Page 51 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat

Regional relations, 1926-1931 353

7. I did not address the Qusaibis or take any'&otion
against them in any instance although their action jin 'both
the two last montioned cases was intolerable. Had\'X:/fsatlpd t
them to account, they would have said in the first instance
that the man was a friend or a servant of theirs and‘that
they intervened in a friendly spirit, and in the second, that
they had no knowledge of what had happenened and had hasten­
ed to release the man when they discovered what had been
done. I do not wish to quarrel with them unless they give
me an unmistakeable frtn&ws Belli, but if I see Ifurther
signs of their interference I shall take tho matter up,.
:
8 The last instance is much more serious^and
I
affects the King himself. When I arrived I found that he
-
had recently sent Shaikh Hamad two letters,. One was com- :
N I
plinietary and signed and the other which was attached to
it and was in the same hand-writing was not signed and, as
you will see most objectionable in tone. I have carefully
checked the translation and it gives an accurate interpre-^
tation of the original. The Ruler had not replied to it
pending my return, and when I got an opportunity to dis­
cuss it with him,in the presence of Shaikh Abdullah and
heir-apparent Shaikh Salman, I could clearly see that they
were much incensed hy it.
9. ” What does he mean by saying that his people
pay heavy taxes " he said " they pay nothing but the-.5$

customs which our people pay, and they are far more 'heavily
taxed in their own country. Nor have I ever heard of any of
them complain of ill treatment. In fact they flee from oppre-
ssion in their own country and come here for jus.tice|wgibh
they cannot get from him. Let them return..tb'.tHasa.'i|^^y
prafor it « . He then ref erred.to the
reference to the re-export concession,

the former reduction from 5 % to •S;'#
and that this, concession made Bih
at all. - Let .him use another