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urged, as Abdul Nabi was accused of fraud and a desire to make away with his
property. The case was slightly complicated by Abdul Nabi being in part­
nership with a Turkish subject, Jassim-bin-Zaced, but it was quickly shown
that Abdul Nabi had cheated his partner and had possessed himself of almost
all the goods and monies of the firm, and was, therefore, responsible for all but
a small portion of the claim. A Commercial Court was assembled, and, influenced
by the Governor of Bushirc, effected a large compromise in favor of the debtor.
The amount decreed by the Court was Krans 215,000, about ^8,000; Abdul
Nabi to pay half and as much of the other half as he owed Jassim. Messrs.
Gray, Paul and Co. agreed to this award on the understanding with the Governor
that the amount would be speedily forthcoming.
474-B. It was clearly the duty of the executive authority—in this case the
Bushire Governor—to force Abdul Nabi to pay and to take steps to secure his
property, and this course was unceasingly urged by the Resident, but the
obstructive tactics, usual in Persia, were put in full force. Procrastination, ex­
cuses, and profitless discussions ensued. Abdul Nabi was occasionally imprisoned,
and then set free again, presumably when he had satisfied temporarily the
Governor private demands, but no bond fide attempt was ever made to make
him pay his just debt, and every opportunity was allowed him to surreptitiously
make away with his property. In May 1880, one year having elapsed, the
Governor's informed the Resident that he could not bring pressure upon Abdul
Nabi as the Naib-es-Sultanah, the Shah's third and favorite son, had tele­
graphed to him not to do so, but to release Abul Nabi, who happened just
then to be again under restraint. The Resident applied to the Prince Governor
at Shiraz, under whom the Bushire Governor served, but he declined to inter­
fere on the plea that the Shahs’ son was in question, and the Resident was
obliged to appeal to Her Majestys’ Minister at Tehran. After some difficulty
Abdul Nabi’s imprisonment was again obtained, but nothing further was done
to make him pay, and in September the Governor informed the Resident he had
requested the Ministers of State to relieve him from any further connection
with the case, and he refued to have anything more to do with the matter.
The only sums recovered during all this time was in the first six months, when
Messrs. Gray, Paul and Co. were permitted, with Abdul Nabi’s consent, to sell
certain European merchandise of his in Bushire and Shuster and keep the pro­
ceeds towards payment of their claim. The amount thus realised was Krans
63,820. Shortly after this, notwithstanding the Resident's protest, Abdul
Nabi was sent to Shiraz. It was alleged by orders from Tehran, and the case
remained in abeyance for three months.
474-C. At the end of this time an officer was deputed by the Persian Foreign
Office to proceed to Bushire to have the case quickly and satisfactorily settled.
This officer, Mirza Musa Khan, arrived in Bushire in January 1881. It
quickly appeared that, although deputed by the Foreign Office, he was a creature
of the Naib-es-Sultanah’s, whose object was not to cause a just settlement
of British claims, but to be an advocate for Abdul Nabi and assist him
in evading payment. His first endeavour was to set aside the decision of the
Commercial Court and summon a new packed Court. Her Majesty’s Minister,
however, obtained more stringent orders to him to have the case speedily settled
on the basis of the former award. Musa Khan promised compliance and said
he would settle the claim immediately. This promise he repeated several times,
but did not fulfil, and about three months after arrival he declared Abdul Nabi
could not now pay the claim in full unless time were granted. Fie admitted
Abdul Nabi was originally quite able to pay, but alleged that the Bushire
Governor had extorted so much in bribes from him and allowed him to dissi­
pate his property in other ways that he was now unable to pay in full. The
amount taken by the Governor in bribes Musa Khan asserted to be Krans
32,000, and he held out hopes of having this sum recovered for the creditors.
This hope was of course not fulfilled. Musa Khan remained about 15 months
in Bushire and then returned to Tehran, having previously allowed Abdul
Nabi to leave the country without any notice to the Resident, who would have
protested against such a course.
474*D. The only practical result of Musa Khan’s action all this time was
that certain wool and cotton, which Abdul Nabi had shipped from Basrah