Page 254 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

244 Records of Bahrain

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roduoo us from the commoroinl and political nro-ominonoo which wo hayo' so
long 1)0380860(1, to tho gonoral lovol in whioh tlioy thomsolvos now move.
If this viow is oorreot it may thon oonooivably bocomo ossontial fop us at
BOino futuro timo, uot necessarily very romoto, to aoviso frosh moans of mooting
competition and of noquiring froor soopo for our notion in those regions.
' It is for this reason that I ronturo to suggest that tho British Govommont
oannot afford to oxoludo altogothor from thoir Hold of vision, tho pioturo whioh
I have adumbrated in oonnootion with Bahrein.
6. I now bog to revert to tho quostious for immodinto consideration.
Tho Sheikh has Indood in aooOrdanoo with tho terms of tho ultimatum,
providod 60 mon, probably tho best or ns good as ho oau muster, to not as polioo
in Manama, but tho Govorumont of India must bo awaro what unroliablo people
thoso askaris aroand I foar wo oan sot littio storo by them. Then again the foot
of Shoikh Ali having outlawed liimiolf makes it tho moro ncoeasary tiiat tho
moasures for tho maintonanoo of order in Manama and ita protection against
atlaok, should bo fairly olfootivo for somo timo to oomo.
I soo no reason to suppoeo that 8hoikh Ali will bo ablo to rouso ntxy boHous
hostility from tho maiulnud against Bahrein in tho nonr future, but it is quito
possiblo that ho may join tho ranks of Nasir Mubnrak and Ahmed bin 8alman
and try his hand at piracy during tho ooming date soason, and both Oaptnin
Pridoaux aud I are of opinion that 8hoikh Esa has proved himself too weak
and infirm a rulor for it to bo oxpediout on public grounds that the maintonanoo
of ordor and soourity should bo loft entirely in his irroeoluto hands.
0 Asa half mcasuro short of tho oxtromo stop of sotting asido Shoikh Esa,
somo suoh coi’rso as tho following might bo found compatiblo with tho viows of
llis Majosty’s Govommont:—
That wo Bliould inform Shoikh Eea that rcoont ovonts havo brought it
oloarly homo to tho Qovornracnt of India that tho soourity of trado and tho
lives of Europeans, for whoso safety tho British Govommont iB morally rosp on*
siblo, can no longor bo safely loft in tho bunds of a Ohiof whose Govommont has
shown itsolf to bo so weak and inoffcotive that ho lias boon uuablo, to provent
rowdiism in tho town; to arrest known offenders ; to koop them out wlion onoo
oxpollod by his ordor; or to provont thoir cscapo when thoir arrest has boon
dosirod. At tho samo timo tlioy soo with regrot that tho son, whom out of
friondiy consideration for tho Shoikh tlioy hud gono to the unusual courao of
publioly rocognhing as his suocossor, ia possossod of no adequate idoas of tho
•oriouBiio^ or rosponsibilitios of his position. Suoh boiDg tho ouso tho Govorn-
mont of India whilodooiding out of regard for his grey hairs and his professions
of loyalty uot to subjoot Shoikh Esa to tho indignity of boing sot asido, oannot
novortlioloss allow tho Govommont of Manama to remain longer under his
unaided oontrol or want of control, and thoroforo proposo to mako the following
arrangements with whioh ho is oxpeoted to aoquioscc.
(а) that he hirasolf will continuo to rosido and rule In Muharrug but
will uot aotivcly participate in the govommont of Manama,
which will bo oarriod on by an approvod Vozier eelcotod for him
by tho Govommont of India on a fixed salary, (300 to 600 por
month would I think bo suffloiont), undor tho immediate guidance
of tho Political Agont.
(б) that in order to assist thorn in kooping Order a «maJl forco
of nolioo will bo either imported or looally enlisted and trained,
and placed under a subordinate Nativo Police oflloor of the Gov-
omment of India.
Thoir numbers will bo regulated aooording to thfl duties fotmd to be
roquirod of thorn and will probably not amount to moro than 60.
Both tho pay and housing of tho Vazior and Polio# will bo paid for b£ the
8hoikh through tho Political Agent. Both Captain Pridoau* tod I aro of opinion
that somo arrangomont on thoso linos is vory much to bo desired/ As a- tother
precautionary moaeuro Z would also reoommond die early provision of a' steam
pinnaoo, or adapted torpodo-hoat for uso at Bahrein, as lids boon reoontly
suggostod (vide this ollioo lettor No. 90, dated 18th February lW)6)v Had suoh