Page 185 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chapter IX. 1G3
“It is necessary that tlioro should always bo a commissioned officer regularly appointed to
m Consular post, who holds tho Herat or exoquatur of the Turkish or Persian; Government
beforo an officer can bo authorized to act temporarily therein. So long as this condition is
observed, the actual post can ordinarily bo filled by an acting Consul, for whom a letter of
authority furnishod by tho Secretary of Stato is sufficient. The constant changes of officiating
officers c.nu thus bo met with without tbo necessity of obtaining a new Exequatur.”
(iii) Question as to tho channel of correspondence between Basrah Consulate
and tho Foroign Office, 1885—88.
286. In 18S5, a misunderstanding having arisen owing to the British Con­
sul at Basrah, Colonel Mocklcr corres­
External A., January 1886, Nos. 49—60.
ponding direct with Her Majesty’s Secret­
ary of Stato for Foreign Affairs on the presumption that ho was Consul, Colonel
Twcodie drew the attention of the Government of India and tho Secretary of
State for Foreign Adairs, to the undesirability of any change being allowod to
occur in the relationship long existing between the Basrah and Baghdad Con­
sulates.— (Letter to tho Government of India, No. G58, dated 4th December
1885.)
287. Colonel Twecdie drow also attention to a letter dated 7th May 188*1,
addressed by Mr. Plowdcn, then Resident, to tho Chief Clerk, Foreign Office,
in which it was pointed out. Colonel Mockler was quite mistaken, in supposing
that Basrah was made a Consulate in 1879. In that year on the recommenda­
tion of Colonel Nixon, which was supported by the Government of India, Mr,
Robertson, at that time Vice-Consul at Basrah was appointed Her Majesty's
Consul at that place, with a view to increasing the weight which his official
communications may have with the Turkish authorities, but it was stipulated
at the same time that he should “remain as heretofore under the jurisdiction
of Her Majosty’s Consul-General at Baghdad.” The effect, therefore, of the
arrangement of 1879 waa to leave Basrah a Vice-Consulate, but to give the
Indian officer for tho tirno being holding the appointment the. personal rank-
of Consul,
288. Tho Foreign Office informed Colonel Tweedie that Colonel Mockler
should be told that despatches from Her
External A., Auguit 18SG, Noi. 208—303.
Majesty's Consul at Basrah, should bo
forwarded to the Foreign Offioo through the Consulate-General at Baghdad.
(Under-Secrctary of State for Foreign Affairs to Colonel Tweedie, No. 2, dated
22nd April 1886.)
259. In January 1888, Colonel Tweedio complained that Her Majesty’s
Consul received instructions direct from
External A., March 1838, Noi. 84—85.
the Foreign Office, and not through him.
290. The Consul-General at Baghdad and tho Consul at Basrah wore then
informed that for the future all correspondence between the Foreign Office aud
the Consulate at Basrah should pass through tho Baghdad Consulate under a
flying soal. (Foreign Office to Cousul-General at Baghdad, No. 2, dated 29th
February 18S8)

(iv) Medical arrangements at Basrah and Baghdad.
291. Bffsra/j.-r-Thcre was a surgeon attached to the old Residency at
Basrah, and from the statement in Chapter III (section III) there can be no
doubt tl\at the arrangement continued at any rate up to the year 1S02.
292. In 1800, Mr. liar ford Jones, the newly appointed Resident at Baghdad,
became seriously ill, and having no European medical officer in the Residency,
requested Mr. Manesty, Resident at Basrah, to despatch the surgeon attached
to the Basrah Residency to Baghdad. But as Mr. Manesty felt himself unable
to comply with the request, Mr. Harford Jonos had to proceed to Basrah, no
easy feat in those days especially for a sick man, and put himself under the
treatment of the doctor thorc.
293. Soon after the Basrah and Baghdad Agencies were amalgamated and
in 1812 the “Resident was designated llosident in Turkish Arabia” with option
to reside at Basrah or Baghdad. The Resident solectcd Baghdad as a more