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:: 83457490X

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-77841

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Dühring, Eugen http://d-nb.info/gnd/118527797

Title:: Kritische Geschichte der Nationalökonomie und des Socialismus

Edition:: 2., theilw. umgearb. Aufl.

Place of publication:: Berlin

Publisher:: Grieben

Year of publication:: 1875

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XII, [1] Bl., 595 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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

62 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Mr. H. C. Rothery. 24 July 1871. prices for them ; the result was, that the same vessel was captured over and over again. I be lieve there are instances of the same vessel having been captured five and six times over. I should here state that the proceeds of the vessels were given to the captors, as well as the bounties upon the slaves captured in them. It was accordingly decided that the slave vessels should be broken up, but the naval officers then complained that this was depriving them of a great portion of their reward, and accordingly, as a compensation to them, it was ordered that, where a vessel was broken up and sold in separate pieces, a bounty of 1 /. 10 5. additional should be granted to the captors to make up to them for the loss sustained by the destruction of the vessels. That rule has been applied to the case of dhows captured on the East Coast of Africa, which are of very little value. 851. You think 1 Z. 10 s. a ton a very high compensation to pay in the case of those vessels ? —Certainly, in those cases. 852. Then the Admiralty regulations were, in fact, to put a stop to those two illegal practices, that is to say, to stop the condemnation of vessels having domestic slaves on board, and, if possible, to put a stop to the improper destruction of vessels previous to condemnation ?—Yes. 853. Where there is no real ground for sup posing that they are slavers?—Yes; I may mention another instance which led to the issue of those instructions ; one of our officers captured a vessel, and brought the slaves (the slaves being domestic slaves) to Zanzibar ; Dr. Kirk or Mr. Churchill said that the vessel was undoubtedly a legitimate trader, but that officer, notwith standing that the vessel was restored, carried off the slaves to the Seychelles. 854. Our Government has been compelled to pay heavy damages in respect of that and in respect of another vessel also improperly captured and destroyed ?—Yes. 855. In your opinion, is it exceedingly im portant that every protection should be given to honest trade there ?—I think it should be en couraged in every possible way. 856. And great care should be exercised with regard to the condemnation of slavers?—Yes, I think so. 857. Mr. Gilpinr\ You mentioned just now the case of the “ Petrel,” and the capture she made, and which, I think, was taken to the Cape of Good Hope ; do you recollect whether that prize was condemned?—Yes, it was con demned. 858. Then the capture itself was not illegal, was it ?—Yes, it was in my opinion illegal, but the dhow was condemned on an ex parte statement. 859. Who was the judge ?—The judge of the Vice Admiralty Court at the Cape of Good Hope ; a prima facie case was laid before the Court but on the evidence of the captors only. 860. By whom was the treaty made by which the Imaum of Muscat receives 8,000 /. or 9,000 /. a year ; I presume by the Indian Government ? —I believe so. 861. Mr. ShawLefevreJ] Do you think now that there is a Prize Court both at Aden and Zanzi bar there would be any difficulty in requiring that all vessels should be sent for condemnation to a Prize Court?—I am very strongly of opinion that vessels ought not to be destroyed except under very great emergencies, and that, in the event of their not being able to be taken to Zan* zibar, Aden, or Muscat, that they should be left in some port belonging to the Sultan of Zanzibar, under the charge of his officials, before being destroyed. 862. Mr. Kinnaird.l The port of Aden is not convenient for a Prize Court, is it ; has not it been found highly inconvenient ?—Highly incon venient in some cases, but not in all. Some vessels have been captured by Socotra, and then it is very convenient, if the wind is blowing in a particular direction, to run with them to Aden. 863. You stated, in answer to Mr. Lefevre, that you looked to the establishment of commerce entirely to put a stop to the slave trade ; you did not, I presume, intend to imply that the naval force was of no use ?—Most certainly not, 864. You meant in conjunction with the naval force ?—Yes. 865. You quite admit the great value of the squadron?—Yes, but for the ultimate extinction of the slave trade I look entirely to legal com merce. 866. Chairman.'\ The existence of the slave trade very much prevents the extension of legiti mate commerce ?—Yes ; the accounts by Dr. Livingstone are that the whole coast for a con siderable distance inland is almost utterly de populated, and that the area is increasing year by year. 867. Sir .7. Hay.'] I think I understood you to say, that except under very exceptional cases, where it was absolutely necessary, captured dhows should be brought to one of the Prize courts ?—I think it very desirable that they should be. 868. Looking to the strength of the monsoon, and to the considerable distance that they have to be towed, and the time it would occupy, is if your opinion that in general cases it is possible : to tow the captured dhows into port against the i monsoon ?—Possibly not ; but in such a case I should say that the dhow should be left in one of the ports in charge of the Sultan’s officers. 869. Then supposing that course were taken, ! and the captured dhow were to be taken to one [ of the ports, how would you propose that the : crew should be dealt with during their deten tion ?—I should leave the dhow in charge of the authorities at the particular port, and I should take the captain and two or three of the principal persons on board the dhow to the port of adjudi cation to obtain the condemnation. Then when the vessel was condemned, orders should be sent to have the vessel destroyed. 870. ChairmanJ\ What would you do with the slaves?—Just exactly as they are now disposed | of ; they are generally taken on board Het ' Majesty’s ships to the port of adjudication. 871. Sir J. Hay.'] Would not there be a diffi culty in carrying a considerable number of slaves on board one of Her Majesty’s ships?—Yes; I know there is a difficulty about that, but they do it now ; they do not leave the slaves behind them, but carry them to the port of adjudication, often very much to their inconvenience. 872. Supposing a captured dhow with a cer tain proportion of the crew were left in chargé of the Sultan of Zanzibar’s officers at a distant port, would not it be something like two seasons before the official condemnation could be oh- ; tiined?-^

Access restriction

Copyright

Object: 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