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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ON SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). 11 Thursday, ISM July 1871. MEMBERS PRESENT: Sir Robert Anstruther. Lord Frederick Cavendish. Mr. Crum-Ewing. Viscount Enfield. Mr. Gilpin. Sir Jolin Hay. Mr. Kennavay. Mr. Kinnaird. Mr. O’Conor. Mr. John Talbot, Sir Frederick Williams. CHARLES GILPIN, Esq., in the Chair. The Hon. Crespigny Vivian, called in; and further Examined. 173. Chairman.^ You wish to make some ad ditions to your former evidence ?—In describ ing the slave trade that is carried on on the African coast, I said nothing about the slave trade with Madagascar. There is a constant slave trade with that island from the southern ports of Zanzibar, and though it goes on in drib lets it is still permanent. That slave trade is nlso forbidden by our treaty with Madagascar of ^ 27th of June 1865, which is to the following . ect : «« Her Britannic Majesty and her Ma jesty the Queen of Madagascar, being greatly desirous of effecting the total abolition of the trade in slaves, her Majesty the Queen of Mada gascar engages to do all in her power to prevent ^11 such traffic on the part of her subjects, and to prohibit all persons residing -within her dominions <^r subject to her from countenancing or taking share in such trade. No persons from be yond sea shall be landed, purchased or sold as ? ^’res, in any part of Madagascar ; and her Ma- jesty the Queen of Madagascar consents that ritish cruisers shall have the right of searching ^^y Malagash or Arab vessels suspected of being engaged in the slave trade, whether under sail ^ anchor in the waters of Madagascar. Her "I^jesty the Queen of Madagascar further con- sents that if any such vessels shall prove to be engaged in the slave trade, such vessels and their erews shall be dealt with by the cruisers of Her Lritannic Majesty as if such persons and their vessels had been engaged in a piratical under taking.” that there is a complete paper blockade of the whole of the slave trade on the east coast of Africa, and if the treaties were pro perly observed, the seas of Africa would be just as free from the foreign slave trade as the seas of England. 174. Mr. Kinnairdr\ What do you consider to be the waters of Madagascar ; how far do they extend beyond the island ?—To a limit of three nailes, I should suppose. 175. Have we made any remonstrance to the Madagascar Government ?—Constantly. 176. V hat answer have you received?—They have always said that they mean to act up to their t^aty, and lately they handed over to a naval officer a large cargo of slaves, which they had Seized themselves. 177. You believe that there is every wish, on their part, to observe the treaty ?—Yes; on'the 0.116, part of the Hova Government, but it is so close to Kilwa and the southern ports, that the trade is easily carried on. I think, if you sealed up Kilwa and the southern ports of Zanzibar, you would probably at once put a stop to that slave trade. 178. By blocking those ¡Dorts ?—Yes. 179. C/iau-maa.] What does Madagascar want with slaves?—For labour, the same "as at Zan zibar. 180. Mr. Kinnaird^ Is not slavery abolished in Madagascar ?—No, it is legal there. 181. The imported slaves are not covered by the treaty ? — It is the foreign slave trade that the Queen of Madagascar is compelled to suppress. With respect to slavery in Mada gascar, a strong memorial was drawn up by the Anti-Slavery Society, urging its abolition, which memorial was forwarded, through the Foreign Office, to the Government of Madagascar, and the Prime Minister wrote to the society to say he was sure that it was their ignorance made them propose such a thing, because it would in evitably bring about a revolution in the country. I was also asked on Monday whether the offi cers on the coast acted under special instruc tions. I said they did, and I now put in the instructions under which they are acting. Those special instructions were issued in November 1869, in consequence of the serious irregu larities and mistakes committed by officers com manding Her Majesty’s ships employed in the suppression of the slave trade on the East Coast of Africa.” (Z7¿e same were handed in, vide A})pendix.) 182. Is there any other addition which you wish to make to your former evidence ?—I said on Monday, that chiefly owing to the circum stance of the duties under the French flag being lighter than those levied upon British vessels a great many dhows had adopted the French flag. I think this fact may be attributed also, in a great measure, to the immunity from seizure which the French flag gave them, that is to say, that dhows carrying on an honest traffic, would adopt the French flag, in order not to run the chance of seizure by the English cruisers. Then I wish to correct my evidence, as to the non existence of an American Consulate at Zanzibar ; there is one, but I have never heard that the B 2 Americans Hon. C. Vivian. 13 July 1871.

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