"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [و‎‎٣‎٣] (٢٨٤/٦٦)

Sir H. Layard,
Telegraphic,
No. 149,
April 1, 1880.
Euphrates and
Tigris Steam
Navigation
Company,
April 26, 1880,
Sir H. Layard,
Telegraphic,
April 27, 1880.
Musurus Pasha.
May 13, 1880.
To Musurus Pasha,
May 14,1880.
To Euphrates and
Tigris Steam
Navigation
Company,
May ]4, 4 1880.
Euphrates and
Tigris Steam
Navigation
Company,
May 20,1880.
See vizierial letter
of April 2, 1846,
Appendix X (0).
instructed, as c< it was not a question of asking
for fresh privileges " to obtain the withdrawal of
the prohibition. As a result of his representations
orders were sent to the Vali of Bagdad to permit
the towing of barges, but they were not received
or, at all events, not acted upon by the local
authorities. Ihe company thereupon wrote to the
Foreign Office to urge that the prohibition should
be removed, and stated that " cargo boats (belong
ing to British subjects) had from time immemorial
been employed in the navigation of these rivers
(Tigris and Euphrates), both tracked by men, and
on occasion towed by steam power." Further
representations were made to the Porte, who
assured Sir H. Layard that instructions to remove
the prohibition had been sent; and the Turkish
Ambassador in London communicated to Lord
Granville a telegram from his Government statingr
^ n
that orders* had been telegraphed to the local
authorities e ' afin que les deux bateaux de la
Compagnie Lynch puissent remonter des
schlepps, des mahonnes et meme des caiques,
pourvu qu'elle consente a transporter des cereales
aux endroits ou r^gue la disette." Musurus
Pasha was informed in reference to the condition
relative to the conveyance of cereals, that Her
Majesty's Government did not consider that any
condition of this nature could be imposed on the
navigation of the Tigris and Euphrates by the
vessels of the company; and at the same time
the company were desired to explain the precise
state of the case as to the employment of
barges and boats. They replied as follows :—
" In reply, I have to inform your Lordship that both
before and after the firman of 1834, granting the right
of navigation for two steamers, large boats under the
English flag navigated those rivers free from all
exactions to which native-owned boats were subjected.
In 1846 it was, by order of the Porte, arranged that all
these boats employed in internal trade for the trans
mission of cargo should continue the navigation under
their foreign flags, but sluruld pay the same taxes
(' droits') as those owned by Ottoman subjects, thus
implying and confirming the prescriptive right.
" The injurious effect of this tax was apparent, and
all dues, at the instigation of Her Majesty's Ambassador
* In a telegraphic communication dated May 28,1880, from
the Porte to the Turkish Charg^ d'Affaires in Loudon, these
orders were described as permitting the company's ships
" de remorquer des schlepps, des mahonnes et meme des
voiliers transportant des cereales aux endroits oil r^-gne la
famine."
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