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'Persia. No 1 (1909). Correspondence respecting the affairs of Persia, December 1906 to November 1908' [‎78r] (139/236)

The record is made up of 1 item (127 folios). It was created in 1909. It was written in English and French. 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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119
Chamber, and had done no more than inform the Financial Adviser of their general
tenor. His Excellency said the financial embarrassment was so great that the Govern
ment could not wait until M. Bizot had had time to complete his study of the situation,
and he had been obliged to take immediate action unless the country was to be ruined;
as to what he had said as to obtaining the assent of the two Powers, he was so con
vinced of their friendly attitude that he had felt justified in expressing a confident hope
that they would not withhold it. So hopeless, indeed, was the prospect, and so weary
was he of the vain struggle of doing something to improve it, that he had that morning
decided to resign his office.
I said that the one thing which His Majesty’s Government desired was to see
Persia peaceful and prosperous, but if we were asked to make^ a concession to the
detriment of our commercial interests we were entitled to examine the proposals laid
before us, and for this purpose His Majesty’s Government would be content to take the
opinion of the Persian Government’s own Financial Adviser. His liixcellency said that
he would much prefer that His Majesty’s Government should send out some one from
London to examine the situation; if M. Bizot had to be consulted on every question he
would virtually become Minister of finance, which would be intolerable.^ Persia did
not want a second M. Nans. I scouted the idea of sending some one fiom London.
His Excellency had just been talking of the urgent need of finding resources, and yet
he now wanted to see a second specialist from Europe who would have to begin again
where M. Bizot had started a month ago. If M. Bizot had not learnt as much as could
have been wished of the finances of the country, the fault lay solely with the Persian
Government, who obstinately declined to furnish him with the material to work on.
In declining to avail themselves of the services of the Financial Adviser the Persian
Government were acting like a sick man who, having called in a doctor, refused even to
ask advice. As for the fear that M. Bizot would ever aim at obtaining the position that
M. Nans had occupied, his Excellency must be conscious that such a thing was quite out
of the question. M. Bizot had no executive functions; his office was purely advisoiy,
and the Persian Government could accept or reject his counsel as they liked.
His Excellency reverted again and again to the idea of special experts being sent
out from London and St. Petersburg^ to examine the situation, a suggestion^ which I as
frequently put aside as one which would never be entertained. Persia, I said, not on y
wished to obtain a concession from us practically without return, but wanted to lay down
utterly unreasonable conditions as to the manner in which we should grant the favour.
I hoped his Excellency would reconsider his decision to resign. Constant changes in the
Ministry would not help matters, and, from a merely personal point of view, to resign
immediately after introducing his Budget would have a most damaging effect on t e
esteem and popularity he so deservedly enjoyed in the country.
It is unnecessary to give a detailed account of bam-ed-Dowleh s Budget. Its
object ostensibly is to provide a larger revenue in order to enable the Persian Govern
ment to restore some degree of order, to construct roads, and to improve public
education. For this purpose various new internal taxes are proposed, notably a tax on
real property in towns which has hitherto been exempt from any form of taxation, and
what is of immediate interest to ourselves, an increase of the import duties on tea and
sugar. There is no suggestion of a foreign loan, but it is obvious that, if once a surtax
on these commodities were established, the resulting revenue would provide a convenient
ouarantee for effecting an operation of that kind.
^ I llcIVG &C.
(Signed) ’ CHARLES M. MARLING.
No. 114.
Mr. Marling to Sir Edward Grey .—{Received June 3.)
m , i • \ Tehran. June 3, 1908.
Telegraphic.)
POLITICAL situation. . i n . _ .. n , •
On the 30th ultimo the Ministers resigned, and the formation of a new Cabinet is
nnnd to be very difficult. . , p ,
The Enjumens are demanding that the objectionable members of the entourage
»f the Shah’ may be dismissed, and are trying to intimidate the Kajars to bring
.ressure to bear on His Majesty in order to force him to yield to their demands. I
I 4
[1072]

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Content

A publication comprising copies of correspondence, principally between HM Minister at Tehran, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, HM Ambassador to Russia, and various representatives of the Persian Government. The item also contains extracts from the Monthly Summaries of Events, submitted by HM Minister at Tehran.

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1 item (127 folios)
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A table of contents can be found at folios 9-18.

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English and French in Latin script
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'Persia. No 1 (1909). Correspondence respecting the affairs of Persia, December 1906 to November 1908' [‎78r] (139/236), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/260/2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100041687519.0x0000a1> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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