Page 120 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

98 Part II.

Paragraph 020.
35. On llio 10th August 1841, Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor, tlio Political
Agent in Turkish Arabia, was appointed by Her Majesty’s Gorernmeut British
Consul at Baghdad. The following is an extract from the Hon’blo Viscount
Palmorstons’ loiter to Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor, informing him of this
appointment and communicating instructions for his guidanco in tho conduct of
his duties in that capacity:—
“ Her Majesty’s Government has judged that it will bo advantageous to tho public
service that Cousular powor and rank should bo conferred upon you; I have to acquaint you that
tho Queen has been graciously pleased to sign a commission appointing you Her Majesty's
Consul at Baghdad. This Commission will bo forwarded to Her Majesty’s Consul-
General at Constantinople, in order that tho nccossary exequatur may ho obtained from
the Sublime Porte, recognising you as Her Majesty’s Consul and Mr. Cartwright will transmit
those documents to you ; I have, however, td acquaint you that it is not intended by this
commission to interfere with your present position as the Jtast India Company’s Resident at
Baghdad, further than to place under your superintendence the British Vice-Consul, who has
lately been appointed to reside at Mussoul, and Air. llassan will be instructed to consider him­
self under your superintendence, and to attend to the instructions which you may from time to
timo give him for the guidance of his official conduct.”
3G. On tho 7th March 1843, Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor, Political Agont in
Turkish Arabia, submitted to the Bombay Government, with bis favourable
recommendation, an application from the Pasha of Baghdad, soliciting that bo
i
might be furnished from Bombay on bis dofrayiug tlioir cost with 20,000 can­
non shot of different sizes, and with au iron steamer similar in all respects to
those (lately) employed on the Euphrates. This steamer, the Pasha stated, was
intended as the foundation “ of a small fleet ’* he proposed to establish on the
rivers of the Baghdad Pashalic, and he solicited that Commander Lynch
might be appointed to the charge of tho vessel for which ho had applied. This
application was referred by the Bombay Government on the 18th May
1843 for the orders of tho Governor-General of India, with tho remark
that even if it should bo deemed expedient by His Lordship to comply
with the requisitions of the Pasha, the services of Commander Lynch could
not, “in consequence of the present paucity of officers in the Indian Navy,” bo
spared. In reply, tho Government of India stated in a lettor, dated the 6th July
1843, that the Pasha’s application was ono which could not be complied with,
and was of a nature that Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor ought not to have trans­
mitted to Government.
37. On the 29th June 1843, the Secret Committee forwarded to the Bombay
i Government copy of a letter from a Mr. Thomas Stirling residing at Sheffield,
the Agent in England for Messrs. Hector & Co., merchants at Baghdad, stat­
ing that the application of the Pasha for a steamer had created considerable
excitement amongst the trading community, and complaining of tho general
conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor in matters of trade as lie had an interest
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I in certain commercial undertaking. A copy of Air. Stirling’s lottor was on
receipt forwarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor for his explanation, and a copy
of the Secret Committee’s communication was on the same day forwarded to
the Government of India, with the remark that the Bombay Government was
of opinion that the Political Agency in Turkish Arabia had for a long time past
been maintained on a scale far more expensive than was necessary, and that
Pc
all the objects which either Her Majesty’s Government or the Hon’blo East
India Company could desire in that quarter could bo attained either by an Assist­
Pc ant to the Resident in the Persian Gulf being stationed at Bussorah, or by the
appointment of a Consul to Her Majesty, on something of tho same footing as Her
Majesty’s Consul in the territories of the Imam of Muscat, by which arrange­
ment it was observed a saving might be made of about two-thirds of tho expense
at present incurred. In reply the Government of India stated in a letter, dated
the 16th September 1843, that tho Governor-General of India in Council was
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not prepared to say that the arrangement above suggested might not be wort ly
of adoption at some future period, but that at the present moment when it was
of so much importance to preservo peace between Persia and Turkey,
many circumstances had tended to exasperate against each other, His Loras ip
: in Council had deemed a different arrangement most conducive to the pubno jn
terests, and that considering it to be a matter of extreme urgency that tlic uri
Government should be represented at Baghdad by au officer possessed o
confidence, His Lordship in Council bad appointed Major Itawlinson, •
to tho situation of Political Agont in Turkish Arabia in supersession oL
ten ant-Colonel Taylor.