ADMIRAL FIELD (Sussex, Eastbourne)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British Consul at Funchal, Madeira, has been called upon to report on the alleged outrage said to have been committed upon a British missionary (Mr. Jefferd) in April last, at the instigation of the Roman Catholic vicar of San Antonio, who is reported to have harangued a mob of some thousand persons, and as a consequence a body of some 200 men, with swords and knives and stones, proceeded to attack the residence of the missionary in question, one of the inmates being stabbed, and Mr. Jefferd being compelled to hide himself to save his life; whether the British Consul at Funchal has been appealed to by the friends of Mr. Jefferd for protection, but in vain; and, whether Her Majesty's Secretary of State has made any representations to the Portuguese Government for redress; and, meanwhile, will instructions be sent to the Consul to afford all the protection in ins power to safeguard the missionary from further molestation.
§ * MR. BRODRICKOn news of this case reaching Her Majesty's Government Her Majesty's Consul at Funchal was at 923 once instructed to report upon it, and from the statement which he sent home it appears that he took all proper steps for the protection of Mr. Jefferd. He will naturally continue to afford him his protection. In reply to representations made by Her Majesty's Minister at Lisbon the Portuguese Government have stated that one of the rioters was at once arrested, and that steps have been taken for the prosecution of any others who can be traced. Her Majesty's Minister at Lisbon has further received instructions to draw the attention of the Portuguese Government to the language used by the Roman Catholic vicar of San Antonio in his address previous to the attack on Mr. Jefferd, which if correctly reported, appears to be a direct incitement to murderous assault.