"مُلخّص المراسلات المتعلّقة بشؤون زنزبار من ١٨٥٦ إلى ١٨٧٢." أعدّه النقيب ب. د. هندرسون، الملحق بالإدارة الخارجية" [ظ‎‎١‎٠‎٣] (١١٤/٤٦)

Proceedings subsequent to the arbitration relating to the question of the subsidy.
character of the arrangement, were futile and utterly untenable. It was
further shown that his second argument was equally weak, Syed Salem being,
as a matter of fact, in possession of the government of Muscat and havin^
been recognized by the British Government. The letter concluded—
"Every such successor, being of the dynasty of Syed Thoweynee, is entitled, under the
provision above-quoted, to claim the established subsidy from Zanzibar, and I cannot admit
the validity of Your Highnesses objection.
"My Friend,—It is incumbent upon Your Highness to meet this obligation ; ami I ex
pect Your Highness, without further demur aud at once, to discharge the claims of Muscat/'
In submitting the representations of Syed Majid, Dr. Seward, while ad
mitting the equity of the Muscat claim on Zanzibar, adduced arguments,
which were not without a certain force, based on the grounds of expediency,
for countenancing the lapse of the subsidy. He observed—
" Should the Government determine otherwise it must remain a living germ of quarrel,
destined inevitably to reproduce those very troubles of the past to which the arbiters essayed
to put an end. Add to this the hopelessness of any long obedience to an award, which ^ives
upon a rising State a perpetual debt without providing a single safeguard for its discharge,
and we have already two strong reasons for following this course. ,,
Again—
" May not the Government aptly use Syed Salem's crime as the edge and opportunity
wherewith to sever the last remaining link between the two Sultanats ?
" Now the subsidy is an ever-threatening source of discord. It is the direct interest of
the ruler of Zanzibar to impel Muscat to some act of aggression, which may be her justification
for withholding the subsidy.
" This can only be effected by veiled intrigue, for the aim must ever be to cause Muscat to
sin, whilst Zanzibar rests tranquil in seeming sinlessness/''
* * * * * *
" Muscat must always be unsettled whilst her adversary (because her subsidizer) has such
cause for exciting disorder, and she would positively gain by the removal of this last pretext
for the aggression of Zanzibar intrigues.
" It tends, moreover, to fix the attention of Zanzibar on Muscat, gives it an unwhole
some itching to meddle with its politics, keeps alive an ambition that were better dead, that for
the reunion of Oman to Zanzibar, sustains an injurious correspondence between disafiected
partisans, and maintains that cohesion and close relation between either capital, which, amongst
other resultant evils, facilitates and vitalizes the international slave traffic."
Dr. Seward's proposal was that Zanzibar should withhold, and Muscat
waive all claim to, the subsidy as the " blood money" of Syed Thoweynee; all
old scores being thus cleared, there was to be peace between the two States.
These arguments were not noticed by the Government of India in their reply.
—(Folitical, A., May 1867, Nos. 137-140>/. The above correspondence was for
warded to the Secretary of State by despatch No. 107, dated 22nd June 1867.
36. Syed Majid expresses willingness to pay subsidy through the
Bombay Government .—On receipt of the letter from the Government of
India, insisting on the continuance of the subsidy, Syed Majid, though still
protesting at being compelled to pay anything to a paricide, expressed himself
willing to pay the amount to the Bombay Government, and arrangements
were accordingly made by him for liquidating the arrears due. The Govern
ment oi India, in a letter addressed to the Sultan, intimated their consent
to the proposal of the Sultan that the subsidy should be paid through the
Bombay Government,— A., December 1867, Nos. 130-134.; The
above correspondence was reported to the Secretary of State by despatch No. 8,
dated 14th January 1868.
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