Page 37 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

Persian and Turkish claims to Bahrain, 1870-1874 363

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the British Government hod attempted to exercise
acts of Sovereignty over Bahrein.
gir II. Elliot, No. 397; In October 1873 another question arose, and this
November 9, 1873.
is one which is still engaging the attention of Her
Majesty’s Government. It had reference to ‘ the
enforced enlistment of natives of Bahrein iulo the
Turkish army. On the conscription being enforced,
the natives of Bahrein sought the intervention of the
British Vice-Consul at Bussorah, who informed the
Turkish Governor that these people were entitled to
protection, and that, not being Ottoman subjects,
they were not subject to conscription. The Turkish
Governor, nevertheless, obliged the sons of natives
of Bahrein to serve in the army, and declined to
recognize their right to British protection until he
was so instructed from Constantinople. The matter
was consequently referred by the Vice-Consul at
Bussorah to the British Consul-General at Bagdad,
and by him to Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Con­
stantinople. Upon this the Persian Consul inter-1
veiled, and claimed these people as Persian subjects. I
The Turkish Governor informed the Porte that the
persons taken as recruits were born in Turkey, their
families having emigrated from Bahrein forty-six
years previously, since which time they had con­
stantly resided at Bussorah, and had acquired landed
property there.
Assuming this statement to be correct, Sir 11.
Elliot stated that there appeared to him to be no
just ground for objecting to the enlistment of the
men ; but he, nevertheless, informed Her Majesty’s.
Consul-General at Bagdad that, in the event of his
perceiving any disposition on the part of the autho­
rities to treat natives of Bahrein as though they
were the subjects of an Ottoman ^possession, it
would be his duty to protest against it.
Sir.H. Elliot, No. 40G. Sir; II. Elliot having brought the subject to
November 14, 1873.
the notice of the Ottoman Government, through
Mr. E. Pisani, Raschid Pasha “ assured him that
the Porte entertained no iutention to consider .the
Bahreinites as its subjects, and promised to write to
the VVahi in that sense;” but in January last
Raschid Pasha addressed the following note to
Mr. Locock:—
. P J'ni pris connaissancc dcs observations pre­
sentees, au nom dc PAmbassadc Royalc, rclativc-
ment it uri certain nombre d’habitnnts dc Bussorah