The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-01-24 00:00:00

SIR SAMUEL BAKER AT BRIGHTON.

- - -
Oa Monday evening a banquet Is a-, given by the
Municipality of Brighton to Sir Samuel White Baker,
M.A., PALM., F.R.G.S.' in the banqueting-room at
the Royal Pavilion. The Mayor (Mr. Alderman .T.
to Brigden) presided, and there were about 150 gentle•
men present.
Sir Samuel Baker, in responding to the toast of his
health, which was proposed in eulogistic terms by the
Mayor, said that it would be necessary to examine the
work that had actually been accomplished by the
expedition of the Khedive of Egypt, which he had had
the honour to command. At the same time an
explanation of the real object of the expedition was
necessary as a heals for future development.
Therefore, after adverting to the fact that Africa
was a country without a history; to the enormous
amount of discovery that had been recently effected in
Its central parts, almost wholly the result of the enter-
prise and labour of our countrymen, and to the mag-
nificent+ of the country, he referred to the blight to
which it had bees subjected, and which had sprung
from the Egyptian discovery of this land of promise,
viz , the pillaging of the natives, and the kidnapping
of their women and children, to be sold in Khartoum
as slaves by slave hunters from the Soudan. Countries
once flourishing had been depopulated, but worse than
the physical suffering was the bad moral,fl-ct
upon the natives. The Viceroy of Egypt deter-
mined to suppress this crying evil. His Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales supported him, and
he (Sir Samuel Baker), having been honoured
with a communication from the Khedive, laid before
the R iyal personage hie plans for the eradication of
the slave trade from the Nile basin, As the Khedive
acted somewhat by his (the speaker's) own suggestions,
he replied by a to quoque to the remarks in the
daily press, quoting the right of the Khedive to
annex vest portions of Central Africa which belonged
to the independent tribes that were the original pos-
sessors. He asked by what right had England
become the posseeeor of her vast colonies and her Indian
Empire? By a few instances of annexation on our-
part, he proved that the first seeds ot civilization must
be forced. The young plant could then be nurtured.
It was therefore necessary to annex a savage country
if improvement was to be expected, and as he felt
convinced that no European Power would wish to
ocCupy so distant a country, it was the natural result of
the geographical position of Egypt that the Nile basin
should be added to her territory. Having explained
that the only Government suitable for the first root of
law in a savage country was despotism, in reply to the
queetion " What is to be the future of Africa?" he felt
certain that the negro would never be civilized by
Egyptians or Turks. The domestic laws of Mahom.
medaniam precluded true civilization. At the same
time the greatest obstacle to the progress of Chris.
tianity laming savage., would bathe enforcement of eon.
jugal fidelity. He should sot ppe the term civilization
In eptaking of African eavagek but be would substitute
the word "improvement." Civilization oouldnotexist in
a bat barons country. They must, therefore, commence
by improving the condition of the people by agriculture
and commerce. This truth be established by taking
a retrospect of our own histeiry ; and alluded, among
other examples, ta the civilization of our country, to
the great and the high position occupied by the prem.
England was the only country, he believed, that could
be trusted with an unfettered press —a proof of the
healthy moral tone of public opinion. But thequestion
whether we are yet finite civilized might yet be raised.
He then again moved to the first step taken with the
nativoi of central Africa by the aunexation of the Nile
basin, and o the compliment paid us by the Khedive
by tlie select ion of an Englishman to unde‘take to great
is -verb as the enppreseion of the slave trade. It v. a, a
taek th X pectil arty bet nged to England, as we were
the first to ch clare the rights of freedcm due to all
members of the htinan race. Hokin this h'gh
COMlllifillol3, he felt that he was repreeenting the
spirit of England in dealing a decided blow at
the &aye trade in the wry nest of the abomination.
At the close o' the expolliition the Government was
firmly (-stela hed in the very beirt of A friem and there
woe now a fax roopoet for the development of the
c .uutry. 'Dm good werk must, however, be point( d
out, he continued, by Englishmen, and he trusted our
Government would appoint a well-paid consul at
, Khartoum. After briefly alluding to the accomplish-
ment of his task, and to several members of the expe-
. dition, whom he complimented, he concluded by
, recalling his old associatime connected with Brighton,
' as illustrating that its great improvements were an apt
exampie of the adage, Rome wee not built ins ,lay."
Hetconerainiated the inhabits-eta by addressing thiee
' congratulations to the Mayer. Sir Samuel had been
I frequently applauded, and he now resumed his seat
amid I Aid cheers.
A mong the other toatte of the evening were—" Lady
I TinVIT arid the Ladies," proposed by Mr. S. Laing,
P., and reeponded tub, Sr Simnel Baker; and the
" Scientific Societies of Great Britain,' proposed by
Mr. Alderman Lialleta, and responded to by Mx.
Charles Merrifield, KR S.