Page 160 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

138 Part II.
Lo Mioist&ro dos Affniros Etranghrcs a cu l’honneur do roccvoir la note vcrbale quo
I’Ambassad do S.M.B. a bion voulu lui odrcsscr lo 7 Dccembre dcrnior, No. 167; au sujot
du dobarquomcut au Consulal-Gcueral d’Angletcrro h Bagdad d’objols pasaiblcs dc
droits douauo.
1/ Administration Gcn6ralo dos Contributions Indiroclcs .\ laquollo cotto pifccc avait cto
oommuniquco tout on cxpriraant eca rcmorcimonta pour les explications y contenues, fait justo-
roont obsorvor quo los ofTota personnels dea fonotionnairos jouissant do la franohiso douanibro no
fontadmis it bcncficicr do ccttc immunitc ot no eont delivioa quo sur la presentation de la de­
claration prevuo par lc reglcmant. Touto exception a cctto rbglo ctant do nature it donner liou
a des plnintos legitimes dc la part drs Autoriles douanifcrcs, lo Minislbro des Affaires Etran-
gbres prio I’Ainbassado do S. M. B. dc vouloir bion inviter son Consulat-Gcncral Bagdad k
1'obscrvor ligourcusemont it fin d’empdeher l’avcnir tout mal-cntcndu. Aussilot quo’llo
voudra bien informer la Sublime Porto do la transmission ccs instructions, des ordros seront
donnes b la douanc do Bagdad pour qu’olle ait dc Bon cbte b voillcr attentiveraont b la pleino ct
onlibro application des privileges accordcs.
202. Ia drawing attontion to this noto, Sir W. Wliito requostod the Resi­
dent to conform to tlio Turkish Customs
Ibid (No. 160).
House Regulations at present in force
(despatch dated 14th February 1889).
(viii) Refuanl of the Porte to permit importation to Basrah of loaded cartridges
required by Assistant Political Agent for sporting purposes, 1891.
203. Lioutonaut Btratton, Assistant Political Agont, Basrah, had some
cartridges sent out to him from India for
8corot G., July 1881, No*. 71*02.
sporting purposes during the Christmas
week, and obtained from the Vali a pass for their transit to that port. The
Customs authorities at Baghdad declined to allow the cartridges to bo conveyed
to thoir destination, and obtained orders from Constantinople to return the
consignments to tho port of shipment.
204. Colonel Twcedic brought tho matter to the notice of Her Britannic
Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople; but His Excellency iuformed
Colonel Twoedie by telegram that the “ cartridges being of metal and full, their
entry is forbidden by regulations.”
206. Lieutenant Stratton represented to Colonel Tweedio that the action
of tho Turkish authorities ignored the Treaty of Commerce.
206. What he meant by this he explained in a subsequent communication
" I beg to refer to Article XV of the “ Treaty of Comraerco and Navigation” between
Groat Britain and Turkey, ratiGed at Constantinople on 9th July 1861, the last paragraph of
which is as follows
u Fowling-pieces, pistols and ornamental or fancy weapons, as also small quantities of
gun powder for sporting reserved for private use, shall not be subjected to tho stipulations of
present article.
"In regard to tho telegram from His Excollcncy I-Icr Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador,
I may mention that the cartridges under reference are ordinary shot cartridges in paper cases.
“ In the records of this Consulate I have found a document purporting to be an injunction,
evidently based on tbo terms of the Treaty of Commerce above referred to, from the Turkish
Minister of Customs at Constantinople to the Customs Master at Baghdad, dated 10th
Sbaaban 3279, corresponding to 30th January 3863, in which the latter is instructed to offer
no opposition to thc entry of purely sporting weapons and ammunition. This paper was
forwarded to this Consulate under your office endorsement No. 12, dated 21st February 1881.
" In 1887 a gun and some cartridges addressed to Mr. Robortson, tho late Consul here,
were detained by the Basrah Custom House for a considerable period, but were finally released
by order of tho l'oreign Minister. The correspondence in this case begins \vi*h Mr. Robertson’s
telegram to you, dated 30ih April 1887, and ends with his telegram No. 285, which appears
to bavo been eent at a date posterior to 18th July 1S87.
f< Please also refer to correspondence by telegram between Colonel Mockler and yourself,
dated 24th and 2Sth March 1887, regarding a rillo and ammunition which wero at first
detained by Custom House, but finally released.
" With the terms of Articlo XV of tho Commercial Treaty of 1861, the injunction from
Ministor of Customs to Customs Master at Baghdad, the two precedents above quoted, and
a pass for the 2.U00 cartridges from His Excellency tho Vali of Basrah, to support me, I
coueidered myself safe in importing them.