"ملف 8/15 سلسلة الجزيرة العربية - ١٩٣٣-١٩٣٩" [ظ‎‎١‎٢‎٨] (٤٣٤/٢٥٦)

5
31
(48)
(Received on 4th July 1936, with Political Secretary's letter No. 25, dated 18fh
June 1936 .)
Enclosure in Foreign Office covering letter, No. E. 2826[2227[25, dated lOtli Jnne,
1936.
Letter from H. M/s Minister, Jettoa, to the Foreign Office, No;. 112 (733|246|
8), DATED THE 21ST Al'RIL. 19,16.
Tfie enclosures in Mr. Hope (rill's despatch to the Foreign Office No. 213 of
May 18fh 1932, [Serial No. (1) in F. No. 247-NJ32], relative to the constitution
of this country included at E. a decree published on July 13th, 1928, providing
for the reorganisation of the Legislative Council. From announcements which
have appeared in the local press since May 1932, this body would appear to have
performed its functions with some industry during successive periods of two-
lunar years. It is, however, more interesting* as an organ, which, in a more
ordered constitution than the country at present possesses, might develop into
a Council of State than as a really effective or authoritative element in the
present system of government. I have not therefore troubled your department
with any special reports on its activities and I should not do so now but for two
features in announcements made recently.
2. The last regular session of the Council, described as the fourth, ended
on March 23rd the last day of the Moslem year 1354. It was reconstituted as
from March 24th by a decree issued three days earlier and published on March
28th. I have adverted in another connexion to the inclusion in the new Council
of Abdur-Rauf As-Sabban, formerly one of the most active conspirators abroad
against Ibn Saud. The point to which I now have to draw attention is that
the decree prescribed that the new session shall last for one year. This would
appear on the face of if to involve a constitutional change from the system of
two year sessions.
3. What is more important is that in a speech by the King on the opening
of the new session, he said that he had ordered the preparation, during the new
session of the Legislative Council, of a regulation providing for an annual
meeting of representatives of every district of the Kingdom at pilgrimage time,
in order to strength the bonds between the people and the Government. At
a later meeting the Council adopted an address to His Majesty, which has been
published with a good deal of other matter relating to the Council and its past
and future activities. The most interesting document is the portion of the
Amir Fey sal's speech, when the address was being considered, in which he dea 1 t
with the proposal for an annual national assembly. He explained that the
representatives would meet for one month on the occasion of each annual
pilgrimage. He justified the shortness of this period by referring to t 1 e
inconvenience which would be entailed, if representatives from remote places
were required to absent themselves far longer from their homes and to the
inability of the Government to bear the strain of heavy expenditure. He added,
however, that at the end of the month's session, a permanent body would be
set up (a sort of committee of the Assembly apparently) to consider the views
etc., expressed by the Assembly.
4. It remains to be seen what, if anything, will come of this project. It
recalls the abortive experiment described in correspondence ending with my
despatch No. 279 of July 19th, 1931. On that occasion the “National Conference"
was composed of representatives of the Hejaz towns only. It was intended to
be annual but the urban representatives were somewhat fractious and the
Conference was never re-assembled.
5. I may mention in this connexion another speech made by the King at a
banquet in Mecca on April 14th. It consisted largely of religious exhortations,
but it referred to his desire for greater direct contact with his people, so that
he might know their desires and that they should know of his proceedings and
intentions. With this object he declared his intention of receiving any one who
liked to visit him between 8 and 9 p.m. in the evening and stated that in his
absence the Viceroy would receive visitors in his place at Mecca or Taif, as the
case might be. If this scheme should come into practical effect, it would be in
some sense an extension to the Hejaz of the traditional system in Nejd, where
the King receives tribal personages and the like very freely.