CO885-(11-13) — Page 708

9230.

No. 69.

(CYPRUS.)

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Extract.)

The Law Officers of the Crown have been consulted as to the right of Her Majesty's

May 28, 1886. Government to apply any portion of the surplus revenues of Cyprus to the satisfaction of the private claims of British subjects, those revenues having been pledged, with others, by the Iradé of December 20, 1881, as security for the service of the General Ottoman Debt.

The Law Officers are of opinion that although no protest was made by Her Majesty's Government at the time of the issue of the Iradé in question, yet that, as Her Majesty's Government were in no way a party to the arrangement made by it, they may in strictness have the right to retain the surplus revenue in discharge not only of liabilities of the Porte to Her Majesty's Government itself, but also of debts due to British subjects for the payment of which the Porte may have entered into engagements with Her Majesty's representative. The Law Officers, however, entertain doubts as to the expediency of exercising this right, and refer to an opinion expressed by their predecessors in 1881*, to the effect that the special charge created upon the surplus revenue by the Porte, of which Her Majesty's Government has notice, gave a valid title to those to whom it was assigned, subject only to any pre-existing charge, such as that created in favour of Her Majesty's Government by the Convention of 1855.

See No. 258 in Vol. 3 (Miscellaneous, No. 51).

▲ 90101-81. 25.-6j86, G, 37.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O.

Reference :-

·885

13 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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