§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether the Government have received information that the Charter alleged to have been recently granted by Portugal to the Mozambique Company contains provisions hostile to British interests; and whether, having regard to the fact that the British South Africa Company had secured concessions in Manicaland and the neighbouring territories before the modus vivendi, the Government will 1284 recognise and secure the recognition of such concessions by Portugal as a basis of any further negotiations with that country?
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONWe have seen a draft Charter of the Portuguese and Mozambique Company, some of the provisions of which are decidedly unfavourable to British interests. This has been pointed out to the Portuguese Government. We have not been informed that the Charter has been signed. In view of pending negotiations, I am unable to answer the second paragraph of the question.
§ MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has received several communications from the Chairman and Secretary of the "Ophir Concessions, Limited," and from Mr. Clements, the representative of the Barberton Syndicate, Transvaal, and from other persons holding contracts from the Mozambique Company, complaining of the action of the Chartered South Africa Company, in regard to the invasion of Manica, as prejudicial to their interests, and to those whom they represent; and, if so, what reply has been made to these communications, and whether he will lay the correspondence upon the Table of the House; whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, in Blue Book, Africa, No. 2, 1890, Mr. Consul O'Neill advised Her Majesty's Government of the establishment of the Mozambique Company of Lisbon, of their having placed a launch on the Pungue River in July, 1888, and referred to Gonvera as the "virtual ruler" of Manica, under the Portuguese Government; and whether, in any subsequent communication with the Portuguese Government, Her Majesty's Government took exception to the above reported condition of affairs; whether it is correct, as stated in the Daily News of 28th January, that early in October, 1890, Mr. Trevor, styled "acting resident" of the Chartered Company at Mutassa Kraal, issued the following instructions to all prospectors working in the neighbourhood:—
I have been instructed by Mr. Colquhoun, the Administrator of Mashonaland, to inform you and all the prospectors at the Untali and Revire goldfields that an Anglo-Portuguese 1285 arrangement has been signed which brings all this portion of South-East Africa, including all the Manica country for a considerable distance east of Masi-Kesse, under British influence;whether the Chartered Company is now exercising powers of government in Manica, although the alleged Treaty with Mutassa has not yet received the approval of Her Majesty's Secretary of State; and whether he will cause inquiry to be made of the Chartered Company as to whether the concession from Lobengula, in connection, with which the Charter was granted, is owned by the company, or if the company is merely a lessee from another company owning the concession, and receives one-half of the possible net profits in consideration of undertaking the obligations set forth in the Charter, and all other expenses connected with the expeditionary force into Mashonaland?
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONCommunications have been received complaining of the action of the Chartered South Africa Company in regard to Manica, and their receipt has been acknowledged. They represent the views of the writers as interested parties, and it would not be advisable to publish the correspondence. Consul O'Neill, in his Despatches of the 10th and 20th of August and 7th of September, 1888, reported that he had heard as to the attempts of Señor d'Almeida to obtain permission from Gun gun hana for prospectors to work in his territory, and as to the endeavours of Major Paiva d'Andrade to extend by force Portugal's territorial and commercial influence South, of the Zambesi. He spoke of the rumoured launch of a steamer on the Pungue, and of the purchase of other steamers, but expressed a doubt us to their destination and as to their being really owned by the Mozambique Company, which had been formed at Lisbon with an insignificant capital. He stated that De Souza, or Gouveia, was ''real" Ruler of Manica, and had been induced to lend his assistance to the Portuguese Government in carrying on military operations against other Chiefs. No representations were made by Her Majesty's Government in consequence of this Report. We are not aware if the instruction, said to have been issued by Mr. Colquhoun, and stating that a certain portion of the Manica country and 1286 other territories had, by an Anglo Portuguese arrangement, been brought under British influence, was, in fact, issued; but, if so, it was incorrect. The Chartered Company is not, to the knowledge of Her Majesty's Government, exercising powers of government beyond the line referred to in the modus vivendi. It has already been stated that Her Majesty's Government are not, and obviously should not be, responsible for the financial arrangement of the British South Africa Company, but the arrangement mentioned in the question, if it exists, would not be contrary to the Charter.