§ MR. RITCHIEasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether any information has been received to the effect that a consignment of rifles and ammunition has left this Country for Mozambique; if so, whether he can state by whom they have been shipped, and whether Her Majesty's Government have taken any steps to prevent the consignment from reaching the Zulus?
§ MR. BOURKEYes, Sir, we have received information that 831 muskets and 50,000 lbs. of gunpowder were shipped last week from Cardiff, in a French ship, called the Argus, for Mozambique. My hon. Friend asks me who shipped these munitions. The firm that shipped these articles is Messrs. Hutton, of Manchester, Dale Street; as well as Messrs. Hutton, of Temple, Liverpool. Sir, we have communicated with the Portuguese Government on this subject, and we have also taken other measures with the view of preventing these munitions of war from reaching the Zulus. As I have mentioned the Portuguese Government, I think I may state that we have every reason to be- 819 lieve that this Government will act in this case, as in other cases of a similar character—that is, they will do their best to prevent these warlike stores from reaching the Natives who are at war with this country.