'Navigation on the rivers of Mesopotamia' [‎29v] (4/8)

L 4 ]
Thu authorities at Baghdad were, however, opposed to the establishment of steam “ayi-
letter, t ie terms to the effect o£ this letter, Mr. Plowden writes
* Secret Muy 1882, Nos. 221-272. ag f o n 0WS * : —
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14. This further letter silenced for atime the opposition
the intention °f the company to piace a second steamei t ^ e C0rreS p 0n cl ence which then ensued that
enUtTes^'^d 1 ^to^he^^^ati^onJofThat^fcii^n^the TM^is^a
fn fhp British Government for the Euphrates ; and having shown that the teims of that co
sanction graidvd to tl^ 1 . , t } iat tvvo steamers—the City of London and the Come#—were as a matter
stationed on the Tigris, there was no other conclusion possible but that the firm in question had
no right to bring out what was described as a third steamer. One statement m this argument, that the Comet
belonged to the Euphrates and Tigris Company, was immediately assailed; and it having been pi oved that this
vessef belonged to the Indian Government, the new steamer brought out by the Company, iYie Dejleh, was
permitted to run. The Porte, however, gained one important advantage from this discussion. The little mis
statement about the Comet diverted attention from the substantial issue, and gave them the opportunity to discard
withTt detection the correspondence of 1846 Consequently after that misstatement had been set right with
the result that the Company attained their immediate object in view—withdrawal of opposition to the Dejleh
noboTy thought it worth while to traverse the far more important assertion that the Company s right to navigate
the Tigris rested on a specific finnan applicable to the Company alone and restricted to two steamers And it
is a remarkable fact that from the moment the controversy reached this stage the Vizierial letters subsequently
granted carefully abstain from any allusions to the arrangement of 184b, which were so distinctly confhmed by
the Yizierial letters of 1861 and 1862.
15 Colonel Kemhall,having learned that Manyk Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. contemplated opposition to the ZteyZeA, drew; His
Excellency’s attention to existing arrangements whereby British merchant steamers were at liberty to navigate
the Tigris without any limit as to number of vessels, and asked him to specify bis objections.
Manyk Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. replied that in the Vizierial letters preserved in bis archives It was clearly laid down that the
British Government was permitted to run only two steamers on the Tigris, and to run them by turns; and as
two steamers were now present, he was unable to perceive on what grounds a third steamer could be claimed.
Manyk Pasha’s view was firmly supported by bis own Government ; and the correspondence which ensued
was persistently conducted by the Turks on the bans that only two steamers were admissible ; that the-e was
no distinction between the Company’s steamers the City of London and the Government steamer Comet ; and
that no third steamer could be allowed. And the British authorities appear to have been so far convinced of the
soundness of the Turkish case, that they seem to have agreed to withdraw the Comet to make way for the
Company’s new steamer, the Dejleh. This stage of the controversy terminated with Ali Pasha’s note dated 1st
October 1864 , a copy of which was forwarded to Colonel Kemball in a despatch from Her Majesty’s Chargi
d’Affaires, No. 17, dated 3rd October.
16. This note, in deciding the question at issue, commenced with a statement that Her Majesty’s Embassy
had asked the Porte.
“ Que des ordres soient transmis au Gouvcmeur General de Baghdad a 1’effdt de ne pas s’<
ation sur le Tigre du nouveau bateau a vapeur que Messieurs Lynch et Co. feront yenir d.e Bond
remplaeer le l< Comet” un des deux bateaux sous pavilion Anglais gui ont l autorisation de naviguer sur
le dit fleuve.
I have no means of knowing whether Ali Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. quoted correctly the English memorandum; hut it
will be obvious from the statements in the foregoing paragraphs of this despatch that the words which I have
italicised altogether misrepresent the true position of affairs. Ali Pasha’s note proceeds :—
“ Yous savez, Monsieur le Charge d’Affaires, que I’antorisation accordee a cet effet comporte outre la
reserve stipulee pour le cas ou des inconvenients locaux seraient signales dans sa mise a execution, la condition
expresse que le nombre des bateaux a vapeur destines a cette navigation sera definitivement fixe a deux.' Comma
ils’ agit aujour’ dhui de remplacer un des deux bateaux qui font deja le service le Gouvemeur General de Baghdad
a re<;u T ordre de ne pas s’opposer a I’amvee du nouveau bateau a condition que celui qu’il est destine a rem
placer quitte immediatement le fleuve et que sous aucun pretexte aucun bateau a vapeur sous pavilion etranger en
dehors des deux qui y sont autorises ne puisse stationner ou circuler dans les eaux du susdit fleuve.
Your Excellency will perceive at once that Ali Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. recites as applicable to merchant steamers on the
Tigris conditions contained in a document which relates solely to the navigation of the Euphrates by two
steamers the property of the British Government.
17. Colonel Kemball, in commenting upon this note, pointed out that the Dejleh, which had been con
structed for the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company, could not have been intended to replace the
Comet, which was an armed despatch boat belonging to the British Government
Pennission was accordingly obtained to retain the Comet temporarily for the protection of the working parties
engaged in constructing the telegraph between Basrah and Baghdad. Subsequently the position of the Comet
was further discussed, and the fact established that it was an armed vessel belonging to the British Govern
ment and not a private commercial steamer. Finally, in 1869 the Porte agreed that the Comet might le replaced
by another vessel belonging to La Marine Tdoyale. This permission was not acted upon at the time, but it has
since been renewed.
In addition to Mr. Plowden’s note, which gives a summary of the case from 1831-1869,
it may be remarked that in 1867 it was seriously considered whether the maintenance of a
steamer on the rivers was worth the expense, which amounted to about Rs. 45,000 per annum.
The Governor-General was of opinion that the steamer should be withdrawn, but the majority
of the Government were of opinion that political reasons made the presence of the steamer
necessary, and Her Majesty’s Government agreed in this view.
opposer a la navig
ondres dans le but de