Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [‎546v] (1099/1154)

2
p.1717/99.
Aitch.
(1933),
Vol. XI,
No. ix,
pp. 303-4.
Prom. Col.
Rigby, No. 2,
2.1.61,
To Lord
Cowley,
27.6.61.
Prom Lord
Cowley, 4
and 11.10.61
P. 1717/99.
Lor. I, 447.
“The undersigned
declare in consequence
being furnished with the necessary powers hereby
that Their said Majesties take reciprocally this engagement.”
Its Origin.
8 The Declaration arose out of discussions which had reference primarily to
8. f he JJ ;bar g u ] tim Saiyid Said, who had ruled over both Muscat
the P 0Sltl .° Hied in 1856 He had been anxious that his elder son, who had
fnXs deputy in Muscat, should succeed to the rulership of Oman, and his
acted as h P >’ [ hip of Zanzibar. Serious differences arose between the
yeunger son totte ru ^ J ^ suRcession to Muscat als0 daimed leuda[
Xeratntv over Zanzibar. These difficulties were finally compose^ by the inter-
' Lor(i (j auIl i u g i then Viceroy of India, who, in an arbitral Award of
ond April 1861 decided That Zanzibar should be independent of Muscat and should
pass to the younger son of Saiyid Said, but that it should pay to Muscat an annual
1 * J /in nrn'CDTlft-
9 As both H.M. Government and France had on the date of the Award
separate treaties with the Sultan of Muscat, it was apparently considered necessary
that France as well as H.M. Government should recognise the separate
independence of the two States. (It is noteworthy, however, that this does not
appear to have been thought necessary in the case of the United States of America,
which had been in treaty relations with Muscat since 1833.) But the immediate
cause of the Anglo-French Declaration of 1832 appears to have been the erection by
the French of a large barrack at Zanzibar for occupation as a mission house and
hospital. The building could easily be occupied by troops, in which case it would
dominate the town, and H.M. Ambassador in Paris was accordingly instructed to
make enquiries on the subject of the French Government. M. de Thouvenel in
reply gave satisfactory explanations and added that the Uinperoi of the Irench
was ready to enter into a reciprocal engagement to guarantee the independence of
the Sultan of Zanzibar. In the light of this intimation the Anglo-French Declaration,
under which both parties recognised the independence of Muscat and of Zanzibar,
was prepared and signed at Paris on 10th March 1862. Despite the paramount
importance of Indian interests in Muscat, no prior reference was made to the
Government of India, who first learnt that the Declaration had been concluded
in 1871.
There a
lAsee ® 1 O'
Hiiin* , . v
LfolW ™ te f
• 8 #« te
ffl
re
■..Drench B
Ler.atreal
lliiritinF A 1
to reside a1
lamonhyGn
Wished. A
iference by tl
Llinled with,
ibcat np t
ilaiiritiuB a]
•France with
11 There v
I the Anglo-f
- slice to M
pest in Mus
ikve been a;
lithe appoin
as Cons
sal, but th
lo. From I
It about this
British Treaty of Commerce of 19th March 1891.
10. The Treaty of Commerce of 1839 referred to in paragraph 5 above, was
replaced in 1891 by a revised treaty between Great Britain and Muscat (signed on
19th March 1891 and ratified in 1892), which is still in force. Article 4 of the
Treaty of 1891 provides inter alia that each of the High Contracting Parties “shall
allow the subjects of the other to enter all ports, creeks and rivers with their
vessels and cargoes . . . and ... to hire, purchase and possess houses,
warehouses, shops, stores and lands ” in each other’s dominions.
Exclusive Agreement of 20th March 1891 between Great Britain and Muscat.
11. r Ihe Exclusive Agreement of 20th March 1891 recorded that the Sultan of
Muscat and Oman “ does pledge and bind himself, his heirs and successors never
to cede, to sell, to mortgage or otherwise give for occupation, save to the British
Government, the dominions of Muscat and Oman or any of their Dependencies.
Ilns agreement (which may be regarded as being inconsistent with the terms of
^; u ^ 0 '^ renc ^ Beclaration of 1862) has never been officially eommunicated to
the liench Government by H.M. Government. When it was communicated by
in \r ^ ^ renc ^ 1 Vice-Consul at Muscat in 1899 (see paragraph 31 below)
t le ice-Consul replied in writing that he could not recognise it as it was contraiy
to the Declaration of 1862.
Relations of Muscat with France and Great Britain, 1770-1934.
12. Before proceeding to consider the importance in the present connection of
ie engagements referred to above, and the interpretation which has been place
on ie eclaration of 1862 in correspondence between the British and the 1 16110
aents, 1 1 may be convenient to refer very briefly to the relations of fiance
o 1 eat Biitain with Muscat in the period from about 1770 to the present time.
bose of di
at policy of
tests devo.
illation) th
feed under
juintlief
unsuccess
belied atS
h In 18f
.land 189'
• ;i pense of H,
1 days t
Mhority." f
Bhe Sultai
aitrary to t
•3 French
fellion; ar
“te for <
is d<
fisi
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en
JeenFra
d siu ce \{