Page 256 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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246 Records of Bahrain

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Thoso qualifications seem (o bo almost all that would bo roquirod in the
Aral instanoo.
Onco installod at Babroin tbo Vazior would sliapo bis attitudo on linos laid
down for him by tho Political Agont. Tho only primary diaquallflcation whioh
8oyyid Mahomed has is that ho knows vory littlo, if any, Hindustani, and ns it
would bo obviously important that ho should bo ablo to hold diroct couvorso
with his Ohiof, it will bo oqually important oonvorscly that our roprosontativo
at Bahrain shall know Arabic oolloquially or bo roejuirod to pass an examination
in it within a givon timo aftor arrival. In fact this is vory nocossrary in any
enso.
0. It was partly on tho chanco of Government signifying approval to tho
appointment of a Vazior to govorn Manama, that I docidod in consultation with
Captain Pridoaux not to lot tho liouso lntoly occupied by 8haikh Ali-bin-Ahmed
jeavo our possession until I had had an opportunity of roforring tho question
to Government.
It will bo roinomborod that I statod in my last roport (paragraph 0) that
Shoikh lisa was anxious to impross upon mo that this building had always boon
known as tho “Qovornmont Houso" of Manama, and bolonged to tho Al
Khalifa family and not to Shoikh Ali. I informed him that I did not fool in
a position to giYO any decision oithor about tho houso or any othor part of
Shoikh Ali’s proporty without first obtaining tho instructions of Qovornmont,
and that in tho mcanwhilo somo of our own guard who hod not yot bcon
provided with quartors might oonvoniontly bo housed in it. To this ho mndo
no objootion. I shall bo glad of instruotious in this regard. Though Shoikh
Esa is apparently correct in claiming that the houso itself is family proporty,
tbo fact romains that ho novor was aud novor would knvo boon able to eject
Shoikh Ali from it.
Consequently if tho proposal to appoint a Vnzior is approved, or if in tho
near futuro Shoikh Esa gives tho management of tho Bahrein Customs into
our hands, tho uso of thoso promises whioh aro close to tho Customs Ilouso and
lauding whorf will bo most important to .us.
1, thoroforo, recommend that wo inform Shoikh Esa that whereas we aro
proparod, subjoot to further inquiry, to agree that tho remaindor of Shoikh
Alirn landed proporty in tho Islands, of which tho Political Agent has a list,
shall for tho timo being romain in bis oustody, wo propose to retain Sheikh
Ali's Into rcsidonoo in Manama in our hands for tho presont, ns it is not oonsi-
dorod desirable that it should bo ocoupiod by any of tho Khalifa family for some
timo to oomo.

9. 1. 0. P. 0.—No. 4043 P. D.—34.8.1306-S7-0. C. 8.