"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [ظ‎‎٥‎٣] (٢٨٤/١٠٧)

endanger the existence of the company. r lhe
Ambassador at Constantinople and the consul-
general at Bagdad were ol'^ opinion that, on
political grounds, the contract should be renewed,
and Sir P. Currie was asked if it would be
possible to obtain from the Porte either of the
concessions desired by the company. He pointed
out that the pro-memorid annexed to article 1G
of the proposed commercial treaty would give
the company the right to tow barges, but it had
not been approved up to that time by the
Ottoman Council of Ministers, and he stated
that any application to the Porte for permission
to use a third sfeamer would be fruitless. The
substance of this despatch was communicated to
the company, and they were at the same time
informed that the postmaster-general had been
consulted as to the possibility of granting a
subsidy from Imperial funds towards the mainten
ance of the mail service, but he did not consider
that there was justification for such payment.
The contract was finally renewed by the Indian
Government, a subsidy of 21,000 rupees a year
being paid for a weekly service. The question
of a further renewal came up for consideration,
as will be seen later (see p. 102), in 1904.
In consequence of the exceptionally low state
of the Tigris in 1895, the Euphrates and Tigris
Steam Navigation Company's steamers were
unable to carry full cargo when going up and
down the river on the mail service, and as a
result there was au accumulation of goods at
Bussorah. The company desired that the Porte
should be asked to authorise the temporary use
of barges, and pointed out that similar permission
had been given in 1879, 1880, and 1881, during
the famine at Bagdad, and in 1893, when quaran
tine had been imposed as a precaution against
the spread of cholera. Representations were
accordingly made to the Porte, and permission
was obtained for the company to employ barges
temporarily. Early in the following year The
company stated that they had been required bv
the local Turkish authorities to cease towin-
barges, and, in view of alleged attempts by
oreigLers to obtain permission for running
on Tigris, they suggested that the
te should be requested to give them
permanent authority to tow barges, and, further,
tha steps should be taken to secure the removal
oi the restrictions imposed on them in the event
Sir P. Currie,
No. 296,
June 16, 1894.
To Sir P. Currie,
No. 221,
July 12, 1894.
Sir P. Currie,
No. 853,
July 27, 1894.
To Euphrates and
Tigris Steam
Navigation
Company,
August 23, 1894.
Euphrates and
Tigris Steam
Navigation
Company,
September 26,
1895.
Mr. Herbert
(Constantinople),
Telegraphic,
Nos. 43 and 44,j
Commercial,
October 28 and I
November 5,1895.
Euphrates and
Tigris Steam
Navigation
Company,
February 21, 1896.