'Selection from Correspondence Relative to the Traffic in Arms in the Persian Gulf, 1897-98. Part I' [‎19r] (37/54)

I/Oi-d George Hamilton notes that tne copy of the bill of ladin 0 * forwarded
by you with your letter of the 3rd of February, in respect of “ rifles ” received
from A. W. Spencer, was made out for you from memory, and that vou are
unable to give precise information as to whether the original bill did not conceal
the nature of the goods under the name of “ hardware*” It is presumed that
you are still unable, as stated in your letter of the 3 rd of February to sunnlv
the names of the consignees. ^
The question raised by you is, whether there is any prohibition existing
against carrying arms and ammunition to Mascat. In reply, I am to inform
you that the importation of arms and ammunition into British India, or
into Persia, without the permission of the Persian Government, is illegal, and
the Sultan 01 Mascat has notified that he will not allow consignments of such
arms and ammunition destined for Persia to make use of his territorial waters.
The answ'er to your question therefore depends upon the destination of the
arms carried to Mascat, and the clearest description of the contents of the cases
on the bills of lading, together with the names of the consignees and the real
names of the exporters, would no doubt prove a valuable precaution against
the seizure through mistake or error of any cases carried by you to Mascat,
which the Mascat authorities might not be justified in seizin o’ or
confiscating.
I have, &c.,
Messrs. Bucknall Brothers. Godley.
No. 36.
Enclosure in Customs Letter of 28th February 1898.
Notice to
Exporters and Others.
Certain Munitions of War to be entered with the Customs before Shipment.
. n o™e is hereby given that the Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Customs, Political
in pursuance of their powers under Section 139 of the Customs Consolidation 1806/98.
Act, 1876 (39 & 40 A ict. c. .36), require due entry and clearance before
shipment of the following goods, if intended for exportation or carriage
coastwise, viz. :— b
Arms, viz. :—
Cannon, machine guns, and other ordnance.
Muskets, rifles, revolvers, and small arms of other sorts.
Other fire-arms.
Sv ords, cutlasses, bayonets, and otoer arms not being* fire-arms.
lorpedoes, shells, and shot, not containing explosives. (These
articles, if charged, must be entered as explosives.)
Paris of any of the above are to be entered, as such, under the
appropriate heading.
The manner in which this shall be done shall be the same as is prescribed
by the Regulation of April 1885, under which explosives, as defined by the
Explosives Act, 1875, or by any Order in Council A regulation issued by the sovereign of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Privy Council. made pursuant thereto,
are already required to be entered at the Custom House before shipment for
exportation irom the United Kingdom or for carriage coastwise.
This regulation is to come into force on and from Tuesday the 1st of
March 1898.
Shipments of the above description, as well as shipments of explosives, are,
if of foreign origin, to be distinguished from those of British origin,* and
entered on the proper Form (No. 27), which is printed on red paper, or in
red ink, those of British origin being entered on a Form (No. 26) printed in
black on white or blue paper.