"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [و‎‎٩‎٢] (٢٨٤/١٨٤)

31
1878.
India Office,
July 25, 1878.
To Sir H. Layard
(Constantinople),
No. 1070,
September 12.
1879.
Sir H. Layard,
No. 34,
Commercial,
May 27, 1879.
Messrs. Sassoon,
January 22.
Sir H. Layard,
No. 37,
Commercial,
June 5.
Euphrates and
Tigris Steam
Navig-ation
Company,
October 23.
[NOTE. —See note with reference to this
gpecial firman on p. 24. There is a mimite by
Lord Tenterden on this letter : The limita
tion of the number of British steamers is an
abomination which* should be got rid ol. ]
To Sir H. Layard,
No. 69,
November 4.
7878. —The India Office suggested that an
attempt should be made to induce the Porte to
allow the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation
Company to employ a third steamer for the
conveyance of mails between Bagdad and
Bussorah, so as to give a weekly service.
A copy of their letter was forwarded to
Sir H. Layard with instructions not to compro
mise, in his application to the Po^te on behalf of
the company, the right to maintain a Government
vessel on the river.
1879. —Sir H. Layard reported that in March
7878 he had addressed a note to the Porte
requesting the issue of a firman for an extra
steamer for the Euphrates and Tigris Steam
Navigation Company. The Porte refused on
the 6th May, 1879, on the ground that the
improvements in the service of the Oman
Ottoman Company would meet all requirements.
This reply was deemed far from satisfactory,
more particularly since Messrs. Sassoon had also
applied to Lord Salisbury to endeavour to obtain
permission to employ one or two suitable steamers
on those rivers for the accommodation of
p issengers and merchandise.
Sir H. Layard observed that the objection of
the Porte to granting the permission required
was founded on the fact that the steamers would
be under the British flag.
The Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation
Company addressed a letter to Lord Salisbury,
praying that steps might be taken to induce
the Porte to throw the navigation of the rivers
open, and in their letter they stated that the
company " by special firman from the Porte,
has been engaged since 1861 in the navigation
of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris
This firman limits the number of vessels to
two."
Upon the receipt of this letter a despatcb was
addressed to Sir H. Layard, in which he was
instructed to remind the' Porte of the numerous
appeals which had been made to it by Her
Majesty's Government to remove the restrictions
which existed on the trade of that part of the
Ottoman Empire and upon the development of
the resources of the districts adjacent to the
Riveis Tigris and Euphrates ; and his Excellency
was then told "to urge most earnestly on the
Turkish Government the removal of the restric
tions imposed on the navigation of those rivers