File 600/1905 Pt 5 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Sultan of Balahaf' [‎153v] (90/152)

2
tii6 titular
1 Secret E., August 1895, Nos. 1-51,
ouitan ana at the second of the interviews have signed a document,
herewith forw arded, signifying, their desire
n i -i • * that Saleh bin Abdulla* should hp for.
nwlly deposed m favour of Mobsin bin Saleh whom they select for the chiefship
and expressing their consent to abide loyally by their selection if the same
receives the sanction of Government. " ^ame
3. As to the nature of the revenues of Balahaf also the memorandum-
confirms my views. They consist merely of the customs receipts of the nor?
inclusive of certain transit dues, which it transpires that formerly Molisin col-
lected flt A1 UnutH, hut, nvp rimv A.I- _ T'l 1 1
t Pro No. 214 in External A., July 1897, Ncs
197-214.
t Secret E., March 1905, Nos. 514-516.
lected at A1 Hauta but are now amalgamated with the Balahaf dues No ter-
ritorial or other rights are included beyond the right of obtaining fuel and water
for Balahat from the vi lage of Jala’a and the rights of salvage of any wrecks
that may occur on the strip of shore in the vicinity. ^ wretss
. „ 4 - A11 the Sultans of Balahaf however have irresneetiVe nf
in tlie revenues of tlie "nrirt rvf i^oi i ^ l • * • tave or tlieir shares
in uie revenues or tne port ot Balahaf, certain territorial rights in the inWW-
of the country ; and from the deeds of sale nassed to the u hi interior
that Sultan Saleh bin Abdulla lias endeavoured o mrt w i W0 , , } 1( ^ . a PP ear
For in the documents reference is made to Hip “ o i n i 5 * * * * * 11
of the port of Balahaf and of th^Kt^a t^Xi uBr' U “ITts'of
administration and suzerainty on the coast and inland on all sides of th^™ f>
m nd"V? f U , Ch i tCrritOTial . ri ? ll,s P~Lly d ha V e been TL
imnd of bultan Ghalib when negotiating for the purchase of Snlton q i i
Abaulia s share in the Balahaf reveauesu Such alienation of territorial rights
without the previous consent of Government is in nnpmr'rUof c J
Government of India in paragraphT’o?Foreig? mp^lrneZ leUe?No.
E. A.,t dated the 5th July 1897, to
which I have already drawn attention in
paragraph a of my letter No. 2604 dated
• j n • -r> • v . ^ ie January 1, 05, have dulv nn-
wltr ? 3 . Iiesiden f o y ) b 1 er i or ^ Md - J . Moreover, the vehemence with which the
W aludi tribesmen of Balahaf repudiate the very idea of aliemHnn o
portion of their .territory to the Uan of Shehr "anfMokali? whose pdiey^
temtona 1 extension they seem to view with alarm, loads me to believe that there
will be trouble m the event of the sale of Sultan Saleh’s share bein'- actually
given effect to. 1 therefore reiterate my opinion that the transaction should
not he confirmed by Government. Even were it otherwise, that no alienation
of territory was involved and Sultan Saleh simply parted with his share in he
customs dues of Balal af, I would still not recommend the confirmation of the
transaction. For, as I have already said in one of my earlier letters, it is sure
to give rise to constant friction between the Sultan of Shehr and Mokalia and
the co-sharers of Balahaf, as well as all the tribesmen of the Wahidi country
5. In regard to the present distribution of the shares in the port of Balahaf
Captain Hancock has gone into the matter at length, lint I amenable to form
to becorMn “‘T’" ^ ?‘ e aCtual sllare of Saleh bin Abdulla as there see?
to be certain factors which have given rise to complication. This point how-
evor, seems to bo immaterial to the settlement of the unstisfaotory state of
affairs which has hitherto existed in Balahaf, and I a'-ree with Canta’n linn
cock m thinking that there is no reason for’us to settle t?s private disput;
regarding the shares and that the proper mode of settlement would be forUie
Sultans to refer the matter to the arbitration of some of their leading Sayids.
+1 } . GI l clos . e als T 0 ’ for the information of Government, notes of interview of
May fi 1905 DterVieW 1 ^ Wlth Sultan Saleh biu Abdulla on the 20 th