Page 282 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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had passed between himself and the Persian slave authorities before the Senior
vide p«r«cr>ph i of Political a evident's letter to Naval Officer on the spot, and requested
S3orJ°noThi,ft::Jd\d::bGrcrtt°; him t0 “adoP‘ measures (or the examina-
by Political Resident »s enclosure A to despatch tlOn 01 every vessel coming into Bushire
f»o. 404 of 1858, dated November 17th. roads, as, if once landed, there appeared
to him no hope of obtaining the surrender of slaves owing to the lukewarm
co-operation of the Persian authorities."
• Paragraph 2 of ditto.
This search was “to be effected only*
however in the inner and outer roads.” He further expressed his desire to
the Senior Naval Officer that “in his proceedings relative to the search for slaves ”
in the immediate vicinity of Bushire, when
Paragraph 3 of ditto.
the Resident could readily be communi­
cated with “ naval operations should extend to simple detention of, and strict
surveillance over, all suspected vessels until a reference were made to him” as
Political authority. Such a course the Resident hoped would put an effectual
check upon such barefaced attempts to carry on slave trade. The Resident,
however, was doomed to be disappointed. The Senior Naval Officer at that time
(Commander Foulerton) unfortunately represented his inability to carry into
effect the proposed measures. His hands, he said, were effectually tied by an
t This order i* dated 19th December 1840. Copy orderf in force in the Indian Navy inter.
of it had never been forwarded to the Bushire Resi- dieting all officers “ from bringing tOO Or
enclosure e to R.tid.of, j„o»tch to boarding vessels in a foreign port under
Mr. Secretary Anderson, No. 404, dated November Other than British Colors.” Provisions
,7‘ l8s8‘ for carrying out the Act of 12 and 13
Viet.. Cap. 84, merely authorized detention of vessels “ in any seas ” making no
mention of harbours, ports, roadsteads or rivers. Did he seize a vessel there­
fore in Bushire roadstead, the Act would be illegal and render him liable to
damages as per provision 17 of same Act.
22. With regard, too, to detention of vessels seized not at sea, and a sub-
$ vide marginal note above. No such orders sequent reference to Resident respecting
In records of tho Uushire Residency. them, such detention was opposed to
standing} orders of the Indian Navy, and such reference contrary to provision a
of Act 12 and 13 already noted.
23. Add to the above, Commodore Porter released several vessels in 1849
which he had detained in the port of Bushire, as the Resident considered the
seizure to have been illegal.
24. On these several considerations he begged to be permitted to decline
vide letter from Commander Fouierton. i.n.- acting on the Resident's requisitions, more
Commanding h. M/s steam frigate panjaub, to especially as Commodore Jenkins was
Captain Felix Jones, I.N., dated November 4, 1858, , ' j o 1 •
forming enclosure E. to Resident’s deipatch to daily expected at ^UStlire.
Mr. Secretary Anderson, No. 404, dated November
17, 1858.
25. Thus stood matters for some days when Commodore Jenkins arrived and
vide No. 134 of 1858, from Commodore Jenkins, at once concurred in the views taken by
c.b., i.n., to Captain Felix jone*. dated Novem* Commander Foulerton. Captain Felix
£p£h“d Jones had therefore no resource but to
dated November 17th. lay& jjje whole affair before His Majesty s
* FW'N<M°4iu,t noted above. Government of Bombay with a view to,
and in the hopes of, a remedy being applied to so glaring an evil. The Resi­
dent’s reference led to a correspondence between His Lordship the Governor ft
Council and His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Navy, at
m c » n •. r n r „ . the close of which it was arranged that the
No. 031-Secret—Deposit of 1859, from H. L. . nf vessels under
Anderson, Esq., Secretary to Government of interdict On the Searctl P D
Bombay to Captain G.u. Wellesley, c.b., r.n., other than British Colors m Foreign Ports
should be cancelled as regards Persian
57 *r,' cSecr.eutf A“?crf’°2 in hU de*P»tch ports, inasmuch as the Persian autnori-
No. Oja-Sscret—Deposit of ,839. themselves conceded to US the
right of searching such vessels in their roadsteads. His Lordship in Couna
considered it would be unwise to forego the advantages derivable from so vai -
able a concession, and solicited it should be acted upon. In cases of re usa ,
however, should any arise at a future period, such were to be reported, to
Government “ in order that, if expedient, negotiations on the subject mig
opened.”