Page 274 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

264 Records of Bahrain

4
Several matters s:ill remain under their consideration, but a decision has
been come to on one or two points which I am asking CaptainPridoaux to com*
municatc to you,
I will now deal.with other references in your letter—
/. Sheikh Alt's hnuici property.—Government have decided that •object
to further enquiry, Sheikh Ali's landed property shall be left for the time being'
in your hands on trust.
But as to the house lately occupied by Sheikh Ali in Manama, Govfet'dfacnt
arc of opinion that it is not advisable that it should bo occupied by anj' of the
A1 Khalifat) family for some time to come, and it will therefore romaih irt the
Political Agent’s charge for the present.
a. As to the proceeds of Sheikh Ali's effects and live-stock, l have to inform
you that they fetched about Rs. 5,800. If Sheikh Ali docs not give himself up/
but remains an outlaw, any proved claims of British subjects against Sholkh Ali
will be paid out of it and the orders of Government asked as ‘ to the- disposal of
the remainder. This will no doubt depend on Sheikh Ali’s behaviour.
3. Lastly, you have referred to your Customs. It is a matter of some satis*
faction to me to hope from what you write that you at last realise that it will be
to your interest to cease from farming them out to a contractor (as you have so
\ often promised to do) and to conduct the Administration yoilrsclf, and I am
communicating your suggestions to Government, in order to ask their views.
You must remember however that to clear off all your debts to the Bunniahs
the Government would have to guarantee a very large sum for you, and it would
be very necessary for them to have adequate safeguards and assurances that
I the Customs are run to the best advantage, both so that you yourself may profit
as you ought, and. may recover yourself from debt, and also in order that any
money which they would have to guarantee to the Bunniahs would be regularly
out of the earnings.
Government have many times advised you to let them engage for you a man-
from India, expert at Custom matters, but you have always refused, from base-
, less fears which evilly-disposed persons suggest to you that if you have an
Indian in your Customs you will lose some of your dignity. But this is not the
truth, it is only imagination.
Our friend Scyyid Fcisal of Maskat has for the last 5 years given up farm­
ing his Customs and has employed for himself trained men from India and the
result is that he has now got a fine Customs House and proper premises and
godowns and gets ao or 30 thousand dollars a year from his Customs more than
j he used to from the Bunniahs, and at the fame time the merchants arc satisfied.
I Wiry should this profit not go into, his ppeket instead of that of the Bunniahs ?.
• And why should it not be the same in your case ?
- Scyyid Fcisal has .not lost his dignity;, on the contrary, thanks to the
support and favour of the British Government, he is stronger in his position than
he ever was and no one can interfere with him. Scyyid Fcisal is your' friend, as
he is mine ; and I was more than five years with him at Maskat and you can ask
him whether I ever failed to be a good friend to him when in difficulty - and ever-
gave him advice whlch'did him harm. I aim just as ready to be a good friend to
you and so 1 am sure is your Political Agent, as long as you give him your confi­
dence and show him and me that you have an honest intention to aqt in con­
formity with the advice which the Government of India gives you for your own
interests,’ and to be. loyal to your Treaty obligations.
May you be preserved and Salaam.
P. Z. CUX.

0. C. rum, 9laU.~0-)i|