PERSIA. 



fair rate of expropriation, if owned by private 

 persons, to an extent of thirty metres on either 

 side of a double-track railroad. The qunn-i. s 

 belonging to the Government will be ]>hu-< <1 

 at bis disposal, free of expense, and the intro- 

 duction of the necessary material will be ex- 

 empt !'n>m duties and taxes. According to Arti- 

 III. both parties give bonds to the amount 

 of 10,000, to be deposited in the Bank of 

 England. In case the work on the railroad 

 should not be commenced within lit'teeii months 

 from the date of the concession, the bonds of 

 Baron Renter are forfeited to the Persian Gov- 

 ernment ; in case the work has been begun 

 and a certi6cate is given by the Governor of 

 Resht that the rails required for the road as 

 far as Teheran have arrived at Enzeli, the 

 bonds are returned to Baron Renter. Twenty 

 ]>er rent, of the net profits are given to the 

 Government of Persia, to which also the rond 

 is transferred after seventy yearn, without 

 any indemnification, unless previously another 

 agreement has been made. Of the produce of 

 tlie mines which Baron Reuter is allowed to 

 work, the Persian Government receive fifteen 

 percent. Baron Renter is allowed to v.ork 

 every mine, situated on the domains of the 

 Government, except those of gold, silver, and 

 other precious metals ; also every mine on pri- 

 vate domains unless it has already been work- 

 ed for five years. The mines, after seventy 

 years, pass over into the possession of the 

 government under the same conditions as the 

 railroads. Under the same conditions, the 

 forests of the country are left to Baron 1: 

 for seventy years, also the canals, wells, and 

 aqueducts. In all these cases, the Government 

 receive* fifteen per cent, of the net profit. 

 Baron Renter is authorized to raise a capital 

 of 8,000,000, and the Persian government 

 guarantees fifteen per cent, interest. After 

 March 1, 1874, the Government transfers to 

 Bnron Renter the administration of the 

 for a term of twenty-five years; the latter 

 engaging to pay to the Government annually 

 i'io.ooo more than it receives at present. 

 After five years the Government will n 

 beside* sixty per cent of the net profit. Huron 

 Renter is also to have the right of refasnl in 

 case the Government should desire to authorize 

 the establishment of a bank or credit institu- 

 tion. f gas-works, telegraphs, roads, mills, or 

 manufactories. In case of different interpre- 

 tation, the French text of the concession is to 

 lie regarded as the standard, not the Persian. 

 The grant was made by the Persian Govern- 

 ment on July 25, 1872, and was signed by Baron 



r nt London on AugnM 24th. 

 When the Shah at Enzeli rccntered the oll 

 of Persia hf received petition fur the d. 



Sndri Azam (primc-mitiist'-rl. \\\rr.i\ 

 San, who had accompanied the Slnh 

 on hi journey through Europe. The .fa'irn'tl 

 dr A.- Pttm&Hiry contain* the following infor- 

 mation on thin remarkable ministerial crisis : 

 All clMtctof the population had united in ask- 



ing for the removal of the prime-minister. 

 More than seventy persons belonging to the 

 ;.. the army, and the administration, sev- 

 eral princes, and high dignitaries, at their i 

 Mirza-Said-Khan. the Minister i-t 1 

 fairs; Assif tid Daulet, the Minister of Jus- 

 tice; Seif-ul-Mulk, formerly ambassador in M. 

 IVtcrslmrg; Debir-nl-Mulk, formerly seer, 

 of the Shall, and the chiefs of the Mooshtch. <1 

 (the highest order of Mohammedan priests), 

 had set their seals to the address. Alter 

 reading their petition, nil its signers retired 

 to Niaveran, and took refuge in the gardens of 

 the Enderun (harem) of the King. Prince 

 Ferhad Mirza, who, during the nlisence of the 

 Shah, had been intrusted with the gi. 

 ment, and Nassr-nl-Mnlk, who had been Min- 

 ister of War pro tern., remained in Teheran, 

 but declared their concurrence in the petition. 

 The three uncles of the King, who had accom- 

 panied him to Europe, Ali Kuli Mirza, Sultan 

 Murad Mirza, and Firuz Mirza, as soon as 

 arrived in Resht, also retired and declared to 

 the Shah that they would not return as long 

 as Mirza Hussein Khun should remain tirst 

 minister. The other members of the retin'n 

 of the Shah also showed themselves hostile to 

 the minister. In view of this powerful oppo- 

 sition, Mirza Hussein Khan offered his resigna- 

 tion. In order to quiet the general excitcim i t. 

 the Shah informed Ferhad Mirza by telegraph 

 that the resignation of Mirza Hussein Kli.-.n 

 had been accepted, that he was no longer 

 Sadri Azam, but that he would nevertheless 

 remain a high dignitary of the kingdom. Not- 

 withstanding this official announcement, the 

 prime-minister, after effecting a reconciliation 

 with the nncle of the Shah, succeeded in re- 

 taining his office for two more days. Owing 

 to the persistency of his opponents, he was, 

 however, finally ordered not to proceed with 

 the Shah to Teheran, hut to remain in Kaswin. 

 He was offered in succession the governorship 

 of Kuin. of K:i-\vin. of Arabistan, and finally of 

 Resht, and declared in favor of the latter. The 

 Shah, on hisnrrival in Kaswin. sent for Nassr- 

 nl-Mulk, who, during the absence of Sad rim 

 Azam had been provisional Minister of War, 

 deposed him and appointed Firuz Mirza, one 

 of the three princes who had accompanied him 

 on his journey. Minis;. ; of U ,,r. At the same 

 time he addressed a letter to the chiefs of the 

 Mooshtchcd, in which he asked them to quiet 

 the apprehensions of the clergy, nnd promised 

 that Mirza Hussein Khan should not nghin 

 bo appointed minister. On the other hand, 

 the Shah did not conceal his dissatisfaction 

 with the entire demonstration. When hlg 

 clergy and high dignitaries nt Kent, the last 

 station before Teheran, offered their congrat- 

 ulations for his safe return, he expresed his 

 displeasure in strong terms. Later accounts 

 from Teheran represented the fall of Mirza 

 Hussein Khan as the result of a conspiracy 

 between the Mohammedan priesthood, all tho 

 elements hostile to reforms, and of tho wives 



