Page 275 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

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467. The Resident then proposed that the Darogha should pay the woman
Rs. 50 compensation, and said that if this was done he would consider the
matter settled.
468. To this the Governor replied that though the result of the enquiry he
had made completely exonerated the Darogha and his men from blame, he was
willing, if the Resident would agree, to allow some third person to decide the
case after an examination of the parties and the witnesses who were present, but
that he would not punish the Darogha till some offence was proved against him.
469. This proposal was rejected by the Resident and the correspondence
ended ; but a subsequent enquiry made by the Residency Munslii showed that
none of the men concerned in- the outrage had been dismissed, but that the
man, who first reported the fact that the woman was in custody, had left of his
own free will and gone to Kerbclah.
470. The Resident accordingly wrote to Her Majesty’s Chargd d’Affaires at
Tehran recommending that the Governor should be removed from Bushire, and
the Darogha and his subordinates punished, on the ground that even if the
woman had laid herself open to suspicion there was no excuse for her detention
after the Darogha had been informed who she was, and that as the Governor had
accepted the conduct of his subordinates, and had made untrue statements about
the punishment of the offenders, he should be held responsible.
471. The Resident was informed by the Government of India (No. 2og2*P.,
dated 26th September 1878). Mis Excellency the Governor-General in Council
was not sure, from the papers, whether the facts of the case, or the proceedings
of the Governor, made it necessary that he should have put so much pressure on
the local authorities, or that the affair should have been discussed in so uncom­
promising a tone. And by assuming that the Charge d’Affaires at Tehran
would see in this case an additional necessity for the Governor’s removal, he
appeared to be attaching to it somewhat excessive importance. Nor was it
altogether plain why the offer made by the Governor to allow some third person
to hear and dispose of the case was not accepted by the Resident.
472. As a result, however, of representations made at Tehran, satisfaction
was given by inflicting chastisement on the
Political A., June 1879, Nos. 48-81.
policeman who maltreated.
473. In his letter, dated 15th April 1S79, reporting the infliction of the
chastisement, the Resident wrote to His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires: —
u The support you have accorded to me in this and other cases, and for which I tender
my respectful thanks, has had a beneficial effect on the provincial and local authorities, who
appear at present sincerely anxious to meet all reasonable demands.”
The Government of India also expressed satisfaction at this state of things
and expressed hopes that the Resident on his part would do all that was possible
to reciprocate this favourable disposition (letter to the Resident, dated 16th
May 1879).
(lxxiii) Outstanding claims of British merchants against Persian subjects, 1881-83.

474. The favourable disposition shown by the local authorities to satisfy
British claims in 1879 does not appear to
A., Political E., May 1883, Nos. 1*5.
have been long maintained. In 1881 .Colonel
Ross represented to Government and the British Legation the general insecurity ;
of trade in Persia on account of the
Political A., July 1882, Nos. 5:-6a.
A , Political E., December 1882, Nos. 343-251. difficulty of getting the legitimate claims of
British and British Indian merchants satisfied. The following cases are typical
of the rest and are detailed in full below (Residency report, dated 4th August
1882).
\
474-A. In May 1879, Messrs. Gray, Paul and Co. brought a claim against
Abdul Nabi for a large sum. The exact amount could not be given at the time,
as there were outstanding accounts, goods not yet sold, etc., but the sum due ;
eventually proved to be Krans 356,117, roughly £13,500. This claim was at
once brought to the notice of the Persian local authorities, and prompt action