Page 316 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

306 Records of Bahrain

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listen generally to my ndvico in important affairs. Shoikli Eaa replied “ what
sort of mattors do you moan?” I replied “any important matters of adminis­
tration in regard to which Government given you advice for your good.” Ho
ropliod “ I must consider whether such and suoli a monsuro is for my good or
r\ not, and if I dooido that it is, I will inform Govornmout and if I considor that
it does not suit mo then I will inform Govornmout likowiso”. “ Well ” I
roplied “you mentioned just now that thorc lmd been neglect ( ) on
tho part of Goverumont in rogard to eoino of your affairs; I ropoat tho
assuranoo that thorc has boon no neglect, but on tho ooutrary your affairs havo
beou constantly undor tho consideration of Govornmont for tho last year, as
you may judgo from this bulky filo boforo mo, and thoro is ono subjoot which
it is ovident to me from tho corrospondcnoo whioh has passed, Government
will not ontiroly drop and that is tho matter of your Customs.” ho repliod
quickly “ I havo alroady givou you an answor on that subject, aud havo no
othor answor to give.” I continued “ Let mo oxplain. Govornmont see you
constantly in dobt and not knowing where to turn for rnonoy, booauso you
only get its. 1,20,000 from your Customs whon you might got throo or four
lakhs. Their sirnplo wish is that you should got tho full bcuofit of your
Customs rovenuo and that your Stato and yoursolf should profit by it. Thoro
is no wish to annex your Customs nor intorforo unnecessarily in your
administration; all that is wantod is that you should acocpt from Govoru­
mont trainod omploy6s, of a stamp which your own following cannot supply;
men who would conduct your Customs on rogular lines aud pay you tho
resulting profit Ho roplied that ho had discussed all this with Colonol
Meado, Colonol Kemball and myself before, and had always givou tho sarno
answor, aud his answer was tho samo now whother it bo writton or spoken.
I then appoalod to his threo sons and asked them whether they could not
influence their father, but they said thoy woro in his hands. Tho old Sheikh
went on to say that whon tho Bunuia’s contract had expired (thoy havo oniy
just startod a now ono lasting till January 1908) ho would tako tho Customs
into his own hands but would havo none othor than his own servants, Arabs
of Bahrein, and that ho would not havo any ono from Government. I ropoatodly
asked him to oxplain to mo in a friendly way what wero the reasons whioh
prompted him to adopt this attitude but ho unsworod oaoli time that ho had
no reasons to give except that ho was not prepared to accept tho' measure pro­
posed, in any form.
I then said to him “When I toll you frankly boforo your sons that this
improvement in tho Administration of your Customs is a mattor with regard to
whioh Government consider that it is incumbent upon you to conform to their
advice, ropoatodly and soriously given, and when I assure you that thoy will
surely not acoept a complete refusal on your part especially whon it is acoom-
paniod by no reasons whatovor, sound or otherwise, do you not think you would
bo muoh better advised to agree to .the adoption of our proposals wholly or
partially, of your own accord, ratbor than that Govornmont should bo driven
to dispon80 with your acquiescence aud do what is best for you whether you
R liko it or not? ” Ho roplied “ If Government wish to do so against my wishes it
I'm is of oourso within their powor, but it will not bo dono with my oousout”.
Again and again wero tho sarao explanations mado to him and tho samo
ground gone over as had boon- traversed boforo by Colonol Hondo, Colonel
itomball, His Excellonoy Lord Curzon, and myself, but without tho least
responso or result, and feeling that thero was no hope of moviug him from liis
stubborn attitude, I gradually changed tho subject and went on to deal with
two or threo othor topics which requirod mention.
Those wero
(1) Tho Slavo Agreomont from tho Dowasir Sheikhs whioh Sheikh Esa
has notified his inability to oxaot. (Vida Foreign Department
letter No. 3361-E.B., dated dith Soptombor 1905, paragraph 0.)
(2) Tho C060 of tho Estate of Soyyid IChnlnf and outstanding British
claim against it (vide last enclosure to lotter No. 331, datod lGtli
July 1905, from tho Political Itesidont in tho Persian Gulf, to
the Secretary to tho Govornmont of India in tho Foreign Dcpnrl-
mont.)