Report from the Select Committee on Slave Trade (East Coast of Africa); together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 832922498

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-79587

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report from the Select Committee on Slave Trade (East Coast of Africa); together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index

Place of publication:: [London]

Publisher:: [The House of Commons]

Year of publication:: 1871

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XXIV, 242 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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xvm PROCEEDINGS OE THE SELECT COMMITTEE therefore, is the extent of the legalised trade, and the value to the Sultan of Zanzibar at the present rate of tax would not exceed 3,000 /. annually ; any compensation, therefore, could only be based upon this small amount. “38. Your Committee, however, do not believe that the Sultan of Zanzibar would be ultimately a loser by the abolition of the trade ; on the contrary, it was given in evidence that already the revenues of the Sultan, derived from the rapidly increasing trade of Zanzibar, and from his private estates in India, are ample to maintain the Government of his State, independently of the sum received from the slave trade; while the witnesses generally concur in stating that were the slave trade abolished, and a more ready means of communication afforded between Bombay, Aden, and Zanzibar, the already flourishing trade of that State would be rapidly developed. Material assistance to this development might be afforded by a line of mail steamers to Zanzibar. Should the Sultan be willing to enter into a new treaty, the Committee recommend that it contain provisions for the entire abandonment of the slave trade, the closing of the Zanzibar and Kilwa slave markets, the punishment of any of the subjects of Zanzibar in any way engaged in the slave trade, permission to the British Government to station Vice Consuls at Kilwa, Dar Selam, and Lam00 ; and on the part of the British Government an agreement to settle, under full and stringent measures for their protection, a certain number of negroes released from slavery by Her Majesty’s cruisers. “ 39. Your Committee recommend, that as an inducement to the Sultan to agree to such a treaty, this country should express its readiness to take upon itself, in combina tion with India, the payment of the subsidy to the Sultan of Muscat. The continuance of this payment to the Sultan of Muscat should be made to depend upon the due fulfil ment, by that ruler, of the obligations of his treaty for the suppression of the slave trade. The payment of this sum would entail a charge upon this country, small in comparison with that of the squadron now maintained, and, your Committee believes, would lead to the early extinction of the slave trade. “ 40. The Committee concur in the opinion expressed by the witnesses as to the neces sity of an increase in the consular establishment; and inasmuch as the staff of that establishment would be largely employed in the suppression of the slave trade, they think that the expense should be equally shared by^ the Indian and Imperial Government. “41. The Committee are of opinion that there should be for a time an increase, as recommended by the Foreign Office Committee, as well as by the evidence of the naval officers, in the strength of the naval squadron; and that it should be well supplied with steam launches to perform the inshore duties, which necessarily must be conducted in boats. I “ 42. The Committee feel that the disposal of the squadron must be left to the discre tion of the commanding officers, and they would recommend that advantage should be taken of their experience as to the class of vessels to be employed; and that they should be provided, as far as possible, with all recorded information on the subject. “ 43. The Committee also recommend that some effort be made to provide the squadron with efficient and trustworthy interpreters. “ 44. It has been stated in evidence, that some time must elapse after the measures above referred to have been put in force before the slave trade could be stopped; and assuming that an efficient squadron is maintained, the Committee see that the disposal of the libe rated slaves becomes a matter of large importance. They have recommended the libera tion at Zanzibar of adult slaves on the assumption that the Sultan would enter into a new treaty. Should he, however, oppose the formation of a depot there, it will be necessary to seek some other locality for that purpose, and no other place combines the advantages possessed by the Seychelles Islands, which are stated to afford abundant scope for a settle ment, the climate and the food being well suited to the Negro races. “ 45. It was given in evidence that the Church Missionary Society are willing to undertake the superintendence and education of the children at the Seychelles, as has been done at Sierra Leone, the Mauritius, and at Nassuck, in Bombay. Should the Sultan, however, oppose the formation of a depot at Zanzibar, it would become necessary to seek some other locality for that purpose, and no other place combines the advantages possessed by the Seychelles Islands. “46. In urging the necessity of retaining in this service trained and experienced men, the Committee consider that this principle most strongly applies to the Political Agency at Zanzibar. So complicated are our political relations at present with the Sultan, and so difficult will be the task of dealing with him, that they do not hesitate to advise that the services should be retained of the present acting Political Agency, bearing in mind his long and tried experience of Africa, its climate, its slave-trade difficulties, his knowledge of the Sultan, and his activity in conducting the greater part of the work of the depart ment for some years, they would recommend that no technical rules of the service be allowed to interfere with his appointment as Political Agent at Zanzibar. “ 47. In view of the considerable commercial interests which Germany, France, America, and Portugal possess in commerce with Zanzibar and the surroundings, your Committee

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