Page 30 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

8 Part I—Chap. Ill,

CHAPTER III.

SELF-ASSUMED MISSION OF Mil. MANESTY TO THE COURT
OF PERSIA, 1804.
22. We find in 1804 Captain Lovett, who had been appointed Residont at
Bushire in 1803 in succession to Mehdi Ali Khan, resigning on the score of
ill-health his appointment into the hands of Mr. Manesty, tho restless and
fussy Resident at Basrah, without tho previous orders of Government.
Mr. Manesty no sooner had taken ohargo of the Residency than he
proceeded on a mission to the Court of Persia on the 6elf-assumed title of
Envoy of the Government of India. He was received cordially at tho Court.
The King of Persia was very urgent with Mr. Manesty to obtain the
interference of the British Government in tho settlement of his dispute with
Russia. But the so-called ambassador had no powers to promise anything,
and he was soon obliged to retrace his stops from Teheran by tho peremptory
orders of the Governor-General of India to leave Persia at once and return
to Basrah. Orders were also given to stop tho payment of his bills drawn on the
Bombay Government. This order was, however, rescinded by the Governor-
General, as appears from his letter No. 11, July 1804, quoted below : —
Secret and Poll. I have the honour to acknowledge tho receipt of your letters undor date the 14th of
Dept., Diary May and 2nd of June, on the subject of the instructions contained in my official letter to your
No. 169 of 1804, address of the 28rd of April prohibiting the acceptance of any of the bills drawn by
pp. 2S35-28ST. Mr. Manosty upon the Government of Bombay on account of his unathorised expedition to
the Court of Persia.
Although it was proper in the first instance to manifest a disposition to cheok
Mr. Manesty’s proceedings, by a publio act of the Government, it has appeared to me that
the final rejection of his bills may probably affect the publio oredit. I have therefore
resolved to authorize the payment of them, and to render Mr. Manesty responsible for his
unwarranted expenditure of the publio money.
You will accordingly be pleased to authorize the discharge of all bills drawn on the
Government of Bombay by Mr. Manesty in his assumed capacity of ambassador on the
part of British Government to the Court of Persia, directing the Secretary to transmit to
Fort William an Account Statement of suoh bills for the information of the Governor-
General in Counoil.
By my official despatch of the 28rd April, you were also apprized of my intention to
transmit to you instructions reoalling Mr. Manesty from Persia, and directing him
immediately to return to his station at Bussorah.
I deem it proper to inform you, that considerations oonneoted principally with the
personal safety of Mr. Manesty, have induced me to suspend that measure. At the same
time it is not my intention to sanotion Mr. Manesty's unwarrantable proceedings by a
recognition of his assumed capaoity of ambassador at the Court of Persia.