'Précis of correspondence regarding the affairs of the Persian Gulf, 1801-1853' [‎52r] (103/344)

83
Part IV—Chap. XXIV.
merely on the l^asis of that arrangement, to suggest a modification of the condition of the
Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. relative to the two Presidencies and of the channel of the correspondence of the
Resident on subjects of a political nature and an alteration of the scale of his allowances fixed
by the Resolutions of your Board above referred to.
8. Although the management of our political concerns in Persia has been transferred
to the Crown, there yet remains some objects and duties of a political nature which appear
to us to require the presence of a British Resident at Bushire. His Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. must occasionally
be of material utility to His Majesty's Ambassador at the Court of Tehran, especially in provid
ing funds by negotiating the Ambassadors Bills and with reference to immediate interests of
the Company's Government. We consider it of importance to maintain that degree of politi
cal representation which exists on the part of Government in the office of Resident at Bushire
primarily because (contrary to the express intention and orders of His Majesty's Government)
the removal of the Resident would have a tendency to countenance the impression of a distinc
tion of interest between the Crown and the Company which a concurrence of circumstances
had unfortunately produced in Persia, whilst the opposite belief of their real union and identity
will be supported by the concert and co-operation with His Majesty's Ambassador which it is
the duty of the Resident to maintain in all transactions in which the former may have occasion
to command the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of the latter.
4. His presence is further useful in conveying intelligence of affairs in Persia as far as
they may properly fall within the limits of his observation, and especially in attending to
the public interests as connected with the conduct and proceedings of the piratical and other
States bordering on the Gulph.
5. Your Hon'ble Board has also very justly suggested the additional inducement to
maintain the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. at Bushire, arising from the propriety of preserving the privilege,
hoisting the British flag as well ag for the eventual purpose of making such occasional
purchases of the products of Persia as may hereafter happen to be required under the rules that
may be prescribed for the guidance of the Resident. To which may be added the facilities
and advantages which may be afforded by his presence to the intercourse of the trade of the
Gulph as thrown open by your Resolution of the 2nd July.
6. We are however of opinion that the political duties which under present circumstances
the Resident may have occasion to discharge are not of a nature to require that he should
continue with respect to concerns of that description under the immediate orders of the
Supreme Government or maintain a direct correspondence with the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. , and we there
fore propose that the Kesidency of Bushire should revert to its original relation towards the
Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. by being placed on the same footing with respect to that Government
as the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. of Bagdad, your Hon'ble Board conveying such of the communication which
you may receive from the Resident as you may deem interesting and referring to us such points
as may appear to you to require our deliberation and decision, and we shall accordingly direct
the necessary information regarding this arrangement to be conveyed to the Resident at
Bushire, and we request that you will be pleased to transmit to him corresponding instructions
on your part.
7. With reference to the scale of the Resident's allowances (the second point to which
we have proposed to advert) we transmit enclosed a copy of a letter from Lieutenant Bruce
to our Chief Secretary under date the 17th December, soliciting permission to charge in addition
to his salary the monthly sutn of SI,200 granted to Mr. N. H. Smith for his establishment
and in the anticipation of our concurrence stating his intention of changing that amount in
his accounts with the Supreme Government for the date on which Mr. Smith ceased to draw it.
8. We cannot entirely approve of Mr. Brace's having thus anticipated a decision upon
his application, but being of opinion that the Resident at Bushire possess a just claim to an
allowance which may be adequate to the permanent and contingent expenses incident to the
nature and duties of his situation, we shall take advantage of the present change of arrange
ment with regard to that Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. this subject to your attention.
9. The political grounds on which the expediency of continuing the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. is founded
equally suggest the propriety enabling the Resident to maintain the respectability of his situa
tion in the eyes of the people of Persia which together with the duties now to be assigned to
him appears to us to require a scale of expense for which the limited income of the Commer
cial Resident amounting to not more than 600 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per mensem is not in our judgment
adequate to provide, and we are further of opinion that consistently with the general principle
of the Company's service and with the reasonable expectations of those in this distant country
hope to acquire in that service the means of a future independency and especially in a situation
subject to so many privation, discomforts and disadvantages as that of Bushire, the Resident
ehould have the means of accumulating a portion of his allowances. We have the less hesita
tion in proposing this improvement in the situation of the Resident because the utmost extent
of allowances which it may be judged proper to grant to him will still have a considerable
saving to the public in consequence of the cessation of the allowances enjoyed by Mr. Smith.
We do not however consider ourselves competent to judge of the precise amount which should
be granted to the Resident in addition to the salary for the expenses of a proper establish
ment and other charges incident to this situation, and we therefore beg leave to refer this
point to the suggestion of your superior knowledge of these local circumstances on which
it may be considered to depend, referring if you should deem it necessary the amount which
you propose on the grounds above stated to your confirmation.