Page 72 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

CO Part I.
Whether Sheikh Madhkaor really intends to plunder Iho Bussnrah fleet, or whether hie
threat jb to ho regarded as a simple message of defiance to the Government. I have no means
oC ascertaining, but iho merchants engaged in the Bussorah trade havo become seriously
alarmed, and have send down an express to detain tho fleet at Ezra's tomb until they cau either
come to terms with the llcni Lam Chief or obtain an efficient protection against him.
It only remains for mo to mention that tho chief of tho great tribo of tho Muntifik is
universally believed to be implicated in the Ilindioh movement, that numerous other tribes tho
Effij, the Khezzail, the Dilen and the Deffir actually furnished their quotas to the insurgents
as soon as there appeared a prospects of a successful opposition—and that another considerable
tribe, the Sharnar Fokh on the left banks of tho Tigris has just commenced an independent
course of hostility to the Government, and Your Excellency will u ml erf land that the prestige
of Nejib Pasha's power is gono, and that no remedial measures can be now applied with succc'sa
by the Porto, which do not provide for a radical reform in the administration of the province,
and do not guarantee a complete cordiality of action between the Civil and Military authorities.

No. 20, dated Baghdad, tho 20th Jnno 18-19.
From—Major C. II. Rawmnso.v, Her Britannic Majesty’s ConsuMlcnoral, Baghdad,
To— Ills Excellency the liiam Hon’blb Sin S. Canning, G.C.B., Her AIajesty's Ambassador at
Constantinople.
Shortly after tho despatch of my last letter to Your Excellency’s address, No. 19 of the
6th instant, the Sernskicr, Abdi Pasha, becoming
S. C., 27th Octolcr 1819, No. 11.
alarmed at tho pecuniary responsibility which
ho had incurred, or which it was pretended he had incurred, by his assumption of q>nsi-
independent powers, resolved to proceed to tho Hindieh in order to endeavour, by personal
communication with tho Arab Chiefs, and by a scries of conciliatory mcasuros, to prevent any
further complication of the pending question, or defalcation taking place in tho legitimate
revcuucs of the State.
Nejib Pasha of course sought to throw every possible difficulty in the way of tho
General, and even sent emissaries amongst tho tribes, repudiating by anticipation all the
arrangements which might be made; yet I am happy to say that, up to the present time
the Scraskier’s measures have been eminently successful, and that there is now a fair prospect
of tranquillity being maintained, for a sufficient interval to admit of tho whole question being
examiued by tbc Contial Government, and of the necessary steps being taken for a reconstruc­
tion of the administrative power, several of tho chief who were previously in revolt,
attended at once to the invitation of the Scraskier, professing the utmost loyalty, and even
devotion, to the Sultan and declaring that they had taken up arms, as the only means left
of protecting themselves, against tho tyranny of Nejib Pasha, and his Minion Sheikh
Wadee. These parties, which included the Chiefs of the Effij and Khczail tiibes, and the
local Sheikhs of the Hindieh, received accordingly their robes of investiture from the Scraskier
and entered into sureties, for the payment of revenue, considerably above the amounts which
were entered against them in tho Government ltcgistcrs, but of course far under the assess­
ment demanded by Sheikh AVadcc. It is further said that the Seraskier’s manifesto, of
which a copy will of course be sent to Porte, has been reccivod with thankfulness generally,
amongst the Arab tribes, and that the insurgent Chiefs of the Beni Lam, of the Shammar
Tokh, of the Obcid, and even of the outlying tribes of tho desert, are all preparing to visit
the Camp near babylon, and to place themselves under the exolusivc direction of tbc military
petent, in the sequel
authorities whether at the same time the Scraskier will prove himself competent, in the sequel
to control. And, guide the vast power which has put, in motion I think extremely doubt­
ful divided authority amongst such a population as that of the Baghdad Pashalic must be
"
liviuea autnorny amongst such a population,
""
ever preguaDt with danger, and the interposition of the Porte becomes thus daily of a more
urgent necessity.
Nejib Pasha, I understand, is prepared to risk his case at Constantinople, exclusively on
its pecuniary merits, he proposes to show in the first place that he disburses the entire
proceeds of the Pashalic, in paying off instalments of his contract, in providing for the public
expenses of his Government, and in supplying gratuities to the Ministers of Porte, and in
order thus to bring to an approximate equality the two heads of expenditure and receipt, he is
assiduously employed in a systematic falsification of his accounts, diminishing the receipt by
obliging the Farmers and Monopolists to take back their original contracts, and furnish new
papers for reduced liabilities, while he augment the expenditure by every conceivable fictitious
charge, supported by fabricated vouchers. The real point for the consideration of tho Iorte,
which is, that this once flourishing Pashalic has been ruined by seven years of the mos
rapacious rule. His Excellency affects to ignore or at any rate he maintains that tna
question personally concern him for if the Porte will havo money, the money must be raise
from the country.
This unfortunate collision between the Civil and Military powers, besides deranging
the whole machine of domestic Government has, I regret to say, in particular points Je
state of affairs which may not, improbably occasion renewed differences with Persia,
tribes of the frontier havo availed themselves, as was to be expected, of thei prcoccupa 10
the executive, to recommence their old system of pillage and the Military Chiefs sta e