The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-11
SLAVES ON BRITISH SOIL.
arm CHARLES DILKE'S CHARGE IN
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
A section OF the African Coast where British
onncInls hnvc Actually Heen AIDING Slave
orprrs - Rnect OF the zannibar DEGREES

omcinl. IInyo Actually Been Aiding Slave
orprrs Erect OF the zannibar DEGREES
photography at Last without Light.
LONDON. July 2.-It was announced with a
,reat show Of official virtue about three months
400 that slavery had been at last and finally
,holished in all territory governed or controlled
~ the British Empire. This result was supposed
n have been brought about when tho enamel.
r.,ion DEGREES were promulgated in the islands
a, Zanzibar and Pemba. But the British public
v,re rudoly Weakened from their complacent
dream Of an empire Of free" subjects by a
charge which Sir Charles Dixie brought against
the Government in the House Of Commons on
June %.
II seems that there is n strip Of coast on the
mainland, adjacent to these islands, containing
900 600 Inhabitants, where slavery still prevails
and where it is actually recognized By British
authority. Indeed. not to put too fine a point on
II, the charge amounted to this, that British
officials were actively engaged In keeping
slaves In the possession of the slavc-owncrs,
Sir Charles Dixie dcclared-and 1t was impos-
sible to contradict him-that British officers
had been searching for fugitive slaves on this
strip Of coast and returning them to their
owners without any stipulation against their
excessive punishment. Sir Robert Reid pro-
duced a document which proved that tho British
Commissioner had sent orders to missionaries,
saving, Please give bearer facilities to search
for runaway slaves wanted by the Commits
sioner." This. Sir Robert maintained, was
practically OBTAINING slaves, because II meant
keeping them II found until they could be
banded over to their owners.
Sir Charles Dixie, and the sympathy Of all
parties was with him.. declared that this was
monstrous and contrary to British law. And 1t
surely must be Illegal. The territory must DO
,nJ.r pr;tieh medication or pritiSh neNcnra
would have no right to be there. Every slave.
according to the famous judgment Of Lord
Mansfield in 1872, becomes n FREQ man as soon
as he sets foot on British soil. Appealed to in
the House. the Attorney General at once de-
clared that il a British subject detained a slave
In any foreign country or on British territory, it
was contrary to law.
1t was an awkward prcdicament for the Gov
eminent, and Mr.. Curzon. the Under Secretary
for Foreign Affairs, made a very weak reply to
the attack. He complained that the anti-slavery
organizations of this country were trying with
set purpose to prove that the Government was
acting dishonesty. And he tried to defend him
self by saying that the territory was only under
the British sphere of influence" which did
not confer the right OF jurisdiction. The
laws were Mohammedan, land" said Mr..
Curzon. "as the law existed, 1t must
be enforced. and escaped slaves restored TO
their masters The Under Secretary further ir-
ritated the House by the airy manner in which
he discussed this question. as. for example. when
he said: II will say nothing Of the ethical part OF
the case, as to whether one mar shall possess
another" and SO forth. One OF the strongest
Conservatives in the Commons warned his party
Ministers that public opinion would not for a
moment tolerate the surrender Of fugitive
slaves. Public opinion" he said. lis not sc
habby and demoraliEcd as the present chiefs
OF tho Foreign Ofice seem to suppose
and, true enough. public opinion declared itself
with no uncertain voice the very next day. In
spite of the all-absorbinK jubilee, 1t was made
abundantly clear that the restoration OF fugitive
slaves to their masters was, in the eyes Of all
Englishmen. an odious and abominable thing.
Whether tho Government can effectively pu,
down slavery or no, there can be no possible ex
cuse for the employment Of British officers in
catching runaway slaves, which a leading morn
Ing newspaper rightly declared to be q
national disgrace"
The very day after this incident In the House
Mr.. Curzon showed that the Government hat
fully recognized that the public would stand nc
trifing on such a question, and he announced. tc
the accompaniment OF universal cheering. tina
specific instructions had already been sent GU
to the British representative in Mombassa tina
no proceedings OF the kind referred to SHOULD
take place in future.
After this 1t is pretty certain that British
officers will no longer have to perform the dutiei
Of bloodhounds to latter-day Legrees.
While dealing with this subject 1t may be In
teresting to note the effect OF the Zanzibar anc
Pemba DEGREES. Shortly after the PRONUNCIATION
Sir Arthur Hardinge, the C~onsul-General a
Zanzibar, sent q despatch to Lord Salisbury
which has only Just been made public. The new
law did not meet with the opposition which !
was expected TO provoke, partly because of thu
thorough support 1t received from the Sultan
but chiefly because the character Of Its pro
visions was 30 much milder than had been OK
pected. The Arabs had expected to b
ordered to produce lists Of all thei
slaves, who would then DO taken from
them and freed on the spot without an.
compensation. Consequently they were please'
tohnd that not only were they to be compensated
for their loss, but that they might retain thos
slaves who were willing to remain. and thos
who were in a position Of concubinage to them
Bishop Tucker points out a serious defect witt
regard TO this last provision. The law OF Islam
permits q to have as man,
concubines as he pleases. and under this abom
Unable subterfuge he declares that nineteenth
Of the women OF Zanzibar are held in absolut
slavery. 1t Is to be hoped that this point, an
wa " AcSANo sAN ~
Parliament.
Sir Arthur Giffard does not seem TO DO en-
thusiastic as an abolitionist. He says In hi
despatch: "The whole system OF slavery 1
% deeply rooted in the life OF every class OF thi
people that only the lapse Of time can eradicat
The ideas and habits which have grown up wit
Nior generations past"
For the Sultan, the greatest slaveowneri In tn
Island, he has nothing but praise. Tho sulta
would hardly DO expected to sympathizs wit
the reform, but when no realized that 1t had I
De carried out. she threw himself into the wor
with loyalty and thoroughness; and he let 1t
known from tho first that he would brook n
opposition. AS an earnest Of his sincerity b
mas made an arrangement with all his slavcI
under which they are to work for him for thre
Gays in the week In return for their holding
mnie on the other three they are 10 work &c
themselves, or II they work for him to receiv
wages; and has ordered his overseers to cease
theif dealings with them to use the old dcsigni
uoh OF slaves, substituting for it that Of 'watot'
H.4