Page 56 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

46 Records of Bahrain

tho Sultan is acting in friendly co-operation. Tho cliango of destination
to Muscat subsequently made should not, in tho opinion of tho Court,
ho allowed to hold good, inasmuch as it was mndo with the intention of
misleading and to enable those concerned to ovado tho law of Persia.
14. This view seems correct as far it goos, and it is also certain that the
procedure adopted was tho only possihlo method to provont the immense quan­
tity of arms and ammunition on the “ Baluchistan ” from being sent all over
the countries bordering on tho Gulf. The only point I am doubtful about is tho
quosiion of chango of destination, such changes in ordinary business arc
frequent and aro quito allowable. Whether, however, it was justifiable as
a means to cnablo tho parties to ovado tho law of Persia is another matter,
hut I trust that tho viow taken by tho territoral Court of Muscat will bo
upheld.
. 15. Whilo on this subjoct I would mention that a copy of tho telegram from
the Government of India received by mo on the 1st instant has been sent
to tho Political Agent and Consul at Muscat for information and guidance.
1G. (C) Tho third depdt for arms was at Bahrein. Tho Shaikh in tho
beginning of 1806 published a notification forbidding tho introduction of
arms into ttio islands, as ho feared that they might ho used against himself.
Ho gave, howover, a concession to his Vazior to bring in arms to bo kept for
export to tho shores of tho Gulf, and not to ho sold on tho islands. Tho
Vazicr was to givo tho Shaikh yearly iu return 30 rifles aud 6,000 cartridges
froo of all cost.
17. Tho Vazier gavo his concession to tho Kesidonoy Agent, Agha
Mahomed ltahim, who was in turn raado Agent to Pracis Tim os, aud gavo it
to thorn. On tho strength of this tho firm sent quantities of arms and
ammunition to Bahrein,'tho retail sales being rnado through Agha Mahomed
ltahim.
18. Por a tirno tho partios wero friendly, hut in August or September
last differences began to ariso, and, about tho same time, tho connection
botween our Agont and tho firm of Pracis Tim os caino to my notice for tho first
time. A complaint was made against the former by a syndicate of buuialis
who aro farming tho customs of Bahrein, and who complain that tlioy had
obtained tho Customs for a certain sum from tho Shaikh expecting to clear
a substantial profit which was being curtailed by tho refusal of our A gout
to pay anything hut a much lower rato than other pooplc, not only for
his own goods, hut also for those belonging to Pracis Times.
■ 19. Tho Agent on being questioned admitted this, and stated that ho had
:
a grant from tho Shaikh to import goods belonging to himself and his friends
j at the lower rato, and that this privilego had been given as a reward, for
services rendered to the Shaikhs of Bahrein by himself and his ancestors.
! I
43 tho arrangements appeared to mo to ho open to objoction, X mon-
'
turned itr in writing to Sir W. J. Cuuingham, and directed my Pii'st Assistant
to enquire into it when ho went to Bahrein in September. It was also my
intention to have made it tho subject of enquiry by myself when I visited Bah­
rein in tho wintor, hut troubles on tho Mokran Coast, the arms question, aud
othor important matters which 1 had to attend to, prevented mv going as fully as
i 1 would havo wished into the allegations against tho Agent, ‘it was, moreover,
advisablo to let them stand over until other matters at Bahrein aro settled,
and as a oml smt has ..been., inslilutod .by tlio Agent against Messrs. .Pracis
limes, in which tho amounts duo from'the ono to the othor will havo to
bo decided in a court of law, tho exact naturo of tho connection between
them at Bahrein, and tho Agent’s Irado proceedings generally will ovcntually
i
21. When Agha Mahomed Rahim found that I was opposed to his trading
and was enquiring into tho arms traffic, lie tried to get out of tho business
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