Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress with the Annual Message of the President, December 2, 1872, Part I

No. 463.
Mr. Brown to Mr. Fish.

Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, December 14, 1871. (Received Jan. 18, 1872.)

No. 36.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose copy of my reply to the minister of foreign affairs on the subject of the new regulations adopted by the Sublime Porte, regarding the passage of merchant vessels through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles.

Fully believing that all such facilities to commerce will be satisfactory to the Government of the United States, I deemed it a proper occasion to express it to the minister of foreign affairs.

Since then, at a meeting of chiefs of the diplomatic corps, convoked by the Russian embassador, (its Doyen,) it was proposed to request the Porte to direct that a boat belonging to the Ottoman ship-of-war stationed at Gallipoli should collect the firmans of merchant-vessels passing through the Dardanelles, and the Porte has given orders to this effect.

I have, &c.,

JOHN P. BROWN.

[Inclosure 1.]

Mr. Brown to Server Pacha.

Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, November 24, 1871.

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the letter which you were so good as to write me the 22d instant, with its inclosures, on the subject of the new facilities offered by the Ottoman government to the navigation of the Straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles by merchant vessels. Being convinced that the Government of the United States will learn these new regulations with satisfaction, I have hastened to bring them to its knowledge. I have, also, transmitted them to consuls of the United States for their information.

I beg your excellency to accept the assurance of my perfect consideration.

JOHN P. BROWN.

His Excellency Server Pacha,
Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[Inclosure 2.]

The Dardanelles and Bosphorus.

Constantinople, Wednesday, December 13, 1871.

The following notice to shipmasters has been issued by our Consulate-General, dated December 12:

All vessels may henceforth pass through the Straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles at any hour of the day or night.

To prevent vessels stopping to get their firmans at Constantinople on their passage down from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, shipmasters may provide themselves, on their arrival from the Mediterranean, with the two necessary finnans, i. e., the one for the Bosphorus and the one for the Dardanelles.

These firmans must henceforth be delivered, by vessels sailing for the Mediterranean, on board a ship-of-war stationed at Galata Point, opposite Gallipoli.

In order that shipmasters may avail themselves of the privilege of not being delayed on their passage home, they must take not only their Bosphorus and Dardanelles firmans at the same time, but must then pay all necessary dues and fees, and take their receipt at Constantinople previous to their passing up to the Black Sea.

In this way they will avoid the necessity of stopping at the Bosphorus on their return from the Black Sea, except at Cavak, or Buyukdere, to take pratique.