§ MR. EASTWICKasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he will state why the request of the Shah of Persia for the services of British Officers to discipline his Troops, preferred so long back as 1863 and since repeated, has not been complied with; and, whether there would be any objection to lay the Correspondence upon the Table of the House?
§ VISCOUNT ENFIELDSir, the Indian Departments of Her Majesty's Government have expressed their willingness to allow officers of the Indian Army to be appointed to organize and discipline the Army of the Shah of Persia. The question arose on what terms these officers should be appointed; the Indian Office offered terms which they considered fair and reasonable, to which the Persian Government demurred, wishing to throw all the cost upon our Government. This was not considered expedient, either on financial or political grounds; and the subject, therefore, has remained, and still remains, in abeyance, pending further application from the Shah. I fear that I could not undertake to produce the Correspondence in question.