Page 309 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

Part VII—Chap. LXVII. 287

CHAPTER IXVII.

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH PERSIA BROKEN OFF-THE
PERSIAN ENVOY IN ENGLAND—THE SHAH YIELDS,
1838-1839—THE BRITISH ENVOY RETURNS, 1841 (OCT.).
(i) Mr. McNeill leaves Persia—Persian Envoy in England—British demands.
564. We have seon above (Chapter LXIV) that Mr. McNeill left the
Itoyal Camp on the 7th of June 1838 for Meshed and Teheran; at 8hahrud he
received despatches from England instructing him to place before the Shah the
strongest disapproval of Her Majesty's Government on the line of conduct His
Majesty was pursuing towards Herat. Colonel Stoddarfc was then sent baok to
the Royal Camp with a message communicating this disapproval. He was
also to inform the Shah of the arrival in the Persian Gulf of the British
cruisers and the occupation of Karrak. Colonel Stoddart arrived at the camp
on 11th August and found the King disposed now to listen to the British
proposals. He raised the 6iege of Herat, and returned to Persia. The Persian
Government had yet to make reparation to tho British Government in regard
to the outrage against the Envoy’s courier and the Persian forces had not yet
withdrawn entirely from Afghanistan, and the British Government insisted on
their evacuation every portion of that country they had occupied. The Shah,
who felt much embittered against the British for being instrumental in snatch­
ing Herat from his grasp, was not disposed to comply with the British demands.
He had sent an envoy, Hussein Khan, to England to complain against
Mr. McNeill, against whom his personal feelings were extremely bitter, and
wishing to await the result of this mission, gave evasive replies to our Envoy
Mr. McNeill, who however, on the expiry of the time he had given the Persian
Government for coming to a decision, broke off diplomatic relations with that
Government, and having ordered the British officers, who had been lent to the
Shah, to proceed towards Baghdad on their way to India, he retired to
Erzeroum with the members of his mission.
665. The Shah’s Envoy Hussein Khan, after meeting various obstacles
found his way at last to England, and succeeded in being admitted to an inter­
view with the British Minister for Foreign Affairs. Lord Palmerston took up
a firm attitude in defence of Mr. MoNeill and the Conference broke up with the
understanding that the Foreign Office should embody in a memorandum the
principal demands of the British Government, which were nine in number,
namely:—
(1) A written apology should be offered by the Shah’s Government for
the outrage to the British Envoy’s Courier.
(2) A firman must be published in Persia assuring protection to ftfl
persons employed in the British Mission.
(3) Ghorian and other places still held by the Shah’s forces in
Afghanistan should be evacuated.
(4) A written apology should be given for the illegal seizure at Teheran
of the house of a British officer.
(5) All persons who had been concerned in the outrage on the broker
of the British Residency must be punished.
(6) The Governor of that port, who had affronted Sir F. Maitland, must
be removed from his office, and the reason of his removal should
be stated publicly by the Persian Government.
(7) The claims of a British subject on aocount of some iron works at
Karadagh must be liquidated.
(8) The sums due to the officers of the British detachment lately serving
in Persia must be paid.
(9) The signature of a Commercial Treaty between Great Britain and
Persia must accompany the re-establishment of diplomatio
relations between the two 8tates.