Page 104 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

Part IV-Chap. XXIV. 82

CHAPTER XXIV.

MR. SMITH S RESIGNATION—RECONSTITUTION OF THE
RUSHIRE RESIDENCY, 1811-1813.
194. In March 1811, Mr. H. Smith resigned his appointmont of Resident
in the Persian Gulf.
In oonscqucnco of this resignation and the small probability of that station
being filled by any renewed nomination to it, pending the subsistence of a
national Embassy a' the Court of Persia, it was rosolvcd by the .Bombay
Government on 29th March 1811 that the sepoy guard at that station os
originally formed on its existing augmentation, at the instance of General
Malcolm, for the purposes of Mr. Smith’s Political Kesidcncy, be reduced to its
former standard—for the use and protection of our Commercial Residency only.
'! he Commanding officer of the Forces and Lieutenant Bruce were advised
and instructed to cause the surplus men and officers to be returned by the earliest
opportunity that might offer to the Presidency.
Poll. Dept. Diarjr 195. On 22nd May 1811 the Bombay Government ordored that Lieutenant
No. 374 of 1811,
pp. 2816—2846. Bruce bo informed that as the Political Residency at Bushire had been
abolished from the 29th of March, it was not probably expected by the
Suprome Government that ho should continue his correspondence in that
channel.
190. Wo havo seen above how the Bombay Government resolved on 29th
March 1811 to reduce the sepoy guard at Bushire, as there was little prospect
after Mr. Smith’s resignation of any renewed nomination to the Residency
there, pending the subsistence of tho mission to the Court of Persia. On the
22nd May they informed Lieutenant Bruoo that as the Political Residency at
Bushire had been abolished from the 29th March, he was not probably expected
by the Supreme Government that ho should continue his correspondence
in that channel.
197. General Malcolm returned from his mission to Persia in July 1811
{vide para. 49 ante)t as the Home Government had determined to depute Sir Gore
Ousley as an envoy of His Majesty the King, and thus to entirely take the manage­
ment of the Persian affairs in their own hands, the Bombay Government in the
circumstances considered that there was no necessity to maintain a full paid
Resident at Bushire. As it was however thought necessary to maintain a
; representative at that post for the preservation of the Bast India Company's
political privileges inolusivc of the right to hoist the British flag and for the
eventual purpose of making occasional purchases of the products of Persia,
Mr. Bruco was ordered to remain in temporary charge of the station on his
personal allowance (Bombay Government Resolution dated 2nd July 1811).
198. The correspondence and discussion that follows is so interesting and
important that it is brought out in extenso below :—

Poll. Dept Diary No. 386, dated Fort William, the 3rd April 1812.
No. 386 of 1812,
pp. 862-858. From—Lobd Mimto, Governor-General and Council,
To—The Hon’blo Gecbgb Bbown, Esq., President and Governor in Conncil, Bombay.
Having taken into our consideration the question relative to the Residency at Bushire which
formed a subject of correspondence betweeD the two Presidencies in tho months of May, June
and July last year and the decision of which was suspended on account of the absence of tho
Governor-General from the Presidency, we have now the honour to communicate to you tho
j result of our deliberatiou on that subject.
2. Adverting to the Resolutions adopted by Your Ilou’blo Board on the 2nd July 1811,
a copy of which was transmitted to this Presidency in a letter from your Chief Secretary,
dated the 16th of that month, with an intimation that those Resolutions of course lay open
to such amendment os the supreme authority in India might prescribe, wo have the honour
to state that wo entirely concur in the principle of the arrangement therein described iutending