The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-26 00:00:00

JMPERIAL PARL IA Ai ENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at aye o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Swansea Harbour Trusts, Horsham and Guildford
Direct Railway, and Bedford and Cambridge Railway Bills

were read a second time.

The following bills were read a third time :—Fergus
River Navigation Improvement, Doncaster and Tadcaster
Road, Os-westry and Newtown Railway (Additional Capi-

tal), and Marehburn, Kelso, and Lauder Eoad.

THE SEE OF DURHAM.
Earl GREY presented several petitions, praying that the
revenues of the see of Durham might be retained and ex-

vended within the diocese.
EDUCATION IN INDIA.
Several petitions were presented, praying that the Bible
might be introdnded into any.seheme for the education of
the natives of India.

THE SLAVE TRADE.
Lord STATHEDEN moved that an humble address be

presented to her Majesty praying her Majesty to be gra-
ciously pleased to appoint a consul at Mozambique with a
view to promote the interest of commerce, and with the

execution of the treaties between Great Britain and Portu-

gal upon the slave trade. The noble lord said he would not

detain the house with any statement of the circumstances
that had induced hini to bring the subject under their lord.
ships' attention. In 1855 the official resident at that place

zetired,in conseTtence of circumstances that occurred between

the Governments of France, Portugal, awl Great Britain,

and since that time no British Minister or resident had been

appointed to his place, and the question he wished to have

settled was whether a was desirable to have the

post filled up. Independently of the importance of
the presence of such a person with regard to trade

and commerce, the operations of the slave trade loudly

called for a consul at Mozambique, in order to prevent an

increase in that detestable traffic. Whatever steps were
taken to put down the slave trade on the western coast of
Africa, they were rendered entirely useless as long as

free vent was given to it in the East. The conspiracy that
was formed by the slave dealers against the British
Consul when he resided there proved the inaportanee
of such a British resident, because they felt
that presence was in effect a death-blow to a
successfully carrying on of this unholy traffic. During the
residence of Mr. Macleod he prevented no less than three
French vessels from shipping slaves, under the name of
free emigrants, for Reunion. In addition to such a

proceeding, he had, moreover, been the means of strength,

ening the Viceroy at Mozambique, and inciting him to
lend him his aid in preventing the shipment of slaves,

He thought their lordships could not think that the French
system was what it was said to be, a free immigration. If
there was any doubt 'about it, he thought it was /moved by
the fact that after a cargo of negroes had been shipped for
Reunion as free immigrants they rose, and having over-
powered the crew, whom they allowed to escape by the
boats, become masters of the ship, in which they returned to
port. If the appointment of a consul at Mozambique had

only done the good hd had mentioned, he thought it was

quite enough to show the importance of the presence of such
a person at Mozambique. It was clear that his with.

drawal had b een a -great satisfaction to the slave
dealers, and he asked the Govetnment to say on

what grounds they refused to make so desirable a
re-appointment. If any reformation in the present nystem
was desired, the autumn of the present year would afford a
favourable opportunity for making it, as a new Governor-
General would arrive with fresh instructions from his Go-
vernment. That being so, it was of the highest importance
that a British consul should be before that time appointed
in order to use his influence and remonstrances against an
increase of the slave trade. Considering that our estimates
had reached £70,000,000, it was absurd to haggle at a paltry
expenditure of £2,000 a year for an object that would be of
immeasurable benefit to Africa. It could not be denied
that, in the island of Reunion, there did exist a strong de-
sire for negro labour. Now, no circumstance could be more
fatal to the alliance between France and England than a
suspicion should arise among our people that that alliance
was only a peace-offering and a sacrittee to the slave trade.
That alliance had survived many rude shocks, in spite of all
that happened at the beginr.:lng of 1858, in spke of the ag-
gression of Portugal in axe autumn of that year, and in spite
of the gigantic estimeos which France imposed upon this
country ; but let it once be known that our efforts to sup-
press the slave trade had once relaxed, and the days of that
alliance, were over. It could not, therefore, be maintained
that the absence of an English consul at Mozambique
tended to strengthen the alliance; on the contrary, he con-
tended that the results of the vacancy were most disastrous
and unfortunate. The noble lord concluded by moving for
the address of which he had given notice.
Lord WODEHOUSE said he felt bound, on the part of
her Majesty's Governmen`, to object to the motion of the
noble lord, though not from any want of a sense of the im-
portance of the subject. It was true that the appointment
of a consul was only one portion of the arrangements made
to prevent the slave trade ; but that would naturally bring
the whole subject of the lave trade on the south coast of
Africa under the consideration of the house. The noble lord
had correctly stated the circumstances of the appointment
of a consul at Mozambique, who remained there till 1858.
But he (Lord Wodehouse) could not agree with the noble
lord that the proceedings of the consul there were so mild
and effective as he seemed to think. Mr. M'Cloud was
active zealous, and made the best efforts in his power
fiat
to pitiltnt the slave trade ; but he (Lord Wodehouse) was
bound 0) add that he could not think that upon all occasions
hift conduct was characterised by judgment, which was
quite.as necessary as zeal. (Hear, hear.) The question had
now arisen whether thatVost should be again fired up.
11iost of their lordships had read the papers which at vari-
ous times had been presented to the house on the subject of
slave trade, and were aware that the possessions of Portugal
in South Africa were very few—not exceeding three or
fouv, or five points on the coast. The sovereignty of Por-
tugal over those places had been acknowledged by a treaty
botweon this country and Portugal ; and in order to pre-
fent the slave trade being carried on it would be necessary

that we should have a consul there who would be able to
)r e•act mith effe:t, because it was clear that the efforts of Por-
tugal alone would not be able to effect that object. Under
these peculiar circumstances it was a matter of serious con-
sideration in what manner they should deal with this ques-
tion. There was no doubt that the slave trade did prevail
to a great extent on the south coast of Africa, but he be-
lieved the only means by which it could be prevented would
be to enable the natives of the interior of the country to
follow some legitimate occupation, in order to teach them
to turn the natural advantages of the soil and climate to
account. (Hear, hear) All these objects were sought to
bo accotnplished by Dr. Livingstone's expedition, and he
had met with very cons derable success. Under these cir-
cumstances the government thought they could not do bet-
ter than encourage the expedition of Dr. Livingstone, and
they had accordingly this year proposed a far larger vote to
the House of Commons for that object than in any formet
year. They had proposed at first a vote of £3,000 for the
expenses of the expedition, and afterwards an additional
annual vote for throe years of 12,500, while the extra and
temporary expenditure for the present year would be I
£6,000, making a total of £11,500, of which about £5,000
would be required to build a vessel of peculiar construction
for Dr. Livingstotte. By these means that expedition
would have fair play ; and they should wait to see its re-
sult before they made any further arrangements for the
suppression of the slave trade. (Hear, hear.) He did not
mean to say that a consul at Mozambique might not be
very useful; but he did not think it desirable at the pre-
sent moment to reappoint a consul there, though his noble
friend at the head of the Foreign-office said that at some
future time there might be no objection to doing so. He
believed that, whether on the south coast or the west coast
of Africa, or wherever else the slave trade flourished, the
only effective means of putting it down would be to show
the natives how to engage in some legitimate commerce,
which would lay a sure foundation for the ultimate suppres—
sion of" the slave trade. (Heat, hear.) But he must add
that the real source of the evil lay across the Atlantic.
(Ilear.) As long.as the Spanish Government did not tarty
out their engagements with Cuba, the best efforts of Eng-
land to suppress the slave trade must, to a great extent,
fail ; and he 'grieved to add that the most recent accounts
from Cuba showed that the slave trade was carried on there
on a large and organised scale. He hoped his noble friend
would be satisfied with this explanation. He might rest
assured that the subject had received the best consideration
by his noble friend at the head of the Foreign-office, and
that whenever .a consul could be appointed at Mozambique,
who would be-able to act with effect, it should be done.
(Hear.)
Lord BROUGHAM entirely agreed in the latter part of
the views of the noble lord who had just sat down as to
the absolute necessity of cultivating commercial and agti •
cultural pursuits among the natives of the south coast
of Africa, which would be of all other means the best and
surest to extinguish the slave trade, which was great
obstacle in the way of agricultural and commercial pros-
perity. (Rear, hear.) The Governor of Mozambique was
Paid hissalary '
way which had a direct influence-on
the encouragementnlof the slave trade. He was paid £9OO
a-year —a Kura greatly less than his necessary ex-
penses ; but even that
was paid by orders of the council of
Mozambique, which
entirely composed of notorious
slave dealers and their agents.
proportion Accordingly, the governor
received his pay in pm
he shut his eyes to their
proceedings. He would not, say
trade
the present governor
took an active part in the slave de
;but governors before
him aid, who received so much per head in proportion to
the success with which their agents
carriedii o f oronr.thLeivsilnalg.
trade in the interior. No doubt the expedte
nieststone was of great importance, and would rave a
salu-
tary influence on the suppression of the slave tradethe meantime they must recollect that the profit
of selling
sellin-
but
big
men was far greater than the profit of selling cotton, and
as long as men were allowed to be sold in the interior,
the
native chief would not only not encourage but would
pre-
vent the development of agriculture. That Was the case on
the west roast of Africa, and so it woule be on the filet
coast. It was not only the Portuguese Government that
encouraged the slave trade. The Spanish Government did
so to a still greater degree, and the case against that Go-
vernment wag irresistible. They had the statement of the