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

Bibliographic data

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

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

ox SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). 35 ^oing on at the outports. The want of siicli is one of the great defects of our pre- ût system, because our consuls are really de- l^ndent on those who are interested in keeping up j ^^i^ers as they are. The fourth point is this : think more attention should be paid to the lews of our naval officers with regard to efficient jH^adrons. I think that taking officers like Sir Heath, and the present Admiral on the ation, every deference should be paid to their ^pinions with regard to the kind and strength of ^hUadron which they really require to enable ^ to do their duty on that coast. At present t^eal of the duty is done by open boats ith a young officer, very often only a midship- W * board, and those boats are out for weeks to^®^ber, ^ I believe I might say for months j^^^^ber, in the most exposed positions, with really the means that are requisite to effect the Un tbr which they are employed ; they make liu L their energy and dash for their want of ’ffber and want of power, but still there can be doubt that if, instead of those small open p^ts, you had a kind of small steam gunboat t ihapg^ but, at all events, steamboats capable of boing hu^Q very shallow water, and also capable of ivh' head against the very strong currents dich run along that coast, and are one of the difficulties of the navigation, you would tual ^ y cur naval officers to put an effec- th ^top to the traffic much more rapidly als^ they can at present. They ought PQ^to be enabled to watch the northern Arabian Ro * themselves much better than they are ®Rffi .^^^tehed. The number of ships is not to watch the northern ports, and to - " after the slave dhows after they get away tK ^ immediate African coast. ï believe ^ Rt there are some restrictions under which they f ^ith respect to a three-mile limit from the Rie^f’ Vow, if we get the Sultan’s Govern- ^ ^ud the Imaum of Muscat’s Government bou entirely, and act, as I think we are tc act in those seas, rather in supplement- .®ir defects, than in superceding their of and if we make use, as far as possible, get authority, I think we should be able to bnii/^ • ^ great many of those Inconvenient ORr which vei’v much harass and impede bbc officers. There should be much more tbç^^by in the way of efficient interpreters, and bill ^duiiral on the station, I think, should have hi0.1 Pcwer to employ interpreters of a much a stamp than those usually furnished. Then ho .jb) and very important point, seems to me to host ^ J^^’^Hsion of lines of communication, and thÍRi steamers, along all those coasts. I alro Iras been very strongly recommended of and I would merely mention that none to objections that have been started appear to^ ® be of any validity, as opposed to a sys- Rnq^ subsidies for limited periods, such as that tor^qA ’'vhich the Indian Government has ex- ^RRo- lines of steam communication from are ce Ib^ Euphrates. Such subsidies bortio^^^^^ to be brought every year, at least some ^ovej.^ them, under the supervision of the tually the Government is perpe- are ^ reminded by rival companies if they for. ^ mpre than the service can be done is think if a just medium is struck of what supporting ; but I would always keep a certain subsidy payable to them, in order to give the Government the power of enforcing regularity of departure. For, viewed merely as part of the anti-slavery machinery, regularity of depar ture is a very important point, because it at once marks those who are in the service of the Go vernment; and though, like the regularity of the policemen on their beat, it may tempt evil doers to try to evade the officers of the Govern ment, still if the officers of the Government are on the watch, it also enables them to catch evil doers when they attempt to pass unseen. Then, steam communication, if it were fully developed, as I believe it would speedily be, by natural com mercial causes on that coast, would, I have no doubt, lead to a good deal of natural emigration from one point to another, and where there was surplus labour you would find that people would not be afraid to transfer their labour to other parts Avhere it is wanted. This would again strike at one of the roots of the evil, because there can be no doubt that the attempt to enslave people and carry them off as slaves, is one of the irregular remedies for an irregular distribu tion of labour over the surface of the Mobe. The sixth remedy is one that has alreadv been very fully discussed in the evidence that the Committee has heard, namely, a colony for liberated slaves on the mainland. On that point I have only to add to what I find on the evidence, that I think care should be taken not to make it, if A\ e can possibly avoid it, an English colony, but to make it a colony of English peo ple, living under the flag of the Sultan, under his protection, and under his guarantee, and watched over by English officials. That would get rid of a good many difficulties in the way of founding fresh colonies ; and it Avould also insure the great object of all, namely, the Sultan being carried ivith us, and the native local authorities being carried Avitli us in all that ive do. I think that free use should be made of the establishments which the Churcli Missionary Society, and other missionary societies, and some of the French Roman Catholic Missions have on those coasts. They are very willing to co-operate, and to take a great part of the labour off the hands of the Government; and I think every use should be made of them in the n ay of head money, paid not in the very stinted and niggardly way in which it has been paid of late years, but paid very much in the Avay in which it was done at the time lA hen the slaA'e trade Avas suppressed on > the West Coast of Africa. AboA e all, there is the neces sity for a very able and Avell-selected consul being appointed, avIio Avill not only strongly press on the Sultan all that the English Government wishes in the matter, but Avill really be to him a support; such as the Imaum of Muscat, and others in his position, and the Sultan of Zanzi bar have alAA^ays found the political officers AA ho haA^e come up to the mark of real efficiency in the service. Lastly, it appeared to me that as the subject had a good deal changed its position since it AA as last under the rcA’icAv of Her Ma jesty’s Government here, and the Government of India in Lord Canning’s time, it Avould be verA" desirable to place this matter in the hands of a person Avho Avould go both to Muscat and to Zanzibar, specially charged by the Government ^ -- -- of India, or Her Majesty’s Government, as the khad +r commercial body to start lines of the case might be, but in the confidence of them O.iifi ^ would very soon proA'e almost self- both, Avell acquainted Avith what lengths he E 2 misrht Tdficient, and not more than sufficient to ?9^ble Sir B. Frere, K.C.S.T., K.C.B. 17 July . 1871.

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: 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

Monograph

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation