Page 138 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

122

was in the lmrbour, to Sur, with alotter to tho Vice-Consul offering to place the
British gun-boat at his disposal. M. Billvcocq, however, doolined the offer, and
rotumod to Maskat with his wife in a dhow. It appears that extraordinary
offorts had boon mado by him to compel tho Sultan to lend him his steamer,
and ovontho tin-cat used that if she woro not scut arrangements would bo mado
for tho pormanont stationing of a Frenoh gun-boat at Maskat.
(vi) Exoroiw of Jurisdiction by tho 8ultan over his subjects in tho French employ,
(a) Caso of Sheikh Ahdulla-bin-Kasmi of Bunder Jisseh.
671. In February 1902 Major Cox asked for instructions as to tho
attitude which tho Sultan should adopt in
Seorot K, Jon* 1001, No*. 0-8.
tho event of French protection being
olaimod for ono Sheikh Abdulla-bin-Ali Knsmi, a Maskat subject, residing at
Bunder Jisseh, who was acting with M. Goguyer as Joint Agent for tho new
liue of Russian steamers at the port of Maskat.
672. The Government of India replied in their letter No. 1013-E. A.,
datod 20th May 1902
"I am to say in ropljr that the Sultan's jurisdiction over hia own subjects within his own
territory oaonot boofh'otod by any claim advanced by such subjects to French protection, even
though such claim may bo basod on tho acquisition of rights of oifizenship in France. The
Sultan whoso will is law in Maslcat has distinctly deolared that he will not permit his subjects
to throw off their allegiance. Consequently the Frenoh have no right to interfere with the
continuance of a jurisdiction, not of a nature opposed to the usage of civilised nations, over
persons whom they have chosen to invest with the status of French citizens. It is assumed
that shaikh Abdulla-i in-Ali Kasmi cannot be regarded, for tho purposes of article 4of tho
French Treuty with Maskat, as a person actually in tho service of the French."
(b) Objections to the administration of the estate of the late French Navy contractor,
Habluk, by the French Vioo-Consul at Maskat, 1905.
678. One Abul Hasan-bin-Abdullah known as Habluk, who bad been
u employed by the French Consulate as
contractor of supplies to French men-of-
war, having died in March 1906, his estate was taken over by the Frenoh Vice-
Consul, M. Billecocq ; and he claimed that the deoeased was a French protdgd
and wrote to the British Consul regarding the debts due to certain British
subjects asserting his jurisdiction to adjudicate their claims. The status of a
British protege is not acceded to the contractor for British men-of-war and
Major Grey argued that no such status could be claimed for the Frenoh Navy
contractor who was much less employed than the former and received no
salary from the French Government: the treaty between Franco and Oman
(articles 4 and 6) did not cover an employ^ of this nature. Major Grey declined
therefore to discuss the claims of the British subjects concerned with the Frenoh
Vice-Consul and informed him that they would be placed before His Highness
the Sultan in due course (Major Grey’s letter No. 143, dated 21st March 1005).
674. The Government of India decided not to take any aotion in the
matter until the termination of the arbitration proceedings or unless the
Political Agent reported fresh developments.
VII) Wreck of the French ship Amiral Gueydon at Ras Hasek near Dhofar and
visit of French and Russian ships of war to the Dholar Coasts.
676. In May 1903 a large French liner, the Admiral Gueydon, bound from
Maricat agency adrolniitratiou report for 1903*04. Havre to the Far East with passengers
Secret E., January 1904, No*. 146*148. and cargo, oaught fi.ro when in the
neighbourhood of Socotra owing to an explosion in hor fore hatch, and her
Commander decided that the only chance of saving tho lives of his passangers
and crew was to turn the ship’s head to leeward and run her ashore on the coast
to Southern Arabia. This he was successful in doing, and he could hardly
have chosen a better spot than that chanced upon, namely, the soft sandy
strand under the Ice of Ras Hasek near Dhofar in the Sultan’s territory, m©