Page 339 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

FOR THE TEAR 1914 55
The Vernacular office establishment consists of one Interpreter, one second
clerk and one daftri, nono of whom has any judicial training. As, in addition
to all the judicial work and ordinary vernacular work, they have had to deal
with 59 estates, make out 1,391 passports and vise a great many more, it can be
understood that the Vernacular office is understaffed. Great relief has been
afforded by tho institution of a system of petitions. This was vory unpopular at
first, but tho people have now become used to it. The large number of cases
filed is duo chiefly to tho bad season and to the increase in the numbers of
foreigners, but a small apparent increase is due to execution cases having been
registered separately during the last half year.
The value of suits instituted varied from B1 to Rdl,000, the total value
of suits for the year amounting to over five lakhs. A large number of suits
have been instituted by Turkish subjects and one by a German subject since i
the outbreak of War with those countries. In fact the proportion of Turkish
suits has been higher since the War began.
The following table gives the nationality of litigants:—
Persian 1,083 Manumitted slaves 46
Turkish • 526 Somalis . • •21
British 469 French . . 4
Independent Arab 121 Italian . • 2
Maskatis 43 German • 1
Bahrain has been remarkably free from crime during the year. No
Public o-dcr serious cases have come to light among
the indigenous population except the
murder of an Hassawi over a woman. The actual avengers were not discovered
but blood money was paid by the community concerned.
The chief offenders have, as usual, been Turkish subjects from Basrah and
Kurdistan. No serious offences were committed by them dining the year;
and the figures, a total of 382 cases, give an exaggerated idea of the crime
committed, as they are swollen by the quarrelsome habits of the Persian com­
munity, a slanging match and a torn shirt figuring as “ abuse” and “ assault.”
These two heads account for 39 and 159 cases, respectively, but litigation of this
sort is now severely discouraged.
There were 75 cases of theft, 5S offences against local laws, and 28 marital
disputes. More than half, or 24j5 cases, were dismissed or compromised, while
2i persons were imprisoned and 35 fined.
Forty-one persons were repatriated to Basrah, 20 to Persian ports, 2 to
Karachi and 6 to the Arabian coast during the year. The majority of foreign
malefactors having been got rid of, criminal cases dropped from 57 in June to 1
in December. The latter case being that of a Turk who was deported to Basrah,
and there, having been impressed into the Turkish Army, deserted with his
rifle and ammunition which he handed over to Shaikh Mubarak in Kuwait.
He then returned to Bahrain, and within a week was again caught stealing.
There were only 15 cases in which Indians were accused, and all of these,
with the exception of 2 were dismissed or compromised. A sweeper was con­
victed of theft, and a shop-keeper fined for breach of a local law.
The nationality of persons involved in criminal cases as complainants or
accused is shown below:—
Persian. . 345 Somalis • . 8
Turkish • 187 Maskatis . . 7
Bahraini 8 112 Zanzibaris • t
Indian . . 60 American. . 1
Independent Arab 50 Egyptian . 1
Freed slaves . 23 Aden . 1
Abdul Aziz bin Abdur Rahman bin Saud, Amir of Nojd, was appointed
.. _ _ Wali of Nojd and Hassa by the Turkish
Government in June. The administration
of Hassa and Katif has been greatly improved, and irrigation is being extended.