Page 306 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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short timo. I liopo to pay a lcisuroly visit to Baliroin at an early dalo to
discuss various mattors with tho Political Agont and tho Sheikh, and I shall
ho in a bottor position thou to address Govornmont fully.
I roturn tho original Arabic momorial as direotod. Tho original -English
translation I tnko tho liborty of kcoping for tho presout.

No. 2i, dated Bahrein, tho 13tl» January 1000.
From—Captain F. B. Puideaux, Political Agont, Babreiu,
To—Tho Politicul Resident iu tho Porsiau Gulf, Buehiro.
With roforonoo to your oflico endorsement No. I960, dated tho 2GtU
Decomber 3905, onclosuros to which aro herewith rcturnod, on tho subject of
Sheikh Esa-bin Ali’s petition, dated tho 2ud Octobor 1905, X havo tho honour
to submit tho following report: .
2. The secret of tho despatch of this petition has bocn extremoly woll
kept iu Baliroiu, and X doubt if any of tbo Chiof’s subjocts oxcopt ono or two
of liis relations and bis clork lmvo bad any cognizanco of it. Tho English
translation was undoubtedly made in Bombay, and I havo no hesitation in
expressing tho opiniou that Sheikh Makomod bin Abdul Wahab Pasha must,
havo boou tho Chief’s oorrospondont and Agont in tho matter thcro.
3. I have asked tho Chief why lie had not forwarded tho potitiou through
mo and havo pointed out that ho would probably havo rocoived his answer
quicker if he had done so. Ho ropliod that ho had informed mo in his letter-
of tho 30th May 1905 that ho would address tho Govornmont direct if ho did not
receive through mo an early reply to all his representations, and ho had subse­
quently only oarried out this throat.
d. To some extent tho Chief’s statement may ho considered plausible, as
with tho exceptions of tho long mossago, which youdesirod mo in your lottcr
No. 781, dated tho 11th Juno 1905, to communicate to him, and of my letter
No. 218, dated tho 4th July 1905, to which I havo roforred in tho first, para­
graph of my letter No. 237, dated tho 16tb July 1905, to- your nddross, Sheikh
Esa has not been given any definite reply. .Do has never, howevor, reminded
mo of this, nor has ho enouired whother Government had in any way modified
the message which you lind sent to him. Moreover, after acquicsoiug in tho
deportation of Shoikb Ali, it scorns curious that tho Okiof should affect to think
that we had not boon aoting ontirely uudor instructions from Government. ■
6. In tho matter of tho flag-staff I havo pressod tho Chief to say whothor
ho now bolioves that it was lowered under my ordors, that it was lowered by
my subordinates without my knowledge, or that it was blown down by tho wind.
Ho lias roplied that porhaps tho flag-staff war not lowered under my orders,
but that bo bos heard from roliablo persons that tho sepoys, who were in charge
of tho house, had intentionally pulled it down. I noed hardly soy that this
accusation is ridiculous. You may, porhaps, however* doom it ndvisablo to call
upon the Chief to produco his informants beforo you, when you noxt visit
Bahrein.
6. It is characteristic of Sheikh Esa that wbon roforring to tbo two Agree­
ments of 1880 and 1892 he should moko no roforcnco to tho numorous occasions
on which wo have rosolutoly given him aid and protection, his obtu6cnoss of
feeling in this connection having oven caused him to omit mention of tho
important Treaty of 1861 in which tho first guarantee of British protoction for
his State was openly made.
7. Still more astonishing will the Govornmont probably consider tho foot
of tho Ohiof'e objocting to tho presence of a British oflioor in Baliroin. With
& oommunity of sorno & or 10 Europeans in tho placo, a considerable influx of
native Christians from Turkey and tho largo inorenso of trado enjoyed by tho
merchants of Bahrein, many of whom aro British subjects, it is not probable
that tbo Government will bo impressed by'tho Chief's preference for tho former
system under wbioh a nativo merchant guvo only a portion of his time to tlioir
interests.
8. With regard to the Arms Traffio Prohibition I ban only venturo to
make tho following observations with tbo greatest diflidenoo, as tbo Agreement