'Volume II. MEMORANDA REGARDING OTHER EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. 1905.' [‎13r] (30/228)

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locally by Consular Officers. It was pointed
out that so far it was only in the case of a few
Xtussians that any attempt has been made by
the ’French Consul in this direction.
The matter is under the consideration of
the Government of India.
10 The Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Maskat has
reported that the Prench Consul there had
taken over the estate of a French Navy
contractor known as Hablak who died recently,
claiming that deceased was a French protege
on the ground of his occasional employment.
The Consul had written to him regarding debts
due to certain British subjects by the estate,
but he had declined to discuss the question
pending a reference to the Government of
India. He was instructed in reply to continue
to refuse to discuss the question and eventually
it was decided that no action was required until
the termination of the Maskat Arbitration
proceedings, or unless fresh developments were
reported.
11. "Referring to paragraph 6 of the Memo
randum for February 1905, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. ,
Maskat, has reported that as regards the
placing of a Russian Agent in charge of the
Gwadur Customs, the Russian Agent at
Lingah has replied somewhat obscurely,
thanking Saiyid Muhammad-bin-Saeed for
the information supplied, and stating that
the representatives of the Russian Gov
ernment wculd move in the matter when they
had completed their history of Maskat. In
regard to the second case of the carriage free of
charge by the Russian steamer S.S. “Troubar”
of 7 camels sent by the Sultan to Jeddah, the
Sultan has written a letter of thanks to the
Russian Consul-General at Bushire at the
instigation of the French Vice-Consul.
12. Vide paragraph 8 of the Memorandum
for February 1905; a reply was received on
the 29th March from the Secretary of State
for India to the effect that His Majesty’s Gov
ernment saw no ground for objection to the
appointment by the Sultan of an official recom
mended by the Government of India to super
intend His Highness’s customs, but that they
considered that the proposed reference to the
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. of important questions
might be held incompatible with the complete
independence of the Sultan, and that the
guarantee to him of a fixed minimum monthly
sum by the Government of India would
be open to the objection of being considered
equivalent to a subsidy. They considered that
until the conclusion of the Maskat Arbitration
case, any action which it might be decided to
take should be deferred. The Political Resi
dent was informed accordingly.
18. [Vide paragraph 9 of Memorandum
for February 1905 in connection with the