Page 176 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

151 Part II.
251. Tho Secretary of Slato replied that lie did not wish to fottcr tho dis­
cretion of the Government of India.
252. Colonel Nixon was also asked to explain his conduct. Tho purport of
.his explanation and the views of the Government of India, thoroon, and tho
action takon, will bo clear from the following letter addressed by tho Government
of India to Colonel Nixon :—

No- 2078-G., dated Simla, 3rd August 197S.
From—A. C. Lyul, Esq., Secretary to tho Government of India, Foreign Department,
To—Tho Political Agent, Turkish Arabia,Baghdad.
I am directed to acknowledge your No. 22, dated Oth June, wherein you reply to the
telegram from this Dcpaitmcnt, No. 1483-G., dated 5tU June. The order cited desired you
to explain why you addressed Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople in your letter,
dated 11th Dcccmhur last without the knowledge of the Government of India, which letter
contained suggestions adverse to the orders of the Governor-General in Council, regarding the
appointment to Busrnh of Mr. 1*. Robertson, a gazetted officer of the Political Department.
2. You explain that yon desired to effect Mr. Robertson's removal in tho interest of
the public service, that on the 13th November you wrote demi-officially on the subject to Mr.
Aitchison, who replied on the 15th January, informing you that Mr. Robertson could not
bo removed. You state, as your reason for addressing the Ambassador at Constantinople, that
one of Mr. Robertson's predecessors had been promoted from Busrnh to Diarbekr, and that you
hopi'd that a similar transfer might now bo made in the Consular Department if Mr. Robertson
could not be provided for in India. And you affirm that you have always supposed that Mr.
Robertson’s appointment as political Agent was made in virturc of his being Vice-Consul at
Busrah.
3. I am to say that tho Governor-General in Counoil cannot accept this letter as in any
way satisfactorily explaining your proceedings which are in question. You were asked why
you made the reference to Constantinople without the knowledge of the Government of India,
and your reply is that you r.ddvo=sed the Foreign Secretary demi-officially on the subject of tho
reference. Hut you did not wait for Mr. Aitchison's answer, nor did you report to the
Government of India your letter to Mr. (Sir A.) Layard, or tho object wit h which it was
written. Moreover, your letter to Mr. (Sir A.) Layard contained a suggestion that Mr.
Rohcitson should be transferred permanently to the Government of India; and on this point
your proceedings arc not intelligible. You are understood to havo suggested this upon the
supposition that Mr. Robertson was appointed to he Assistant Political Agent in virtue of his
being Vice-Consul at Busrah, though as to this you observe that you may be in error. This
is, indeed, precisely the same error by which you were misled when in 1877 you recommended
to tho English Forcigu Department a successor to Mr. Robertson ; and in the orders margin­
ally cited your mistake was very carefully pointed
No. 2078-0., dated 28tb July 1877.
out, consequently the Government of India can
only infer these orders have been cither disregarded, or very inexplicably misunderstood.
4-. His Excellency the Governor General in Council is of opinion that it would be ineffec­
tual either to explain a second time tho impropriety oF ref-mag elsewhere than to the Govern-,
incut of India for orders regarding appointments uuder this Government, or to pass a second
censure on you for the error. It appears certain that you find great difficulty in keeping
separate vour relations with two quite different superious, and in maintaining the necessary
distinction. Having regard, therefore, to tho material inconvenience and contusion in public
business which arc caused by your inability to comprehend the position which you and your
subordinates hold in Turkish Arabia and your double functious with two Governments, His
Excellency in Council has determined that you should be transferred from Bagdad to an
appointment in India. I am accordingly to request that you will make over charge of your
office to the officer who will be sent to relieve you, and whoso name will be communicated by
telegraph. You should then depart for India and telegraph from BomLay your arrival to this
Office, when further instructions will he sent. It is to be distinctly understood that this
transfer in no way affects the orders in the telegram from this Office dated 13ih June 1877,
and that your term of service in the Foreign Depart ment expires on the 1st July 1879.
253. The Secretary of State was accordingly informed by the Government
of India that they had filially decided to transfer Colonel Nixon to the Political
Department in India (telegram, dated 3rd August 1678).
254. On the other hand, Sir Henry Layard represented to the Foroign
Office that Colonel Nixon appeared to have been much liked at Baghdad, got
on well with the Turkish authorities, aud that consequently his presence at