Page 209 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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British influence and foreign interests, 1904-1906 199

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I of tlicso P oral a ns by any tribunal but my own courts. •»
16 It will thus bo aocn that ho had ceased to arguo pa to tho monte of tho,
iteolf. or that only ono side had boon hoard, but had aitorod his position and
oaso
was standing out on tho question of his jurisdiction oyer tho Persians, a point.
3h ho had disoussod with Captain Pridoaux in tho first mstanoo, but had.
which
subsoquontly droppod.
Uavin" quito failed to altor his domoanour, I told him I muoh rogrettod;
that wo ha<? arriYod at a doadlook and oould no moro than report tho faot tn
QoYommont; and tlion took leavo. Wo had boon with him ovor two hours.
10. I romainod in Bahroin tho following day, ns it was tho Ramzan Eod
rcorudosoouoo of rowdyism might odour, but
oUdwont°?l^qufotlyloft°for Bushiro on 10th Docombor, loaving II. M. 8.
Rcdbrcaat thoro.
This oomplotos tho narrativo of tho progress of tho oaso. It now romains for
mo to odor somo oommont whovo it sooms oallod for and to mako rooommonda-
tions for tho futuro for tho consideration of tho QoYornmont of India.
I 17. Though tho Shoikh finally mndo tho question of jurisdiction tho bar to
any sottloraont, I doubt mysolf whothor it was really so in faot and think tho.
ronl state of tho oaso wns that, having hoard from his son and his Vazior that tho
Arab witnessos had fallon to pioccs in a groat mcasuro, and gathering at all
ovonts that thoy had failed to irnpross mo and that ho would thoreforo no longer.,
bo ablo to arguo with mo rogarding tho merits of tho oaso itsolf, and being
v ing, or unable, owing to tho influouoo of Shoikh Ali and tho‘Mullahs m
Mtfnama, to impos'o any punishmout on tho Arabs, he had determined to fall
—I book on tho question of jurisdiction.
Upon this question of jurisdiction generally I hardly know what tho opinion
of tho QoYornmont of India will bo. To tho best of my boliof (and this viow is
supported offhand by mombors of tho Residency Staff), wo havo interfered tci'
protoot Persians boforo, but timo duos not admit of my vorifying this from my
J- that as wo havo a virtual Protootorato over Bahrein, it is politically ncoossary'
rcoords beforo tho mail loavos. Personally I unhesitatingly oxpross tho viow
and advisable that wo should protect Poraiaua (Shiahs), as woll as othor
foreigners, at all ovonts to tho oxtont of proYonting tho porpotration of injustice
upon thorn.
In tho prosont oaso I oan hardly doubt, in viow of tho communications
whioh havo passed botwocn this office, tho Tehran Legation and the Persian.
Government,* that tho Government of
* Kocloiuroi 3, 3 »od 4.
India will docido that it it nooossary to
afford protootion,
18. I now oomo to tho attitudo of tho Shoikh.
Tho porsonal position, i.e., as botwoon tho 8hoikh and Residont, is that'
aftor agrooing to await my arrival for tho sottlomont of tho oaso, and titer
| proaaing-meLn^nako porepnal inquiries into it, and aftor I had boon to tho
trouble of doing as ho requested, ho absolutely refusod to considor the evidenoo
sonously or to moot my viows to any oxtont whntovor, and took refugo with a
Btubuornnoss, whioh was almost insulting, in tho question of jurisdiction whioh

10. Tho foot, howovor, that ho should fool ablo to aot in snob a wav has in
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