§ Mr. LORIMERasked the Secretary of State, for Foreign Affairs whether protests have been received by cable from Issa Ibn An, Sultan of El Bahrein, against the action of the head of the British Consulate in the Persian Gulf in asking for the abdication of the Sultan in favour of his son Hamad; and whether orders have been given to collect the funds of the Customs and deposit them in an English bank?
§ Mr. RICHARDSI have been asked to reply to this question. It is the case that protests have been received from Sheikh Isa of Bahrein, by cable and otherwise, in regard to his abdication in favour of his son Sheikh Hamad in May, 1923, and in regard to the action of the Political Officers, which, however, was taken with full authority from H.M. Government. Sheikh Hamad has, since his acceptance of the Regency, appointed the local branch of the Eastern Bank as the State Bank of Bahrein, into which the Customs receipts are paid.