'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎59v] (123/143)

(2) Should this proposal and loyal request of this humble servant not be
considered advisable, that a Persian Official from the Customs who is ac
quainted with the ways of the Arab clans be appointed to put the new tariff in
force; should there be a foreign official from the outset or should a matter of
importance be put in force, I fear that difficulties might arise.
(3) The Customs revenues which according to the usage of years are in
cluded in the taxes (maliyat) paid over year by year to the Government of
’Arabistan, these they must order to be reserved (deducted) from the
“ maliyat ” itself.
(4) The Customs Administration has no right to interfere in the concerns
ot the Arabs and the Provincial Government (or) to interfere in any kind of
matter which is outside Customs business.
(5) They must ask this humble servant himself to appoint the workmen
and servants who may be requisite for the Customs, so that, should there be a
fault or lack of orders in the Customs, this devoted servant should be respon
sible ; should they wish to appoint servants themselves, (and) God forbid should
there be any irregularity or fault or theft, then they should not hold this
humble servant responsible for order or protection.
(6) As to the new tariff contemplated, dates and berries, etc., must be
exempt at export; Customs dues must not be levied and on import they shall
pay 5 per cent.; should more be levied at other frontier places, then more must
be imposed at Mohammerah also, but on the understanding that nothing
further shall be claimed from that which pass at the frontier, in order that
the trade of Mohammerah and ’Arabistan also may be confident in this matter
and free and hopeful.
(7) That assurances may be given to the Arabs and tribes and clans that
those gardens and date plantations of Mohammerah and dependencies which
they themselves and their forefathers have planted shall not in the future be
taken from their possession, and that they must possess their own property in
confidence, and that the Government will never contemplate selling these under
the title of Crown lands, that the land tax be paid according to the custom of
former years, that a firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). of proprietary rights be granted to them that they
may be hopeful and secure.
(8) Seeing that when the Customs go out of the hands of this humble ser
vant, the difference which for years came to me and to the expenses of the fron
tier from the Customs there, disappears, therefore M. Simais made an agree
ment and gave me a writing that a salary of one thousand tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. per month
should be allotted me out of the Customs revenues that I might attend to the
protection of the frontier and to the guardians of order. I would request
that a farman on this point may also be issued and granted.
(9) That the Karun lands to the east which are included in Mohammerah
territory and are a place of cultivation and (a place) of the tribes and clans of
this humble servant should be granted (to him) as property in the same way
that the Karun lands to the west opposite these were granted as propert^^
His Excellency Nizam-es-Saltaneh, and he (i.e., Mu’izz-es-Saltaneh) will of
his own accord give a present for them. The land tax (maliyat) will be paid
as formerly.
(10) As to the Dehmulla and Hindijan which are Crown lands and are an
asset in the account of this humble servant, he consents to pay the Government
taxes (maliyat-i-diwani) for those places; he prays that they may be granted
to him in proprietary right; the present usual in the case of the Crown land
will be obediently made; the object of this humble servant is that at the time by
an artifice these lands should not be bought by others, which would cause
trouble and dispute, and that they should be a cause of hope and keep the
people occupied in cultivation and (give them) peace and quiet.
Answers to the claims of His Excellency the Mu’izz-es-Saltaneh.
(1) With reference to clauses Nos. 1, 2 and 5, His Excellency Mu’izz-es-
Saltaneh has been promoted to the dignity of Head of the Customs’of the ports
of Mohammerah and ’Arabistan, 1 and must in all matters exercise full care
1 Sec Appendix IT.