Page 280 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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270 Records of Bahrain

ly include selection and approval of the Superintendent, chosen and the period*
ical auditing of accounts. I gather from the Political Agent’s .paragraph under
reference.that he considers that Sheikh Esa apparently recognises our intervention
in the case of injustice or outrage inflicted on persons whom wo protect or r.rc
interested in, as being a natural proceeding against which he can bring forward
no reasonable arguments, but that he places the Customs question in a different
category and suspects in our advances in connection therewith an attempt to en­
croach upon his sovereign rights. The Political Agent docs not, however, seem
to give sufficient weight to the fact:—
(i) that the readjustment of the Customs Administration may be fairly
included in the category of important and necessary reforms
with respect of which, if he pretends as ho docs to regard us as
benevolent friends and not designing enemies, lie is bound • to
listen to our friendly advice and in regard to which his frequent
vacillation and exhibition of bad faith cannot be tolerated.
Moreover, the importance to our trade and political interests of being in a posi­
tion to assure ourselves that the fiscal administration of Bahrein is reasonably'
efficient, and by means of it of being able to exercise some supervision and 'con­
trol over his finances generally, is just as paramount to ourselves as it is in the
best interests of the Sheikh.

No. 204, dated Bahrein, the 24th June 1905.
: From—Captain F. B. Prideaux, Political Agent, Bahrein,
To—The Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushirc.
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 781, dated
the 11 til June 1905, and to refer also to letter.No. 1873-E. B., dated the 1 7th
May 1905, from the Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign De­
partment to your address, a copy of which l have received from you in advance
of the other papers referred to in the and paragraph of your letter under reply.
2. The message in Arabic which I have received from you for communica­
tion to the Chief of Bahrein was duly read out to Sheikh Isa by my Munshi * in
my. presence at Muharraq on the afternoon of the 20th instant. Sheikh Hamad
was present at the interview and on the conclusion of the conversation on the
subject of your message, I delivered to him the warning from the Government
of India that their ultimate acquiescence in his succession would depend entirely
on his satisfactory demeanour from this time forward.
Sheikh Hamad acknowledged the message briefly with the remark that he
hoped always to be favoured with the approbation of Government, and Sheikh
Isa tried to make excuses for his son by taking upon himself the responsibility
for all the latter’s actions. With regard to your own written message Sheikh Isa
gave me to understand that he still hoped the Government of India would be
more merciful in their decision about Sheikh Ali. He promised also not
to trouble us further on the subject pending ilia receipt of that decision. The
proposal that Sheikh Khalifa should be sent to India was not mooted, as I did
not consider the occasion to be suitable. '
3. With regard to the observations contained in Mr. Fraser's letter No.
1873-E. B. of the 17th May 1905, a,Jd before I submit my specific replies I beg
to lay before you the views held by the Chief of Bahrein, on the question of his
position towards the Government of India, so far as I have been able to ascertain
them from the disjointed and far from clear remarks he has let fall from time to
time.
4. In 1861 a Convention was entered into between the Independent Ruler of
Bahroin and a representative of the British Government, in which it was arranged
that so long as the former abstained from certain acts disapproved by the British
Government, the latter would support the Chief of Bahrein against the aggres-
sions of the Chiefs and tribes of tlic Persian Gulf.
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