§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITHsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the Mission of Mr. Rassam to the Emperor of Abyssinia has not at present resulted in the detention of two other gentlemen who accompanied him—Lieutenant Prideaux, of the Indian Army, and Dr. Blanc, without obtaining the final liberation of the other prisoners; and whether, in dealing with the case of Mr. Flad, who has been allowed to come over under hostage to return, endeavours will be made to offer some adequate inducement to the Emperor Theodore, which shall take effect only when the prisoners shall be delivered into safe custody at Mapowak or elsewhere? The hon. Gentleman also asked for the production of papers on that subject.
LORD STANLEY,in reply, said, it was unfortunately true that Mr. Rassam and the other two gentlemen named in the hon. Member's questions were still detained by the Emperor of Abyssinia. From the latest accounts he understood that they were not kept in confinement, but were not allowed to leave the country. With reference to the question put the other day by the hon. Member of the alleged ill-treatment of the prisoners, he might say that, according to the latest accounts received at the Foreign Office, he had no knowledge of any such circumstance; and it would rather appear that, as far as was compatible with their detention, they had been personally well treated. Mr. Flad had come over to this country, leaving his family behind. He had seen 1901 that gentleman, and had also had the advantage of seeing Colonel Merewether, who, being in command at Aden, is necessarily conversant with the subject. He (Lord Stanley) had endeavoured to arrange for some such inducement as the hon. Member referred to being offered to the Emperor in order to procure the release of these persons. As soon as the Abyssinian climate would permit Mr. Flad would return; but, in order that no false impression might be conveyed to the House that there was any unnecessary delay in taking these steps, he might state that, owing to the rains, it would be of no use for Mr. Flad to start till the beginning of September. He hoped that the hon. Member would not press for the production of the papers at present. All these transactions had taken place before he had anything to do with the Foreign Department; but he found that the general belief both among those who were interested in that matter, and those who were best acquainted with it, was that the publication of these papers would be much more likely to injure than to benefit these unfortunate prisoners.