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                            306. On 26th September 1898, news was received that tho Jeneheh bad
                        cut off supplies of the garrison of tho old fort. On the 4th October, GOO of the
                        Jondbeh tribe, with 160 Beni Rnksib and 200 Beni Bu Ali attacked the old fort
                        which surrendered on condition that tho garrison with tho Governor’s son
                        wore sont to Mnskat. Works of tho new fort wore also destroyed. Tho Jeneheh
                        refused to admit tho now Governor sont by tho Sultan—Hamid bin Saif_
                        until tho British Government gave a guarantee against rc-appointmont of
                        8uleiman and directed customs farmer to withhold customs (but not punitive
                        tax) from tho Sultan. Makomed-bin-Hamid was, however, abio to take
                        peaceable possession on 25th November of tho old fort, which was found disman­
                         tled exdopt the bare walls.
                            807. What is important to note in connection with the French intrigues
                         in this caso is that when onco the Sultan decided to commence hostilities
                        against tho Jeneheh, a letter was drafted informing the British Consul of the
                        fact and requesting him to warn the British subjects to leave Sur. But Abdul
                        Aziz prevailed upon tho Sultan to sign a similar letter to tho French Consul,
                        which, as shown by the Vazir Sayyid, Said would have tho effect of acknowledging
                        that the Sultan's subjects, flying tho Fronch flag, wore under Fronch protection
                        while residing in his dominions. The letter was then, in tho absence of tbe
                        Abdul Aziz, so worded as to show that the notice was only intended for bond
                        fide French subjects who might happen to bo at Sur. As, however, there were
                        no such subjects at all at Sur, tho letter might bo understood as a tacit
                        recognition of tho Fronch protection over certain of tho Sultan’s subjects.
                           (viii) Refusal of the Sultan to accept a British Official to manage the Customs.
                            309. The administration of Oman had been for many years in a chaos. The
                         s.o,rtE..M.rchi8oa. n«. 60.65.   restless Arab tribes in tbe interior could
                         Major F«g»n to Colonel Meade, No.02-A., dated not be kept under the least check by His
                        16th toLruary 1898.           Highness. Ho could pacify them for a
                        time by offering subsidies. For tbe funds for this purpose lie depended partly
                        upon the British subsidy and partly upon loans borrowed from the Banias.
                        He was indebted to the Banias to the extent of nearly 190,000 dollars at the
                        commencement of the year 189S. Further he obtained advances from tho far­
                        mers of the Customs—ltatansi Purshotam and others—on the security of the
                        customs.
                            309.  The Government of India advanced the Sultan a loan of Ra. 60,000
                                                      in June 1897 with the special object of
                                 See Chapter VII, anU,
                                                      enabling His Highness to repay debts
                        bearing exorbitant interest. But a large portion of this was diverted by the
                        Sultan for his own personal use.
                            310.  With a fair and careful administration of the customs, tbe revenue
                        therefrom could be almost doubled and the Sultan would be free from his in­
                        debtedness to the Banias. The Government of India offered the services of a
                        suitable officer for tbe purpose. But this offer was declined by tbe Sultan, as
                        tbe system of farming was a convenient one and enabled him to obtain
                        advances from tbe farmers whenever be wanted loans.
                            311.  Major Fagan was therefore of opinion that the Government of India
                        should advance loans to the Sultan not on tho security of tbe subsidy, but on
                        that of the customs, and that the subsidy also should be stopped as long as he
                        continued to remain obdurate on tbe question of tbe customs.
                            312.  The question was also raised whether, if the Sultan of Maskat could
                         8«cret E.. March 181*8, Not. 12-19.   be induced to give to the Government of
                         Secret E., March 1899, Noi. 60*66.  India the management of his customs,
                        this course oould be held to infringe the provisions of the Joint Declaration
                        signed by Great Britain and France in March 1862 (Viceroy’s telegram dated
                        21st January 1898). In Lord Salisbury’s opinion, the actual and direct
                        control of the Sultan’s oustoms by the Government of India would scarcely be
                        compatible with the independence of the Sultan of Maskat, which is assured
                        by tbe Declaration in question and would oertainly give rise to^ remons­
                        trances on the part of the Frenob Government. It was, however, possible that
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