'Persia. No 1 (1909). Correspondence respecting the affairs of Persia, December 1906 to November 1908' [‎76r] (135/236)

the Governor, in fact, completely lost his head, and I think it is not too much to say,
what is hardly sufficiently brought out in the necessarily brief account of the
occurrences given in the monthly summary, that it was primarily owing to the energy
and tact displayed by Mr. Consul Grahame, and his personal influence in the town,
that serious fighting did not ensue. In quieter times Sahib Ekhtiar might make an
excellent Governor, but as he is of a timorous disposition, and has not the money to
find the troops which the Government had been unable to send him, I thought it
better not to comply with his request for the support of the Legation to maintain him
in his orfice, and merely urged the Government to take such measures as they could
to maintain order. Zil-es-Sultan, at all events, possesses many of the qualities which
Sahib Ekhtiar lacks : he is very wealthy, can probably raise a sufficient force of men
from among his villages at Ispahan to enforce respect for his authority, and is reputed
to have been a strong Governor.
From the general summary it will be seen that, though there have been no serious
disorders, a condition of peaceful anarchy continues, and there is no sign that the
Central Government is any more able than formerly to enforce its authority.
I have, &c.
(Signed) CHAELES M. MARLING.
No. 111.
Mr. Marling to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received May 11.)
Tehran, April 23, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith the usual monthly summary of events
in Persia for the Inst four weeks, in which a brief account of the proceedings of the
Persian National Assembly has been embodied.
I have, &c.
(Signed) CHARLES M. MARLING.
Inclosure in No. 111.
Monthly Summary of Events in Persia.
The National Assembly.
THE presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. of the Assembly, to which Mukhber-ul-Mulk was elected after
the forced resignation of Ehtesham-es-Sultaneh, was not accepted by the former, and
Momtaz-ed-Dowleh was elected to the presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. on the 4th April. The new
President is a brother of the Persian Minister in Paris, and was Private Secretary
to the Ain-ed-Dowleh while that Prince was Prime Minister during^ 1904 and 1905.
He speaks French very well, and was for some time in the Foreign Office. His
election was decided upon by the predominant Tabreezi party in the Assembly in
order to be assured of a President who would not show that independence which made
the Ehtesham-es-Sultaneh so unpopular. It was even suggested by Taki Zade that
a new President should be elected every three months, but the motion was not pushed
to a division.
General News.
Ehtesham-es-Sultaneh left suddenly for Europe on the 3rd Aprd.
The trial of the persons accused of the murder of the Parsee merchant, Erbab
Fereidoun, has been going on for some time at the Courts of Justice. The proceedings
are public, and are reported fully in a special newspaper called the Mohakamat.
Some of the prisoners have confessed their guilt, and it is quite clear that their object
was common robbery, and not in any way political, as was at first surmised. The chief
priests will eventually be asked to deliver judgment.^ T . .
The Zil-es-Sultan, after remaining about a fortnight at Ispahan, is now proceeding
leisurely to Shiraz.
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