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u In roply, I am desired to intimato that the conciliatory ppirit shown by tho Wahabi
Envoy is sntisfictorv. Tl>o Governor General in Council hopes (hat it will onnblo Lioutenant-
Coloncl Polly to bring the differences between the Wuhubi Itulor and tho State of Muskat
to a satisfactory conclusion.
With regard to our own cau«os of complaint against tho Wahabis, His Excellency in
Council authorises (ho ltc8ident. after hearing all that can be said both on behalf of the Brilish
subjects injured at Sur, and also by tho Wahabis in justifi<.ati'>n of their proceedings, to u-e
his own discretion in coming to terms with tho Envoy a6 to the amount of compensation that
may bn reasonably domanded.
But in both cases the Government of India entirely concurs with the Government of
Bombay in discountenancing Lieutonant-Colonel
•ice paragraph 67 onto.
Pelly's suggestion that the intcrfeicnce of the
Turkish Government should bo invoked. No good, but much harm, would result from the
question of Turkish supremacy over tho Wahabi Territory being imported into our
relations with tho latter, power. It 1ih9 always been our polioy (6ee* letter from Her
Britmnic Majesty's Consul-General at Bagdad, to our Ambassador at Constantinople, dated
the 1st Jnnunry 1£J8$)« to repudiate the Porte's claim to authority in that quarter; and the
Governor-Central in Council is sati>fird that any deviation from tho principle will give rise
to complications much to bo deprecated.1'

XXVII.—Deputation of a Wahabi Envoy to Baghdad, 1866.

118. While one Envoy was deputed by tho Amir of Nejd to Colonel Folly,
another was sent by him to the Turkish
Political A. Juno 1806, Nos. 20-27,
Governor-General at Baghdad. The objeot
of this latter deputation is explained in tho letter of the British Consul at
Baghdad (Colonel Komhall), No. ID, dated 18th April 18GG :—
111 have the honour to report to your Excellency the arrival at Baghdad, on the 29th March'
of Abdul Aziz os Sawevlim, Envoy from Amir Abdulla ibn Povsal-al-Saud, the Wahabi
Ituler. Iiis mission and its nature had been announoed to me by Her Majesty’s Yice-Con>ul
at Bussorah, but here he was for somo time represented to be merely in charge of four Nojdi
horses to bo presented to the Sultan ; and in this character, •»lcnsibly, I understand, Numik
Pasha proposes that he should prosecute bis journey to Constantinople.
,c A few days ago, howover, His Excellency intimated to me, through his confidential Socre"
tary, that Abdul Aziz was also charged with a letter fr<un his master complaining of the aggies-
sions of tho English upon the coasts of Nojd, and its dependencies, and soliciting Turkish
intervention against, their recurrence At tho 6nme timo His Excellency sent me tho draft of a
note whioh he proposed to address to me inviting mo to telegraph to the Govcrnor-Gcueial of
India to suspend further hostile operations (rumoured) to be under contemplation uutil the
subject of quarrel could bo discussed between the two Governments ; or, if this course wore
impracticable, asking my opinion as to the propriety of his despatching a tclegiam in his own
name, iu tho same sense, to the Governor-General.
“ In reply, I stated to His Excclloncy that Abdul Aziz not haviug done me the honour to
adviso me of his vi.-it to Baghdad, I could, of course, form no judgment of the causes and
grounds of his mission, but assumed it, as reported, to be devoid of political object; and that,
with respect to the relations of his master with the Turkish Government, as my previous
correspondence, with IIis Excellency had been duly submitted by inc both to Your Lordship
and to the British Indian Government, while, on the other hand, His Excr-lloncy had advanced
no additional facts or arguments, even in the form of Amir Abdullah s letter, to support the
position ho had taken up, 1 did n-'t oonsidcr myself justified, were such a step within my
proviuce, to act upon His Excellency’s suggestion, nor could I see any advantage iu himself
pursuing a course so unusual ”,
119. In liia letter No. 16, dated 7th May 18GG, tho Consul-General at
Baghdad reported the result of the deputa­
Political A, Juno 1866, Nos. 01-03.
tion. We shall quote the whole letter,
whioh throws muoh sido light upon Turkish aims against Arabia even as
early as 18GG :—
“Tho Wahabi Envoy, Abdul Aziz-os-Soweylim, in lipu of proceeding to Constantinople
has boon dismissed by Namik Pasha. lie accordingly left Baghdad on the 3rd iustuut on hi»
return to Nojd.