File 4673/1919 Pt 1 ‘Persian Gulf:- Visit to England of the son of the Sheikh of Bahrein + party. General arrangements + proceedings. Incidence of cost.’ [‎256r] (489/494)

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4. If it is thought that the above principle would involve a possibly serious
burden upon the British Treasury, we would submit that the following three
considerations should be borne in mind :—
That the occasions upon which His Majesty’s Government will be
called upon to dispense hospitality of the nature referred to must,
in the nature of things, be exceedingly rare ;
(2) That His Majesty’s Government will always have it in their power
to regulate their total sumptuary outlay by limiting the number
of invited guests ; and
(3) That the Indian chiefs and nobles who belong to the category of
possible guests are in the habit of making donations and con
tributions towards public objects, both in India and while in
England, greatly in excess of those that may be anticipated from
any other class of guests ; and that exceptional treatment may
>' therefore be held to be justified by exceptional deserts.
5 . For all these reasons we should greatly regret any attempt to discrimi
nate in principle between Indian and non-Indian guests of Great Britain ; and
we should prefer, in the event of any individual case or group of cases appearing
to demand exceptional treatment, that the case should be considered on its
merits as it arises. We presume that if the above general principle is accepted,
the Government of India of the day would be given an opportunity of expressing
their views before any departure from it should be decided upon.
6 . We observe that Your Lordship’s suggestion for the appointment of an
inter-departmental Committee referred only to the incidence of expenditure in
respect of any Indian guests who may visit the Lnited Kingdom, and we have
so far confined our remarks to the case of such guests. We think, however, that
t the opportunity might be taken with advantage to determine the pi inciples
which should govern the entertainment of other Asiatic guests, such for instance
as the Persian Lnvoy. W e think it inequitable that India should be called
upon to contribute to the cost of entertaining any non- Indian guests who may
i proceed to England on the invitation of His Majesty’s Government; and we
should be glad if this point also could be examined by the inter-departmental
Committee, and if favourable consideration could be given to our views.
We have, &c.,
(Signed) CURZON.
„ A. P. PALMER.
T. RALEIGH.
E. F.-G. LAW.
E. R. ELLES.
A. T. ARUNDEL.
DENZIL TBBETSON.
No. 7.
Letter from the 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. to the Treasury, No. F. 7589, dated
21 st January, 1903.
With reference to previous correspondence relating to the appointment (T
a Committee to consider the procedure to be adopted, and the incidence u.
expenditure, in respect of Indian guests who may visit this country in future
by P invitation of His Majesty’s Government, I am directed to inloim you that
the Secretary of State for India in Council has now received the Committee s
report, of which a copy is enclosed.