Page 372 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (I)_Neat

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370
Land registrations.

Political Resident during the celebrations on the

occasion of K. E. Shaikh Hamad’s succession.
A few months before the end of the year a test case
ocurred. A wife of Shaikh Kohomed bin Isa, who did

not belong to the Khalifah family, died without
leaving any children, She held two or three gardens
which were nhiban from Shaikh Isa. These gardens

according to the custom reverted to the Ruler.
Unfortunately Shaikh Hohomed bin Isa seized this oppor­

tunity to oppose the previous decision by every pos­
sible means and he endeavoured to induce some of his
relations to support him. Although his brothers and

'his nephew Shaikh Salman had solemnly agreed that
such property should be held for life, Shaikh Hohamraad

denied that the custom had ever existed, Uhen innumer-
able examples were quoted of Shaikh Isa having taken
back property which he had gifted after the death of
the recipient Shaikh Hohomed tried to prove that each

of these cases were governed by particular reasons
not by family customs, H. E. Shaikh Hamad was much

displeased by Shaikh HohomedTs attitude and by his
violent language.
Eventually Shaikh Hohomed suggested that if an
ii
exception was made in the case of his own pBoperty
lie would withdraw all opposition and give the matter
his support, provided that he was given a binding

written promise that the £idte gifts of land held by
him and .his sons should be theirs in perpetuity, never
to revert to the Ruler. It was finally decided that

the matter should be postponed for a month or two; at
the time of writing this report no further action has

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