Page 264 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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fore decided to dismiss him, and asked for the approval by Government of his
5
view.
217. The following was the view expressed by the Government of India
No. 1517-P-, dated Simla, 27th June 1877.
From—T. H. Thorstos, Esq., D.C.L., C.S.I., Oi!g. Sccy. to Government of India, Foreign Dept.
To— Li«ut.-Col. W. F. Prideaux, H. D. M.'s Ollg. Pol. Resell., Persian Gulf.
I have laid before His Excellency tho Viceroy and Governor-General in Council your
letter No. 64, dated 17th March 1^77, in which you report the dismissal of Haji Abbas the
British Government Coal Agent at liassidorc, in consequence of its having been discovered
that he is the possessor of several slaves, and solicit that the principles which you have
laid down in the case may receive the approval of the Government of India.
2. In reply, I am desired to state that His Excellency in Council fully approves of the
general principl s laid down by you, that it is the duty of officials of the British Govern­
ment to co-operate by every means in their power towards the total suppression of the
slave-trade, and that auv failure of duty in this respect must be visited with grave displea-
sure. But this undoubtedly sound principle must, I am to observe, be reasonably applied ;
and its application to the case of a Persian subject employed in Persian territory in the
capacity of coal agent on the ground of his being the possessor of domestic slaves appears
to His Excellency in Council to be somewhat strained.
3. So far as His Excellency in Council is aware, the duty of a coal agent is to supply
coal and not to regenerate society; unless therefore there is any express stipulation in
the contract with Haji Abbas, that he is not to be the owner of domestic slaves, it may be
doubted whether his conduct, sanctioned as it is by the religion aud law of Persia, is such
as to warrant his summary dismissal and denunciation.
4. Under the above circumstances, the Government of India, while it appreciates the
motives which have dictated your proceedings, is inclined to question both their justice
and their expediency.

(vi) Kidnapping of Baroda subjects proceeding against the offenders, 1900-or.
218. On the arrival of the mail S. S. Simla at Maskat from Bombay
on and August 1900, there were noticed
External A*. September 1500, Noj. 3S 40.
by the captain three Hindu children in
charge of an Arab, who it was suspected were brought to be sold into slavery.
This proved to be the case on enquiry, and the children were found to have been
kidnapped from Baroda. One was a girl about 18 years old, the second a boy
about 13 years old and the third a baby, all belonging to the Bhariya caste.
It was discovered that the Arab in possession of the children, Salim bin
Umr (an inhabitant of Mokulleh of the tribe of Deni), got possession of the
children with the assistance ot some person or persons at Baroda, when the
country was devastated by famine,
219. The Arab was imprisoned by the Sultan and afterwards removed to
Bombay where he was arrested under a
External A., March 1901, Nos. 32-41.
warrant from Baroda. He was tried at
the latter place under section 363 of the Indian Penal Code, and sentenced
to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years. One Salim Abdullah, who
was accused of having assisted the Arab in the matter, was acquitted, there being
no sufficient evidence against him.

(vii) Punishment of Jemadar Abdullah, the Commander of Sultan of Maskat’s forces
at Lohar, for complicity in slave trade.
. In connection with the heavy traffic in Baluchi slaves on the Batineh coast,
220
Secret E., February 1905, N01. .-45. it was discovered (see Chapter VI abov J
Secret e, May 1905, No*. 541-42. that the chief offender on the Uman si
was Jemadar Abdullah, Commander of the Sultan of Maskat’s garrison at o ar,
who was in league with certain Persians at and near Jask. At the e*
representation of the Political Agent, the Sultan investigated the charges ag
him and having become convinced of their truth, sentenced him to three m
imprisonment. This, it was hoped, would serve as a good lesson to s a\e*
on the Batineh coast.