'Russia, India and the Persian Gulf' [‎22r] (43/46)

39
Proceedings of the East India Association.
King of Kings ?” Sir Charles Dilke had truly said that China was the
present immediate objective. That had been clearly stated in the woik of
Prince Ookhtomsky, who had laid bare the Russian policy with the most
extraordinary frankness. Mr. Emmott had referred to a subject of the greatest
importance—namely, the tariff which had just been imposed by Russia
upon Persia, to which he had referred in his paper, but not in his speech.
It was a most unfriendly tariff. It had been stated that our Minister had
orders to endeavour to arrange that no alteration should be made in future
in tariff without the consent of England, but no alterations would be
wanted by Russia, for our trade had already been shut out between India
and Eastern Persia. In his paper he had suggested that we should
retaliate with our tariff. He gathered there was no wide difference of
opinion between the chairman and himself, or between them and the
audience. He was very fortunate in his chairman .and his audience, and
thought it evident that the question with which he had endeavoured to
deal in a speech lasting under an hour was one of pressing importance, as
it clearly was one of extreme delicacy and difficulty.