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Coll 1/67 'Aden. Changes in administration in the event of separation from India: miscellaneous questions' [‎11r] (21/769)

The record is made up of 1 file (384 folios). It was created in 2 Jun 1936-15 Nov 1937. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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9
Point 17. The Governor’s Powers .—The financial and administrative powers of the
Chief Commissioner are now defined by the Government of India, and there are special
provisions dealing with his powers in relation to the Aden Port Trust, which is a
statutory body constituted under the Aden Port Trust Act of 1888 (Bombay Act No. V
of 1888). The general financial and administrative powers of the future Governor will
doubtless be defined by His Majesty’s Government, and, in doing so, it should be
decided to what extent he will exercise powers now reserved to the Government of India
in respect of the Aden Port Trust and in respect of certain Acts and Regulations regarding
which the powers of the Chief Commissioner are now limited. I attach a copy of the
Government of India Notifications, Nos. 171-N dated 1st April, 1932, and 199-N dated
15th May, 1934, under which the powers of the Chief Commissioner in respect of laws
and enactments are at present regulated. The Chief Commissioner’s financial powers are
defined in Chapter V of Part II of the Government of India Book of Financial Powers.
Point 18. Table of Precedence .—At present the precedence of senior officers serving
in Aden is regulated by the Indian Warrant of Precedence. When Aden is separated
from India their appointments will disappear in this Warrant, and their precedence
must then be regulated by the Colonial Office Administration. Aden being a Naval,
Military and Air Force centre, it is necessary to decide relative seniority of civil officials
with Naval, Military and Air Force officers. At present the Political Secretary ranks
below a Lieutenant-Colonel, the Civil Secretary and District Magistrate ranks with a
Major, and the Chairman of the Aden Port Trust ranks between the two. In my opinion,
the grading of all these three officers ought to be raised. The Political Secretary should
rank with Lieutenant-Colonels, and the Chairman of the Aden Port Trust and Settlement
(who holds a most responsible position) might well do the same. The Civil Secretary
might also be put on the same grade as the Political Secretary. The District and Sessions
Judge at present ranks above Lieutenant-Colonels, and I think that this should remain
unchanged. I recommend that his designation under Colonial Administration be Chief
Justice and Legal Adviser or Judge and Legal Adviser I recommend that the opportunity
of a change in the Warrant of Precedence be taken to make the alterations that I have
suggested. The Civil Administrative Medical Officer, the Port Officer, and the
Commandant of Police at present rank in accordance with their seniority in their own
Services, all three at present being graded with Lieutenant-Colonels. As long as these
posts are filled by officers of the Indian Services this practice might continue; but in view
of possible changes in future I suggest that the appointments of Civil Administrative
Medical Officer and Port Officer be classed with Lieutenant-Colonels and that of the
Commandant of Police between Lieutenant-Colonels and Majors.
The officer in charge of the Aden Administration is now the Resident, Chief
Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief, being Resident in respect of the Protectorate
and Chief Commissioner in respect of Aden. I understand that it is the intention of
His Majesty’s Government that he will in future be termed Governor and Commander-
in-Chief, this designation being in respect of both Aden and the Protectorate. At present
he ranks 13 in the Indian Warrant of Precedence and is entitled to a salute of 13 guns.
After the transfer his appointment will disappear from the Indian Warrant and I presume
that his salute will be increased to 17 guns in accordance with paragraph 52 of the King’s
Regulations and Admiralty Instructions. Visits of British and Foreign warships are
frequent at Aden and calls between the Resident and Commander-in-Chief and Naval
Officers are regulated by paragraph 99 of the King’s Regulations and Admiralty
Instructions. The practice in this respect will be altered if the Resident is given the
status of the Governor.
The Air Officer Commanding at Aden now ranks at 33 in the Indian Warrant: in
future he will presumably rank in Aden immediately after the Governor.
It will be necessary to give the Treasurer a position in the new Warrant and this will
depend on the relative seniority that he should hold in respect of other civil officials
and of Naval, Military and Air Force officers in Aden, and on the position that he will
hold as a member of the Executive Council.
At present the two Political Officers, the Frontier Officer, the Education Officer,
the Civil Surgeon, the Assistant Commandant of Police and the Extra Assistant Com
missioner have no positions in the Warrant, and it is for consideration whether any or
all of these officers ought to be graded.
Point 19. Perim and Kamaran .—Perim is British Indian territory and adminis
tratively part of Aden, and it will therefore be included in the transfer.
Kamaran is not British or British Indian territory but it is administered by a Civil
Administrator controlled by the Government of India through the Chief Commission -r
at Aden, and its staff is largely drawn from India. The question of its future control
(C21513) '

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Content

The file contains correspondence, memoranda and reports regarding administrative changes to be made upon the transfer of Aden from the Government of India to the Colonial Office. The file consists primarily of correspondence between: the Aden Chief Commissioner (Bernard Reilly); the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Political Department; the Colonial Office; and the Government of India Home, Foreign and Political, Finance, and Reforms Departments.

The file has been divided into the following bundles:

  • 1. Memoranda, ff 5-73;
  • 2. Flag, ff 74-79;
  • 3. New buildings, ff 80-86;
  • 4. Pension rights of Indian personnel, ff 87-95;
  • 5. Personnel, ff 96-184;
  • 6. Judicial and Revenue Stamps, ff 185-910;
  • 7. Position of Consuls, ff 191-197;
  • 8. Printing Press, ff 198-203;
  • 9. Provident Fund, ff 204-210;
  • 10. Application of international treaties and extradition conventions, motor vehicles (international rules), ff 211-325;
  • 11. Future financial arrangements in regard to salt, income tax, supply of opium etc., ff 326-384.

The bundle titled 'Memoranda' contains a copy of Reilly's 'Note on Fourteen Points connected with the Transfer of Aden from the Government of India to the Colonial Office, discussed at the Foreign Office in 1933', plus a copy of Aden. Question of Transfer. Papers, 1933 (Middle East No. 50), and related correspondence.

The bundle titled 'Personnel' concerns the issue of retaining Indian administrative personnel at Aden following the transfer, on their existing terms of service, for a period of five years. The correspondence also concerns the position of the District and Sessions Judge, which upon transfer would change to become Judge of the Supreme Court of Aden; the appointment of James Taylor Lawrence to the post upon the retirement of G B Constantine is discussed.

The bundle titled 'Provident Fund' concerns the creation of a new General Provident Fund at Aden upon transfer. Reilly proposes that the Government of India transfer over to Aden any monies standing to the credit of Indian service personnel retained permanently; the Government of India propose that the monies should be cancelled out against the value of buildings, civil debt and pecuniary liabilities etc. involved in the transfer.

The bundle titled 'International Treaties' concerns the applicability to Aden, upon transfer, of various international agreements, and discusses the need to formally notify foreign governments of the change. Folios 297-321 include lists of treaties, conventions etc. which applied to both India and Burma, drawn up upon the separation of Burma in 1935. Extradition treaties and international motor agreements are discussed in particular detail.

The bundle titled 'Future Financial Arrangements' contains notes on budget administration, financial management, the issue of the salt tax, income tax, customs arrangements, and the importation and control of opium and other regulated substances. Draft estimates based on the figures of revenue and expenditure for the years 1932-1935 are included at folios 371-383.

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 2).

Extent and format
1 file (384 folios)
Arrangement

The file has been divided into eleven bundles, according to subject. Within the bundles, materials are arranged in rough chronological order, from the rear to the front.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 384; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. The back of the external cover has not been foliated.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 1/67 'Aden. Changes in administration in the event of separation from India: miscellaneous questions' [‎11r] (21/769), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/1505, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100032999346.0x000018> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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