Page 273 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat

Bahrain reforms, 1929 575

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without consulting the J.*olitioal Agent. People recogniue
that if the municipalities were abolished filth and plague
would return.
The benefit derived from the presence at municipal
meetings of the -Political Agent and the Advjecr, who have-
:
no vote9 iu to lend a cortain docorum to the proceedings, •
which otherwioo .have a tendoncy to beoome pandemonium.'. .
They do not interfere unduly, nnd their complete withdrawal-

from interest in muuioipal affairs would be unpopular. ’*• ;
(b), (o) and (d) have already boon troated in para­ MA-
graphs 4 and & above.
(e) Major Paly's report on the otato of ..off airs in 1923
,*i
showo the conditions from which Bahrain wao rescued. These
conditions were largely duo to> the laoK of uny Court of I^w*
which could deal efficiently with-offenders. The minor
members of the Khalifa family torrotiooa the people Just"
os they wished. The (gadliis were corrupt or impotent.

A good Court of Luw wus a crying need, but’tito'.
. i
difficulty was to find-a suitable magistrate. At fivdt' ». j
.. • ’v.'V; ‘ !
the Political Agent (Major Duly; sat as advisor to the lobal
magistrate, but with the arrival of Mr Bolgrave ho resigned’;
his pooltion to the latter. At prooent there are the'
following courts functioning in Ruhrain
»• • ’ ’• ........................................
,(i; The Joint Court on which the Ruler und. .the
# t *V ' • ’. •
Political Agent sit to hoar cases, oiVll und
* ' \ ' ' ' " •*
! •• V-. criminal, involving foreign und Uuhroin .eu^boty,
.»• • . ‘ •
- \ in which the letter are defendants. There is,-
. •• • • ••
also a email Joint Court presided over by the,
• ; Indian Assistant and*u minor Al.Khaii^aj
(2>l Ttye-' Political Agent's Court-for the trial of
oases in which foreigners are concerned J : ^ >;£
(»)”• The Court of 3haiJdi' JlulftiJaan. /eldsoi-oowi-pf^^j^
JIumud, assisted'.'Wd Advised by Mr MelgraVf* fofe^-
. V-
tho trial of Bahrain*oubjeotsj ' '
i •
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