HC Deb 11 July 1878 vol 241 cc1247-8
MR. BAXTER

said, the hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs had requested him to put the Question then which stood in his name for to-morrow. It was to ask, Whether any communications had passed between Her Majesty's Government and the Ottoman Porte with respect to the Slave Trade in the Turkish Empire; and whether any convention had been proposed in reference to the status of slavery?

MR. BOURKE

In reply to the Question of the right hon. Gentleman, I have to state that the Porte has expressed its willingness to enter into a Convention with this country for the abolition of the Slave Trade. A Convention on the subject was some time ago prepared, and was sent out to Turkey on the 9th of June, and Her Majesty's Government are still in communication with the Porte on the subject. With respect to the status of slavery, that, the right hon. Gentleman knows very well, is quite a different thing. Her Majesty's Government have always done, and always will do, their best to discourage slavery wherever and whenever they can, and they have done a great deal since they have been in Office to encourage foreign Governments to abolish the status of slavery. I need not remind the House that the Sultan of Zanzibar, under the influence of the British Government, did a great deal to abolish the Slave Trade in his Dominions, and I believe that those acts have been appreciated by this country. We have also been successful in making a Slave Trade Convention with Egypt, under which Egypt undertakes to afford facilities for the abolition of the Slave Trade in the Red Sea, and also for the punishment of those who embark in that trade, within the Khedive's Dominions. I need not assure the right hon. Gentleman that Her Majesty's Government will continue to carry out the same policy in the future.

MR. W. E. FORSTER

I am very glad to hear this information as to the action of the Government in reference to slavery but the hon. Gentleman did not answer that part of the Question as to whether there had been any communication between Her Majesty's Government and he Porte in regard to the existence of slavery?

MR. BOURKE

In my answer I tried to distinguish between two things—the Slave Trade and the status of slavery. In regard to the Slave Trade, I must repeat that we have sent out a Convention to Turkey, and that we are in communication with the Porte at the present moment on the subject. As regards the status of slavery, I need not repeat what I have already said, but only remind the House that we shall continue to do what we can to discourage the status of slavery whenever and wherever it exists.

MR. W. E. FORSTER

I am afraid my hon. Friend has not understood the Question I asked. I do not doubt the wish of Her Majesty's Government to do all they can to discourage slavery; but what I asked for was information on this particular point—Whether there had been any communication between the Government and the Ottoman Porte with regard to the existence of slavery in the Turkish Empire?

MR. BOURKE

I have no doubt that in the Correspondence that has been going on on the whole subject between Her Majesty's Government and the Porte, the Government have indicated their opinion very plainly upon the question of slavery.