Page 31 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

Persian and Turkish claims to Bahrain, 1870-1874 357
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from India, to be very doubtful whether, instead of
the Persian Government being justified in com­
plaining of the conduct of Colonel Polly, in prevent­
ing a Persian Agent from landing at Bahrein and
communicating with the Chief in possession, the
British Government might not have cause to
complain of the proceedings of the Persian
authorities in endeavouring to communicate with
a piratical chief who had been guilty of a breach
of the Maritime Truce, and who had attacked the
Chief placed in power at Bahrein by the British
Government ; and he was told that no notice
would he taken of the complaints against Colonel
Pellv until the Persian Government gave full
explanation respecting the intercepted letters.
India Oflicc, March SI, 1870. Lord Clarendon, however, stated in a Minute,
To India Office, April 1, 1870.
that lie could not concur in approval of Colonel
Polly’s proceedings; and the India Oflicc were
therefore informed that his Lordship could not
form any opinion upon the points referred to in the
correspondence from India until he had received a
reply to the inquiry he had instructed to be made
at Tehran respecting the intercepted letters.
Mr. Tlinm?nu, No. > In May following, a despatch was received from
April l. 1870.
Mr. Thomson, inclosing copies of the correspon­
dence which he had had with the Indian Govern­
ment respecting the steps taken by Colonel Polly
to prevent, the Persian Agent, from landing at
Bahrein, and the following is the abstract which
was made of those papers at the lime:—
“The complaint of the Persian Government
against. Colonel Pclly was that, during the blockade
of Bahrein, he refused to admit an Agent of the
Shah to the Island, and intercepted the letters of
which he was the bearer. This the Persian Govern­
ment considered to have been an unjustifiable
interference in their affairs, as it had nothing to do
with the suppression of piracy.
“The following was the explanation of Colonel
Polly’s proceedings as furnished to Mr. Thomson
by the Indian Government:—
,#On the 19th of November an armed vessel
carrying Arab colours approached the harbour of
Bahrein) keeping up a fire of cannon. On her
attempting, by passing Her Majesty’s ship
“ Daphne," to break the blockade maintained by
the authority of the Government of India, she was
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