Page 315 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

British in fluence and foreign interests, 1904-1906 305

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who might tell him tlio contrary. I continued that ns fnr ns tho flag was con-
cornod ho How it on Manama Fort and could fly it anywhore olso he liked
if ho so desired. With rognrd to tho houso itself I told him that it hnd never
boeu tho decision of Govormnont to confiscate it outright, a? I had clearly
told him. That thosimplo fact was that Sheikh Ali had lived in it uuder tho
Bahroin Flag and had used tho circumstance that it was called “ Government
Houso ” to assist bis oudeavours to interforo in tho Government of Manama
and to'dieplay opposition to tho Shoikh. For this reason, when Sheikh Ali had
been romovod, it had been deoided that until wo wero assured that affairs in
Mauama woro iu a moro Bottled stato it was not dosirablo that the houso should
be occupied by any of his family, I oonoluded that if ho sot such storo on tho
possession of tho houso and if ho showed himself aiuonnblo to advico iu otlior
ways, I was quito ready to ask Government for pormissiou to hand tho houso
over to him on tho distinct understanding that it was a private houso and that
ho would lot no ono livo in it at any lirno whoso tonanoy was not approvod by
tho Political Agent. Ho readily agreed to this and thanked me for my readi­
ness to further his wishes in thismattor.
Ho finally roforred to Shoikh Ali’s allowanco and begged that it might bo
(4) The redootlon of Sheikh All's aubsiatonoo roduoed. Ho said that aooording to his
allownnoo fiora Ra. 600 to Ri. 300. information Shoikh Ali did not spend
moro than Us. 100 per moneom; that Its. 200 was onough and Its. 300 gono-
rou9. I told him again what had passod and promisod to approach Govern­
ment on tho subject again.
Taking up tho thread now on my own bohalf, I said that wbilo Govern­
ment had boon obliged to show him last yoar that thoy could not bo trifled
with, they wishod him to uudorotand that they wore anxious to help him and
advonco tho prosperity of his stato in every way thoy could, and in tho samo
spirit, with regard to tho mnttors just discussod, I added that I would ropresont
thorn sympathetically to Government.
I thon turned to his petition to tho Socrotary of Stato and His Excollency
tho Viceroy and asked Sheikh Esa what had promptod him to uso au Arms
Manufacturer as a medium for the transmission of his petition when he had a
Political Agent with him whoso duty it was to ropresont his communications
to Government. Ho replied that ho had sent it as he had not received favour­
able or dofinito answers to his requests, but hnd not intended specially to send
tho dooumont through an Arms Morchnnt; that ho had simply givon it to an
“Arab ” to post and that tho latter happonod to omploy tho medium of the y'i
(5) Tho prohibition agninst tho importation of Firm in question. Itoferring to tho con- / , " '
Arroa Into Jiahroin. Vide naraginpb 6 of Mlor tents of it, I askod llim Why llO mado 1
f"°)'a prominent griovanoo of this pro-
to tho Govornmont of Iudia in tho Fcrolgu Do- lllbltion ngaiU8t tho importation Of arms
pailmeot. at this stago and never boforo; why bad
ho not dono so in tho first iustauco ? Hid ho oxperieuco any difficulty in
gotting loavo to import what ho wauted for his logitimato uso ?
Shoikh Esa ropliod that tho agroomont had boon tnkon from him arbitra­
rily ; that ho liad simply boon shown tho Sultan of Maslcat’s ngreomont aud a I
draft liko it aud had boon told that lio must sign tho lattor aud signed it with­
out duo reflection ; that lie had no difficulty in gettiug what ho wauted for
his roquiromonts but that tho prohibition had proved a great loss to him in
tho mattor of Customs rovonuo. Finally ho oxplainod that ho had not intonded
to put tho mattor forward as a griovanco but rather as an explanation iu the
hope that Govornmont would show him favour in tho mattor. I tried to olioit
from him the approximate amount which lie considered ho formerly roooivod /
from duty on arms but ho professed not to bo ablo to tell mo. I romindod him
that bo was not alono in the mattor but that the Shoikhs of Kowoit and tho l
Trucial Coast had notified similar prohibitions. I added that X would ropresont \
what ho had just said to Govornmont but oould not say what thoir nnswor ‘ •
would bo. i
Having roforrod again, as I lookod through tlio memorial, to tbo disposal
(0) Dahroin Cuiioma. of Shoikh Ali’s liou9o thoroiu alluded to,
aaavsi'Sr™' «* a-j fe? £ S