§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been called to statements made in the "Anti-Slavery Reporter" of July 1st, on the subject of the Slave Trade in the Red Sea, and especially in regard to the Slave Market of Jeddah; whether there is reason to believe that such statements are well founded; whether steps will be taken to bring before the Egyptian Government the alleged connivance in the traffic of Egyptian officials; and, whether Her 1137 Majesty's Government will in a friendly manner call the attention of the Austrian Government to the allegation that slaves are conveyed from Hodeidah to Jeddah in steamers belonging to the Austrian Lloyd's, a company receiving subsidies and other special privileges from that Government?
§ MR. BOURKE,in reply, said, that as to the first part of the Question of his hon. Friend, he had seen the statements in The Anti-Slavery Reporter, which some one had been good enough to send him, and he observed in that publication a long statement with reference to the Slave Trade in the Red Sea, respecting which what was termed "a thrilling narrative" was given, some of the statements being well-founded, while others were perfectly untrue. With reference to the charges made against the British Consul at Jeddah, Her Majesty's Government had no reason to believe that there was any slackness of duty on the part of the British Consul or vice Consul at that place. On the contrary, the Government were of opinion that it was owing to the representations that had been made by the Consul at Jeddah that the slave mart there had been entirely shut up. There was no doubt that a considerable amount of slave trade was being still carried on in private establishments at Jeddah, and their Consul, in concert with the Governor, was doing his best to provide means for putting it down. There was also no doubt that a considerable deal of slave traffic was carried on in other parts of the Red Sea. Steps had been taken by Her Majesty's Government upon many occasions during the last year and a-half to bring before the Egyptian Government the alleged connivance in the traffic of Egyptian officials, and our Government would continue to pursue the same course. Communications had also been made to the Austrian Government on the subject, and if Her Majesty's Government thought that they could do good by making further representations, they would certainly be willing to do so.