LORD BALFOURasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he can give the House any information as to a visit of the French ship "Eloise" to the Island of Ibo, alleged to have taken place early in February, for the purpose of procuring "labourers" for the French colonies; whether, in consequence of the visit, a considerable number of the natives assembled armed, and the Portuguese military authorities intervened, killing or wounding seventy-five of the natives and putting the remainder to flight? A telegram to that effect appeared in the newspapers about a month ago; and he had seen neither contradiction nor confirmation of it since that time. Suspicion would naturally be raised by such a description as this, that the Natives were afraid the labour market was not to be one conducted fairly on both sides, and that the labourers would be practically slaves. The Island of Ibo, about 500 miles from Madagascar, was conveniently situated in regard to the mainland of the African Continent, and from the coast there was a route into the interior towards Lake Nyassa, where it was conjectured some slave gangs had been taken.
EARL GEANVILLE,in reply, said, that until the noble Lord's Question appeared upon the Notice Paper, he had heard nothing about the incident referred to. The Portuguese Government itself knew nothing about the matter, 540 but information had been telegraphed for.
§ House adjourned at Seven o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter past Ten o'clock.