Page 84 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

74 Records of Bahrain

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concession, which has boon in full forco since it has bcon granted; tlio Sheikh
and tho Agont havo both bcon woll aware of tho obligations incurred by thorn ;
tho Shoikh has regularly received tho consideration provided fur him; and
tho Agent has continued to act for us till almost a day or two boforo thosoizuro
of our arms. We hovvover fail to aco that thorc is any such stipulation, ns tho
ono referred to, in the concession, which plainly says that this “ arrangement
is to last during his (». c., tho Vazior’s) life-time, 91 and there is absolutely
nothing to show that tho Sheikh rosorvos to himself tho right to withdraw it
at any°tiino. Such a stipulation, side by side with tne stipulation that tho
concession is to last during the life-time of tho Vnzicr, would malco tho docu­
ment an absurdity. You will, moroovor, observo from the endorsement on the
concession that it has been transferred toils unconditionally, and wo thoreforo
claim all the rights and privileges granted to the Vazior. It is noedless to
observe that a concession, which “could be withdrawn at any time, ” would
hardly bo worth tho paper on which it was written. But admitting, for tho
8ako of argument, that thero was suoli a stipulation, how is it, may we ask,
that no mention of it is made in tho notice sent to us by tho Agent, and why
aro wo asked to return tho concession, the possession of which constitutes our
security, as stated by tho Yazier in his endorsement when transferring to Agha
Molmracd Kahim Sadar. Could not tho Sheikh put an end to it by prevent­
ing further importations by us, or by written notice sorved in tho usual way,
without tho rotum of tho original concession, if ho was justified or entitled to
do so by this pretended clauso of withdrawal ? And how docs tho ltesidency
Agent reconcile his statement, to tho elfecfc that ho had asked us to return tho
concession throe months ago, with his subsequent conduotin negotiating for the
ealo of our arms (Enclosure III) in a largo quantity to ono who bolongod to
a tribo in deadly enmity with tho Shoikh ?
Moreover, wo find that, about the timo that ho alloges ho asked us t°
return the concession, Captain Pridoaux mado an enquiry whether ho had
been importing arms into Bahrein, in faco of the notification of tho Chief
prohibiting import in January 189(5 (Enolosuro IV), of which he allowed us
to tako a copy, lie sent an explanation to Captain Prideaux, of which ho also
allowed us to tako a copy (Enclosuro V), and, until very recently, boforo tho
seizure of arms on tho 6th of February last, ho assured our Mr. Fraois, in
reply to his enquiry whether ho had received any reply to his explanation
(Enclosuro V) from you, that his explanation ofToctually silenced tho ltesidency
as ho had hoard nothing furthor about tho matter. If it was tho caso, as is
sought to be shown, that ho asked us to return tho concession bocauso tho
Sheikh had tho right to withdraw it any time, would ho uuder such circums­
tances hayo allowod us to tako a copy of his explanation, and of Captain
Prideaux’s communication whioh olicitcdit? Under any circumstances by
what right can tho Sheikh scizo goods already imported on tho strength of
tho concession, when we con provo last yoar tho Sheikh allowod a very large
importation of arms into Bahrein from Muscat and other places, and allowed
them to be freely sold in tho Bazaar, which only camo to our knowledge after
tho seizure of our goods ?
Wo should bo most willing to beliovo that tho Shoikh aoted in this matter
entirely on his own responsibility, but unfortunatoly facts aro against such an
assumption. It is now a matter of history that tho British Government,
bolioving that arms importod into Persian Gulf ultimately find their way to
tho Afridi country, with which it was thon at war, decided on tho bold step of
putting a 8top to the trade by any means, and as a result of such a stop ,oxton-
sivo seizures of arms took placo in Bushire about the beginning of Dcociubor
last, say, about tho 7th of December. Ten days after this event a special,
native boat arrived from Bahrein, with tho annexed letter (Enclosuro YI) from
tho Residency Agent, in which ho hints that tho Sheikh contemplates some,
action, and asks us to return tho conoossion. In tho meantime tho nioro
valuable portion of our areas which wero kept in two godowus underneath tho
ltesidency Agent’s houso wero hurriedly removed by him to hired godowus in
tho neighbourhood in spito of tho protests of our representative there. Soon
after tliia.our Mr. Fraois went to Bahrein, and on asking him tho reason of
his taking such a stop without our permission or any previous intimation to us,

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