"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [و‎‎٣‎٢] (٢٨٤/٦٤)

47
true light {i .e., as removing restrictions on the
development of the trade of Mesopotamia), there
could be no hesitation on the part of the Porte
' i n throwing open to the world the navigation
of the two great rivers of Mesopotamia." The
company stated, in the course of their letter,
that they had been engaged since 1861 in
navigation of the Rivers Euphrates and Tigris "
by " special firman :i} from the Porte," and that
the firman limited the number of their vessels to
two. They suggested that, if permission could
be obtained from the Porte for the employment
of additional steamers on the larger service
indicated, a subsidy should be granted by Her
Majesty's Government to enable them to carry
out their object. The Poreign Office were
opposed to the grant of a subsidy, but con
sidered the limitation of the number of British
steamers to be " an abomination which should
To Sir H. Layard, g 0 t nd of,"t and Sir H. Layard was instructed
iNo. by,
November 4,1879. to urge the Porte to remove the restrictions
imposed on the navigation of the rivers of
Mesopotamia by vessels under the British flag.
He, however, considered the moment inoppor
tune to approach them on the subject, as they
were then in a suspicious temper, and as
attempts had been made to persuade the Sultan
that Great Britain was seeking to destroy his
authority in his Asiatic dominions with the view
ultimately of annexing them.
Earlv in i8b0 information was received from
*
Bagdad respecting a proposal to lease the Turkish
Government steamers on the Tigris to native
merchants, with a monopoly of navigation for
fifteen years, exception being made in favour of
the two British steamers. Foreigners were to be
excluded from the arrangement, the conditions
of which prohibited any increase of British
steamers on the river. Sir H. Layard, however,
was informed by the Porte that the proposed
monopoly would not be granted, and the scheme
seems to have been dropped.
At the same time, the Dutch Minister at
No. 3, Coinmercial,
January 16,1880.
* The company stated that they had no copy of this firman
in their possession, and were supplied by the Foreign Uffite
with a copy of Confidential 2460, containing the firmans of
1834 and 1842 (1841) and the vizierial letters of 1846 and
1861. (To Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company,
January 9, 1880.)
t Minute by Lord Tenterden on the company's letter of
October 23, 1879.
Sir H. Layard,
No. 90,
Commercial,
November 23,
1879.
Euphrates and
Tigris Steam
Navigation
Company,
January 2 and 17,
I860.
Sir H. Layard,
No. 29,
Telegraphic,
January 17, 1880
Sir H Layard,