Page 4 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

420 Records oj Bahrain

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3. With a view to dofuio and regularise tlio powors exorcised over British
subjects by tho Agont, tho Political
• Vide paragraph C of cnclonuro No. 5.
llosidout in tho Persian Gulf* hns put
forward tho suggestion that ho should bo appointed to bo a ,"Justice of tlio Pcaco
I and endowed with tho powers of a Distvict Judgo in diroct subordination to tho
! High Court of Bombay. Wo concur in this recommendation, but with roforonco
to obiuso 2 of tlio Indian Foreign Jurisdiction Order in Council, 1902, wo under­
stand that it would first bo nccossary for Bahroin to bo declared by llis Mnjosty
in Couucil to bo a territory in which jurisdiction is exorcised by, or on behalf of
ITis Majesty through the Govornor-Goncral in Council. Wo would accordingly
request that, if Llis Majesty’s Government seo no objection, tho necessary
Ordor in Council may be passed providing for tho oxorciso of jurisdiction in
Bahrein.
4. But, furthor, in view of tho incroaso of foreign shipping and foroign
interest goncvally in tho Gulf, and of the establishment of foreign firms aud
missions in Bahrein, which has already caused practical dilficulties, it seoms
desirable that, if possible, in maintenance of tho status quo in the Gulf,
provision should bo mado in tho Order in Council for tho exercise by tho
Political Agont of jurisdiction over foroignors in Bahroin, beforo foreign
interests liavo so largely dovclopcd as to rondcr tho assumption of tho logal
duties of a protecting power a mattor of greater intricacy and difficulty
involving porhaps, as in tho caso of Zanzibar, diplomatic representations to
foreign powers. Bahvoiu has boon under solo British domination siuco 1820,
and on several occasions! wo havo had to
VSS. SZ/XtZ him! inlorfom by arm''d forco- °i,b0‘- to provout
whi.i. formr.i .iiimcioiuro to socrot do^micii No. t,il0 Chief of Bahroin from attaokincr his
178 (Eitonml), dated tho 14th Soplcinbjr lVOo. < o
neighbours, or thorn from attacking him,
or to 6ottlo mattors rolating to tho Chiefship. In 1880, by a treaty'published '
for public information, tho Sheikh bound himself to abstain from making
treatios of any sort with any Stato or Govornmont othor than tho British and. VA
to refuse to permit othor Powers to establish diplomatic or Consular Agcncios
or coaling dop6ts without tho consent of tho British Govornmont. This treaty
in itself constituted a sort of protcctorato, which has porhaps been riponed into
maturity by tho open aud regular oxorciso of protectorate powers, more
especially in tho rocont eases of attacks
1 Vide oncloturo* 1 nail 2. T~ s ,, . . . .
r- QuM'~ I vide ii.du ooic* lotur,ti.o iibfsopuin. on Porsian and Gorman subjocts m
1 imiu OfBco utter, dated tho 28th Jui/ Bahrein. Wo understand that Franco.^
8'J9.
Germany,§ aud Amorioa|| havo all receiv­
ed informal notice of tho oxistenco of a British Protcctorato ovor Bahrein and
___ * „ that this has recently boon announced
^ ride c.icWuro to Foreign Ofllco letter No. CO,
✓ datod tlio 22nd Kobruarjr 1005, and telegram N</f28, formallyi| to tllO POWOrS most dirOCtly
dated tho Dili Fobruarjr 19U0.
concorncd, Turkoy and Persia. In this
connection wo would refer also to tbo arguments adduced in paragraph fj of
tbo draft lottor to tlio Political Besidont in tlio Porsian Gulf, which formed an
onclosuro to our Soorot-Extcrnal dospatoh No. 178, dated tbo 14th Soptombor
Orfo0iaoo.
Us \ 6. If His Majesty’s Govornmont considor it feasible in tbo oiroumstancos
to assumo jurisdiction over foreigners in Bahrein, wo would rcoommond that this
should bo dono and also, with roforonco
Vide cncloeurti No*. 8 and 4.
to tbo marginally noted correspondence,