"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٤‎٧‎٢] (١٧٨٢/١٦٢٧)

Removal of
Colonel
Herbert
from the
Baghdad
Political
Agency,
1874.
British
representa
tion at
Basrah,
1861-73.
1472
ncquieseence and consent of the Sublime Porte may be fairly presumed to b
accorded to the arrangement. ave ' )eei1
The distinction of the Consular from the diplomatic functions i 8 valuable
should not, in our opinion, be obliterated in the manner suggested by Colonel He W
We would express a hope that the position hitherto enjoyed for so long a neriod hlT
Political Agent may not be disturbed.
The opinion of the Foreign and India Offices, however, as communi.
cnted to Colonel Herbert, was that it would be inexpedient to raise any
question of his status as Political Agent in Turkish Iraq, and that "the
" requirements of the case in reference to his public establishment would be
a met by the excess over the number fixed by the Consular Regulations*
ff being sanctioned by the Porte in the manner provided for in them."
In connection with the question of salutes by the u Comet" already
discussed, the Government of India made the following remarks bearing
on the position of their Political Agent at Baghdad in the Indian official
hieiaichy ; Colonel Herbert's right to be saluted on proper occasions is
^ quite a different question. As a Political Agent with the status of a
"Resident he is entitled under Her Majesty's Order in Council of 23rd
January 1860 to a salute of 13 guns."
Apart from his assertion of a right to be saluted by the "Comet "at
Baghdad and his claims to a status higher than that of Consul-General,
( olonel Herbert had come into conflict with Radif Pasha, Wali of
Baghdad, over various matters. Among these were the freedom of navi-
gation of .the "Comet" in Mesopotamia^ waters and the protection by the
British authorities of natives of Bahrain residing or domiciled in Turkey.
It was considered that Colonel Herbert, notwithstanding his success in the
" Cashmere " case, had on the whole displayed want of tact and inability
to cope ^ith the diflkulties of his position, and that his attitude towards
the Turkish authorities had been unnecessarily irritating. Her Majesty's
Government accordingly signified a wish that, in the interests of the
pu lie sen ice, he might be transferred to some other appointment for
which he was better fitted. The Government of India concurred and
made arrangements for his transfer; but at the same time they urged the
c esirabihty of obtaining the removal of Radif Pasha also from Baghdad,
t ne to the British lepresentative had been extremely discourteous
a. unlik* Ij to impiove in consequence of Colonel Herbert's removal,
e post of British political representative and Vice-Consul at Basrah
was held until 1862 by Mr. R. Rogers, ex-purser of the " Comet," who had
is meant, of course, the Turkish Regulations in regard
* By " Consular Regulations
to i oreign Consulates.
ii* 1