§ MR. ATHERLEY-JONES (Durham, N.W.)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether any request has been made by Mr. McKinnon, 1761 or the English Company trading on the Coast of Zanzibar to whom Mr. McKinnon's Charter has been transferred for the military or naval support, in order that the commercial interests of his Company might not be endangered by the action of the Slave Trade on that coast; whether any difficulties of a kind similar to those which have occurred between the German Trading Company and the Natives have arisen between the English Company and the Natives; whether any communications have been made to the English Company by Her Majesty's Government, or to Her Majesty's Government by the English Company, with reference to the present blockade of the Zanzibar Coast; and, if so, what was the nature of such communications; whether the blockade will extend to all commerce from the Zanzibar Coast, including that with British India, or will be confined to slave trading; whether, in view of the destruction of Bagamoyo and other villages in the dominions of the Sultan of Zanzibar, Her Majesty's Government will continue the joint blockade; and, whether such proceedings were contemplated when Her Majesty's Government agreed with tha German Government to enter on a joint blockade of the Zanzibar Coast?
§ MR. JOHN MORLEY (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether Her Majesty's Government have received any information as to a statement in one of the public prints that Bagamoyo, which is now destroyed, was, two months ago, the most prosperous place on the East Coast of Africa, and that the only real losers by these coast disturbances are, so far, the Sultan of Zanzibar and the British Indians?
§ MR. F. S. STEVENSON (Suffolk, Eye)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he has any information as to the loss of life and injury to the property of British subjects resulting from the recent bombardment of Bagamoyo by the Germans; and, whether, having regard to the large number of Parsees and other British subjects who carry on their business in towns on the East African Coast, he can state what steps, if any, have been taken to prevent the repetition of such occurrences?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON) (Manchester, N.E.)With the permission of the House, I will answer at the same time the Questions of the hon. Members for Suffolk and North-West Durham and the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Bagamoyo is a place by no means of the most importance on the Zanzibar Coast; but selected for trade because it is convenient for a caravan route. Her Majesty's Government have not received as yet detailed information concerning its destruction, or an estimate of the losses suffered in consequence; but it appears that a Chief from the interior, with a large force, and provided with artillery, attacked the German trading station, and sacked and burnt the place. The losses, of course, fall chiefly upon the Sultan and the trading community, including the British Indians and the German Company. The Germans have defended themselves with the assistance of their ships of war. The insurgents have retired, abandoning their guns, and the Germans remain in possession. The British Indians are believed to have been removed in safety in a steamer sent for that purpose by Her Majesty's Consul General. The hon. Member for North-West Durham asks whether, in view of these events, Her Majesty's Government will continue the joint blockade? Undoubtedly, Sir; the relief of German or British posts or stations has nothing to do with the blockade, and we should necessarily defend our fellow-countrymen if similarly attacked. Fortunately, with the exception of fighting some time since at Mombasa, which led to no serious results, we have had no such difficulty. Communications are constantly passing between Her Majesty's Government and the British Trading Company with reference to current events. They are not of a character to be laid on the Table. The nature and extent of the blockade have been repeatedly explained and are fully set out in the Papers before the House. It does not, as a rule, interfere with ordinary commerce.
§ MR. JOHN MORLEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman mean that the force was landed from German ships?
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONWe are not informed on the point. We only 1763 know that the German ships assisted in driving off the enemy, who were menacing the German post.
§ MR. BUCHANAN (Edinburgh, W)inquired whether British Indian subjects whose property had been destroyed would have any right of redress against the Germans; and whether Her Majesty's Government would support them in obtaining that redress?
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONIt is manifest that the question can only be determined after consideration of the circumstances. We have only been informed of these events by telegraph.