HC Deb 10 June 1858 vol 150 cc1853-4
VISCOUNT GODERICH

said, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether there is any truth in the statement alleged to have been made by Mr. Mason, United States Minister to France, that there has been some communication between the Governments of England and France upon the subject of the exportation of Negroes from the West Coast of Africa, in the course of which Her Majesty's Government have informed Count Walewski that they will not object to the French scheme for that purpose, while the wants of the British Colonies are being supplied by the Coolie trade.

MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALD

said, the attention of Her Majesty's Government had been drawn to the statement to which the noble Lord had alluded; and he could only say, that there must have been some very grave misapprehensions as to the facts on the part of Mr. Mason. It was true that there had been communications between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of France with reference to the "Free Emigration" scheme, as it was termed; but it had been on our side rather to express our regret that such a scheme should have been originated, and still more that it should have been persisted in. No concession, such as had been described by Mr. Mason, had been made by Her Majesty's Government; and there had been no admission on their part that such a course would be proper.

MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE

said, he wished to know if the scheme itself was still going on?

MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALD

said, Her Majesty's Government had no reason to suppose that it had been given up, but they had felt it their duty strongly to point out to the French authorities the objections there were to the plan—not so much on account of the treatment the "free labourers" would receive in the Colonies of France when they arrived there, as on account of the evil results which the scheme would occasion in Africa. The noble Lord at the head of the Foreign Department had proposed that the French Government should name a person, and we another, who should together inquire into the facts alleged; and to this proposal the French Government had assented.