“The Hon. Sir R. Stopford,
Commander-in-Chief, &c., &c., &c.”
“Sir,
“Head Quarters, Beyrout,
30th November, 1840.
“Had you fortunately abstained from honouring me with your letter of the 27th instant, I should have been spared the pain of replying to it. I am not aware that you have been invested with special powers or authority to treat with Mehemet Ali as to the evacuation of Syria by the Egyptian troops; and if you have such special powers and authority, you have not taken the trouble of acquainting me therewith.
“The Convention into which you have entered has been, as relates to the advanced stage of military events in Syria, more than attained by the retreat of Ibrahim Pacha. If therefore, you have unknown to me, had authority to treat, I must decline to be a party to recommending the ratification of the said Convention; and if unauthorised to treat, such Convention is invalid, and is, by me, protested against as being highly prejudicial to the Sultan’s cause, in as far as it has, or may have, relation to the operations of the army under my command. It is needless for me to add that a copy of this protest shall be forwarded to Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
| “I have, &c., “C. F. Smith, Major-General, “Commanding the Forces in Syria.” |
“Commodore Napier, C.B.,
H.M.S. Powerful.”