'File 35/86 I A 32 Muscat Commercial Treaty, 1891: revision of 1905' [‎207r] (417/480)

n uis iominion® ani brougnt to tne coast towns. This iaight
in the future save a lot of trouble.
However to get back to the real point of tnic
letter. We have arrive! in Muscat as you know at a rather
interesting situation. To put it very shortly a bankrupt rule
embodying really no aiministration atall, anl practically
not functioning except to give some lecision in a case
involving a British subject, ani that only unler pressure,
was supported at great expense by us frora certain annihilation
by the Omanis. At the same time we male no attempt to improve
the actual administration, on the grounds that it was not our
business. This was however indefensible a a else why did we
give it armed support, pay it and save it ? This has now bean
replaced by a rule that is Arab at least in personnel and
conforms in a small degree to the requirements of reasonable
administration, while it just j ills along financially and
provides its own defence, instead of our providing it.
But the real head of the administration
declines to interest himself in any way and is an absentee as
long as possible, and the driving force is the influence of
the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , wxiose advice must be asked and followed
on all questions of importance. It is almost unnecessary to
add that this advice under the conditions of the last eighteen
months has had to be given frequently.
While all these events were going on the
absence of the Sultan y /as if anything beneficial, it was
possible to get a move on, and he and his father have always
been regarded as the source of all evil by a large section of
their subjects. Now a form of constitutional rule, if it can
be so termed has been introduced, ought not the Sultan to take
more interest ?
In other words for the moment we have extricated
ourselves and the Sultan from what was admittedly a bad show.
i
; 1
i
i
f
}]