§ Mr. TREVELYANasked the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Treaty of 1884 between Great Britain and Abyssinia for the suppression 1324W of the slave trade is still operative; whether he is aware that this Treaty provides for the prohibition of the buying and selling of slaves within the Dominion of Abyssinia, the import and export of slaves, and for the protection of all liberated slaves, and the severe punishment of those who may attempt to reduce such manumitted slaves again to slavery; and whether His Majesty's Government proposes to make any representations to the Abyssinian Government under this Treaty, with regard to the reports, both official and unofficial, upon the existence of slave-owning and slave traffic, or whether it is proposed to await the results of the discussion of the subject by the League of Nations next September?
§ Mr. R. McNEILLThe Treaty of 1884 remains nominally operative, but is not practically possible to enforce the execution of those of its Articles, namely, 1, 2 and 3, which require to be carried out by the Abyssinian Government. In any case, the hon. Member will observe that the Negus only undertakes to carry them out "to the best of his ability "or to" the utmost of his power." The Treaty does not prohibit slave-owning; consequently, no representations about that practice can be based upon it. Representations have, however, been made under the Treaty in connection with the only authenticated case of export of slaves from Abyssinia in recent times, namely, in regard to those captured in a dhow in the Red Sea by H.M.S. "Cornflower" last year. The action suggested in the last part of the hon. Member's question has therefore been anticipated.