
Indo-European Company in such manner as they themselves may decide, and the accounts
between them shall be settled without the intervention of the Persian Government.
As regards international messages originating or terminating in Persia, the Persian
Government agrees to cede to the English Government, for a term of three years, the entire
Persian terminal tax on such messages in consideration of a fixed annual payment of
2,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. to be paid to Persia by the English Government. After the three years the
Persian Government shall be free, either to accept an annual payment calculated on the basis
of two-thirds of the average terminal receipts, or to claim two-thirds of the receipts from all
bond fide terminal messages. The Persian Government agrees to leave it to the sense of justice
of the English Government to decide which are bond fide terminal messages, and which are to
considered as transit messages, being forwarded to Persia evidently for the purposes of being
re-transmitted to other countries.
During the time this Treaty remains in force, the Persian Government engages itself to
oppose at the International Telegraph conferences any alteration in the present transit and
terminal rates, unless a previous agreement with the English Government shall have been
made.
IX. The English administration being responsible for the correct transmission of all
international messages and for the adjustment of the accounts, will collect the payments
for these messages according to the rates of the prevailing International Telegraph
Convention.
All international messages originating in Persia shall, before transmission, be registered
and sealed by officials appointed by the Persian Government. International messages
terminating in Persia shall be delivered to tiie addressees through the agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of the
same officials, who shall be bound to give receipts for such messages to the English
Administration.
The Persian Administration shall at all times have free access to the English offices and to
all records connected with international traffic. International messages are those which pass
over the wires of more than one State.