§ SIR ROBERT ANSTRUTHERasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the Government have received, or will endeavour to obtain, any assurances from the Khedive of Egypt that the freedom and independence of M'Tese, the friendly chief or king of the Uganda territory in Central Africa, will be respected; whether the Government have sent, or will send, instructions to the British Envoy in Egypt that it is their desire that the independence of M'Tese should be respected; and, what arrangements have been made by the Government to carry out the Resolution of the House of Commons in April 1876, regarding the payment to the Church Missionary Society for the expenses incurred by its agents in the maintenance and protection of liberated slaves?
§ MR. BOURKE, in reply, said, that representations had been made to the Khedive of Egypt, and also to the British Envoy, Colonel Gordon, which he hoped would be the means of securing the freedom and independence of M'Tese, the Chief of the Uganda territory, and Her Majesty's Government had expressed a hope that the rights of M'Tese would be respected by the Khedive. In regard to the last part of the Question, relating to the liberated slaves, the words "Church Missionary Society" were not in the Resolution passed last 1318 year, but the Resolution was simply to make adequate provision for liberated slaves. Whatever he had said, however, he was prepared to stand by when the proper time arrived; but to give a grant from the public treasury to one particular society would be a matter of considerable difficulty. The subject, however, had not been lost sight of, but, on the contrary, several letters had passed upon it between the Government and Dr. Kirk, and he hoped before long that some information would be received by which the Resolution of the House of Commons would be given effect to.