"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٥‎٨‎٨] (١٧٨٢/١٧٤٣)

1588
provisionally continued the salary allowed to the existing Agent from
Oudh Bequest; he proposed that the salary of the post should in frtu' 6
he paid from Government revenue, and that there should be d ' 6
personnel. His recommendations ran as follows ;
The question of the future payment of the Consular .Agent at Karbala ib
what important matter. I think it would be a great pity if the post were abolisled^
in the charge of a competent man it might be a very useful and important outpost
The present incumbent is in mj opinion unsuited for the charge. He cannot talk
Hindustani, he is not in my opinion sufficiently intelligent or energetic, and he lias
been too much implicated in the scandals arising out of the Oudh Bequest to render
his retention there expedient.
It any suggestions from me are allowed, T would recommend that he be succeeded
by a Shiah Muhammadan of good family from India, who has had some official
experience either in the lower grades of the Civil Service or in a Native State. It ig
essential he should know Persian well and it would be good if he knew enough English
to write a confidential letter.
1 do not suggest the appointment of a European officer, because his position would
be insupportably lonely and might in times of religious excitement be even dangerous.
jJoreover, 1 imagine that the cost of his appointment and maintenance would be
considerably greater than that of a Mahomedan. To a Shiah, residence at Karbala
should be most acceptable, and there are probably many worthy Deputy Collectors in
India who would gladly spend their pensions and die there.
The outcome of Major Newmarch's proposals was the establishment
of a British Vice-Consulate at Karbala on the 1st November 1903, with
the assent of the Porte, under Mirza Muhammad Hasan Khan Muhsin,
an intelligent and well educated British subject of an Afghan but
Persianised family, born in Turkish Iraq. The cost of the Vice-Consul's
salary and establishment became a charge on Indian revenues exclusively,
no contribution to it being made payable by Her Majesty's Government.
^ e have seen that in 1873 the designation of Mr. Robertson, the
British Agent (and \ ice-Consul) at Basrah was altered to that of
Assistant Political Agent, and that he was at the same time admitted to
the Indian Political Service. In 1877, as has been described in another
connection, a question arose as to the exact position of Mr. Robertson
with reference to the Indian and Home Governments, which was then
defined. In October of that year the Basrah appointment was formally
brought on the graded list of the Political Department of the Govern
ment of India,
In J8/9, on an application from Mr. Robertson supported by the
Resident at Baghdad, his consular status was enhanced from that of
v ice-Consul to that oi Her Britannic Majesty's Consul, subject to the
proviso, laid down by the London Foreign Office, (( that the appointment
rPi
in 1119
0^®
lal^ 1