§ MR. A. E. PEASE (York)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government has received any further information connected with the engagement of slaves by Mr. H. H. Johnston for service in Nyassaland, and by Lieutenant Stairs for service in the Anglo-Belgian expedition to Katanga; whether the news published in the Times of the 22nd instant, that Mr. Johnston's carriers demanded a considerable increase of payment in advance, is correct, and whether he is aware that the advance money, even if given to the slave, goes into the hands of the master, thus enabling him to purchase fresh slaves; whether the hiring of slaves by British officers is in contravention of Lord Palmerston's Circular Letter, dated 8th May, 1841, condemnatory of the practice of hiring slaves in foreign countries by British functionaries; and whether Her Majesty's Government is aware that free labour is easily procurable in Nyassaland, and has for years been largely employed by 1716 Her Majesty's late Representative, Mr. John Buchanan, C.M.G.?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir J. FER-GUSSON,) Manchester, N.E.We have no further information as to Mr. Johnston, who is understood to have conformed to the practice followed in all recent expeditions undertaken by Europeans. The Sultan has refused to allow Captain Stairs to enlist slaves, and we learn that he is consequently in great difficulties as to carriers. We have no information as to the reported demands of Mr. Johnston's carriers, nor as to the payments to them going, in spite of the control kept over the payments, to the masters; the two reports are apparently inconsistent, but we have information that the masters would find very great difficulty in purchasing raw slaves, the supply being practically stopped. The Circular referred to is not applicable to the case. It recorded that—
It would be unfitting that any officer, holding an appointment under the Crown, should, either directly or indirectly, hold or be interested in slave property.We have no evidence that good carriers can be procured in Nyassaland. Mr. Buchanan is a coffee planter, and we have no knowledge as to the class of labour employed by him on his plantations.