Page 396 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

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G7. On receipt of the dospatch (No. 39, dated 15th April), announcin'*
this dooision, Lord Clarendon communicated with the India Office, and the
Secretary of State for India (3rd Juno) expressed his opinion in favour of th0
proposal, and remarking that Colonel Goldsmid might bo employed ns British
Commissioner either before or after the Scistau arbitration. Lord Clarendon
thorcupon requested Mr. Alison (who had now returned to Teheran) to inform
the Persian Government that—
“ Her Majesty’s Government have had under their consideration Mr. Thomson’s despatch
No. 39 of 15lli April last, respecting the proposal of the Shah that Commissioners should be
named by England, Persia, and Khelat to proceed to the Mekran frontier, for the purpose of
settling the boundary line between the two countries , and that Her Majesty’s Government,
being desirous of meeting the wishes of tho Shah, are willing to agree eo His Majesty’s pro­
posal, and Colonel Goldsmid, who has been selected to act as Commissioner on the part of
Great Britain, will be directed to proceed to the iMokran frontier either before or after the
settlement of the Scistau arbitration.”
Theso paperswero communicated to the Government of India in the Duke
of Argyll’s despatch No. 57, dated 15th July 1870.
Ou the 23rd July, Mr. Alison submitted this communication to the Shah
at an audience. On the 24th he received a memorandum from the Persian
Government, setting forth—
" that the British and Persian Commissioners were to proceed and draw up a map of
Persia’s possessions and those of the Khan of Khelat in Beloochistan with their boundaries,
and briug the same with them to Tehcrau.”
Seeing that this would be no settlement of the boundary, as proposed in
the King’s autograph letter, Mr. Alison, on 25th .July, asked for explanation.
The answer * he received was tho follow­
• From iliria Saefd Klian, dated 2ud August.
ing :—
“ The concluding paragraph of the memorandum of the English Legation, dated the 25th
of July, expressing the wish to receive some explanation of the King’s autograph, dated the
14th of April, has been understood and shown to His Majesty. In reality this passage in the
memorandum of this Ministry, dated the 24th of July—‘The 6aid Commissioners will he at
liberty to proceed from thence (Seistan) and draw up a map of Persia’s possessions in
Beloochistan aod those of the Khau of Khelat with their boundaries, and bring the same with
themselves to Teheran. That question will be then justly deoided with tho knowledge of the
British Government’—completes and makes clear the passage in the Dastkhat of the 14th of
April, that from Persia, England, and Khelat ‘ let Commissioners he sent aud settle the
boundary line.’ The bringing the map to Teheran is with the same object iu view, aud in
order to render complete the proposition of the Shah, and as the matter of Seistan is more
important, in the memorandum of the 24th July it is thus stated :—‘ It is hereby agreed upon
that the boundaries in Seistan are to be looked to first aud before those of Beloochistan.’ ”
Mr. Alison reported this answer by his despatch to Lord Granville,
No. 43, dated 17th August.
68. Owing to the unsettled state into which Yakoob Khan’s rebellion bad
thrown the neighbouring parts of Afghanistan, the demarcation of the
boundary in Seistan was for tho time rendered impossible, aud was necessarily
deferred.
Under theso circumstances Major-General Goldsmid, with the sanction of
the Secretary of State (conveyed in his telegram of tho 27th October 1870b
t Obtained with the utmost difficulty, for tho and with tho consent f of the Persian
mson that tLe Persian case iii Seistan was kouwu Government (communicated to the Gov-
° :““,ons "11“™k 10 erument of India in a telegram from Mr.
Ahson of the 27th November), proceeded to Mekran to undertake the adjust­
ment of the Perso-Baluch boundarv.
69. When General Goldsmid started on his mission, the Secretary of State
gave him detailed instructions with regard to the work in Seistan, and in
paragraph 12 promised to send him instructions with regard to Mekran in a
separate lettor.
On the 16th January, General Goldsmid having said he had not received
the promised instructions, tho Viceroy asked the Secretary of State by telegram
whether they were on their way.
On tho 21st, the Secretary of State replied that it would rest with the
Viceroy to issue instructions regarding the Mekran arbitration.