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declined to surrender them. The Political Resident at Baghdad addressed II. B. M/s Ambas-
Litter >o 477. dated Hie 8tii July 1«93. from sador at Constantinople in May 1893, and received
Political Roii-um, Baghdad, to Poaiuiamr-Uoncrai. a reply to tho effect that the Director of Customs
]k>utbay. at Constantinople had received a report from the
head of tho Haglidad Custom-house stating that ho detained only parcels containing used cloth­
ing, thrsH being sent back to the places of origin by tho Customs Master hims.-lf, while nil
othor undeliverablc parcels, of whatever description, were surrendered to tho British Post office.
Tho Ccnsul-Gcnernl wrote again to II. 11. M/s Ambassador reporting that thoro were 17
undcliveraWo parcels, none of which had been suirendered. On the 12th August 1893, II. B.
No css, dated 25th September 1893, from the M/s Ambassador informed the Consul-General
P« liticnl ltcsidciit, Uaghdad, to Poiiinastcr-Ocncral, that the question regarding undeliverablc parcels
Uc,nUy- had been submitted to tho Council and instruc­
tions issued to the Customs authorities at Baghdad to surrender, without further objection, all
parcels the return of which was demanded by the British post office with the exception of such
parcels as contained articles of which tho importation into the Ottoman Empire was either
prohibited or subject to restrictions. Postal paro.ls falling under tho latter category wero to
he treated according to tho rules existing as regards similar goods imported by agencies other
than the post.
It was not, however, fill the 28th December 1893 that the Customs Department made
Letter No. 1603. dated tho 3rd February 1691, over the unclaimed parcels to the Postmast er under
from Poitnmter-General, Uouibny, to thi Director- a guarantee in which the postmaster undertook to
0encral’ _ bring and deliver to the Customs Department
withiu 5 months receipts from the post offices at Bombay, Karachi and Bushire (to which the
unclaimed parcels were returned) duly certified by the Turkish Consuls at those places, failing
which tho postmaster would lie liable to pay to the Customs Department the full amount of
duty to which tho parcels wero liable.
143. Information was obtained through the Political Resident at Baghdad that the import-
Dlrector-Gcncral'a circular No. 79, datod tbo 9ih atioo into Turkish Arabia of the following arti-
Februiry 1894. clcs was prohibited
(1) Arms and ammunition.
(2) Poisonous drugs (liquid or dry).
(3) Worn clothes.
(4) Articles likely to import disease.
(5) Figures, other than simple portraits, of royal personages or other notables,
whether on cloth, paper, or other material.
144. In May 1898, the customs authorities informed the postmaster, Baghdad, that a new
rule had been issued by tho Sublime Porte to the effect that all documents presented to tho
Custom-house should be certified to by tho Dragoman of the Valiyat. The Customs Master
insisted on this order being made applicable to the bond of guarantee for unclaimed parcels,
as well as the receipts returned from Bombay, Karachi, and Bushire. This order meant that
each document should beav a Turkish revenue stamp of the value of half-a-lira. Tho Consul-
Letter No. 420, duttd 6th September 1893, from General addressed II. B. M/s Embassy at Con-
Ihe Political it,lident, Uaghdad, to tho Postmaster- slant iunplt, and instructions were issued by the
# en*r*’ 0tD Turkish authorities to the Vali of Baghdad, not to
insist for the future on a stamped endorsement in respect of the ccrtificato of missent or un-
claimed parcels.
145. In July 1899, the postmaster of Karachi reported that he could not obtain consular
No. 3127 . ____ _ _ attestation on a receipt for unclaimed parcels, as
Y223Ts:.‘l='tcd<thA0gU.tH99.fr0mDy. Po.t- ihsrG was no lonffer a Turkish Consul at that
Jiomla^0l,Cr,,' SlDd’ 10 Po,tmMtcr*0enCMl» place. The attestation of the Turkish Consul-
ONo.Vl4530. dated iho 18th Aopi.t 1699, from General at Bombay was, therefore, obtained, and
Postmaster (,encn»l, Bombay, to postmasters, Uagh- the postmasters of Baghdad and Basra wero directed
d«d and Ham. to discontinuo sending any unclaimed parcels to
Karachi or Bushire, but to send them all to Bombay.
140. In August 1899, the Turkish Consul-General at Bombay claimed consular fee
Letter No. 14183, ditci the ICth Angmt, from *or Mo attestation or a receipt for unclaimed
Poitiiiutcr-aerural, Bombay, to Presidency Post- parcels, which was taken to him. On explaining
mas Ur, Bombay. to him, through a Mahoraedan city inspector, that
the documents were solely in the interests of tho Turkish Custom-houses at Baghdad and
Basra, the Consul-General waived his claim.
147. In January 1895, tho Consul-General at Baghdad brought to notico that antiquities
Letter No. 1-1281, date-1 tho Cth Fobruary 1895, were bcing°exportod by parcel post from Baghdad,
from tie Poitiuuter-Ocncrol, Bombay, to the Dircc- As the exportation of antiquities is strictly pro-
to^;0elnl^‘,• . hibited by Turkish law, tho Consul-General was
asked, to instruct tho postmaster not to accept for despatch any parcel (except those pos o
by himself or tho officers of the Residency) unless they boro tho Customs seal token 0