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them. The same facilities would be observed in the ease of the outgoing mail
bags. Diplomatic and Consular immunities would be respected, but the British
Post Office officials and quarantine doctors had, it was contended, no right to
exemption from payment of duties. There were further complaints that merchants
took parcels direct from the British Post Office.
732. Mr. Grant Duff referred the matter for the opinions of the Resident
and the Government of India, and asked the Customs authorities that the exist­
ing system should be allowed to stand pending instructions.
733. In telegraphing the above facts to the Government of India, Mr. Grant
Duff observed (telegram dated 21st Octo-
Ibid, No. 477-
ber 1904):—
“An attempt to interfere with our post offices will probably be followed on Monsieur
Naus'return by an attack on our quarantine. The policy of the piesent Grand Vazier
is to suppress all Foreign influence in Persia, and he daily becomes more obstructive.
I think the Persian Government is afraid. We intend to bully them now that we see Rus­
sia is engaged ia the Far East with Japan."
734. Captain Trevor telegraphed to Mr. Grant Duff on 30th October 1904,
giving a brief history of the parcel system
Ibid, No. 478.
in force in the Bushire British Post Office.
As regards the allegation about merchants receiving parcels from the Post Office,
he stated that there was no evidence whatever to prove it. Post Office officials
are regarded as Residency officials, because the Post Office was managed by
Residency clerks for years, until the work increased, and it became necessary
for departmental details to be dealt with by the officials of the Postal Depart­
ment. Even now the Post Master is under the Resident and cannot communi­
cate with local officials, and questions of pay, local allowances, etc., are dealt
with by the Postal Department through the Residency. The Quarantine
Doctor is an Assistant to the Residency Surgeon and does quarantine work in
addition to his ordinary duties. Captain Trevor added—
“The amount of revenue involved is insignificant. I deprecate any alteration in exist­
ing practices, or any reduction of the small privileges now enjoyed by us as a result of
our long and useful work in the Gulf. The Resident has placed on record that he is of the
same opinion
735- On the 24th November Mr. Grant Duff telegraphed to the Government
of India that the Customs Department
Ibid, No. 481.
had again complained that parcels for
Consular officers which arrived by the British Post Office were not declared and
had furnished him with a list of the persons who received such parcels during
the month of October. Many persons shown on the fist appeared to Mr. Grant
Duff to have had no right to exemption, and he wished to know how we could
defend such action as we had accepted the R6glement. He had been informed
privately that at the meeting of the proposed forthcoming International Postal
Conference at Rome, the question of British Post Offices would be raised.
736. On the 23rd November 1904 Captain Trevor telegraphed to the Gov-
ernment of India that he had been request­
Ibid, Not. 482-483.
ed to inaugurate a new arrangement for
parcel post beginning with the mails arriving on the 34th November. On the
26th he telegraphed to say that the old arrangement would continue for the week
running. On the 1st of December in compliance with orders received from
Mr. Lavers acting for M. Naus, M. Waffalaert took possession of the ppstal
bags received that day by force (Captain Trevor’s telegram dated and
December 1904).
737* Mr. Grant Duff on learning by telegram of the unwarranted conduct
ibid, No. 484. of the Customs authorities at Bushire
, ' strongly protested against the proceedings
and was assured by the Grand Vazier that the post would be returned at once to
the Residency. He also informed the Mushir-ed-Dowleh that he had instructed
the Residency to resist by force any further tampering with the British mails
until the question was properly settled between the Persian Government and the
British Legation.