"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [و‎‎١‎٤‎٦] (٦١٦/٢٩٦)

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1907-190S.
99
The number of civil cases is largely in excess of the 219 which were dealt
with last year. It seems probable that this year's high figure will not
generally he maintained, as the universal tightness of money has caused the
pinch to be felt everywhere, and creditors have not been disposed to give their
debtors extensions of time. The Majlis-al-Urfi have been very hardly worked,
often meeting in the Agency two days a week for 6 or 6 hours at a time. A
still heavier work has been entailed on both this office and the Majlis in
connection with the winding up of the estates of 22 persons who died of
plague, owing money to individuals of various nationalities. In such cases,
the shops, and houses with cash, ornaments and other valuables have been
inspected by a representative of the Agency in conjunction with the Bazar
Master or his Deputy. Everything has been listed and promptly sealed up,
and eventually disposed of under the orders of the Ma jlis, unless the relations
or friends of the deceased, as happened in 6 cases, undertook to pay all claims
in full. In the case of a Hindu goldsmith, a total of nearly 200 creditors
(including depositors of gold and ornaments) and debtors had to be interviewed
for the verification of the accounts. In several other cases as many as 50
and 60 persons have been similarly dealt with. Accounts have often had to
be translated, and creditors and debtors in foreign ports communicated with.
Thus the bare statement that this Agency had to collect and pay out sums of
money amounting to about Es. 25,000 during the year, entirely fails to give a
proper idea of the work performed.
The 16 persons, whose estates were realized and whose outstandings were
paid out by the Majlis, working through the Agency and Bazar Master, were
as follows ;—
One British subject, 5 Persian subjects, including a Hew, and 10 Bahrain
subjects. The 6 deceased persons, whose connections were authorized to act as
executors, were 1 British subject, 4 Turkish subjects, including one Jew, and
1 Bahrain subject.
An abstract of the civil and criminal cases dealt with by the Agency is
given below :—
Summary of Civil eases, 1907-1908*
D isposed of
withottt
witnesses.
Referred to
Kazi (mostly
matrimonial and
m ^
Claim
admitted
and
settled.
Claim
with
drawn^
Eeferred to
Mai lis al
Urff.
succession disputes,
or both parties
consenting).
Agency Munshi
watching the
case.
T otai,
Both parties British .
6
u
5
1
2fr
British and Bahrainis; . •
27
46
m
9*
100
British and foreigners- . »
22
17
24
7
70
Bahrainis and foreigners •
I09 1
142
26
10'
287
Both parties foreigners ►
105
64
SO
12
211
T otal
269
283
103
39
694