§ 3. Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government has received during the last 10 years reports which confirm the existence of widespread and growing slave-trading in Abyssinia; and, if so, whether His Majesty's Government will consider the advisability of publishing the most recent of these reports in the form of a Blue Book?
Mr. HARMSWORTHThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; but I am not sure that the best method of dealing with the matter would be the publication of papers at the present stage.
§ 4. Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the published statement that slaves are employed in the British Legation in Abyssinia; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?
Mr. HARMSWORTHNo slaves are employed by the Legation, but some of the Abyssinian servants at the Legation possess slaves. I am making inquiries into this matter.