‘File 5/188 I, 189 I Expenses incurred as a result of slaves taking refuge in consulates and agencies; manumission of slaves and general treatment of slave trade cases’ [‎77r] (166/316)

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only entitled to our assistance in the case of interference with his liberty. The
impression which appears to exist in some ports that a British manumitted
slave becomes a British subject ipso facto, may be in the slaved interests
and need not be actively dispelled, but it will not hold water if challenged.
There is no objection, however, to giving a deserving individual holding a
British manumission certificate, friendly offices as a special case and to the
extent to which the local authorities will accept them.
(vi) Subsistence allowance at the rate of not more than four annas a day
may be granted to slaves whose cases are under consideration, at the discretion
of the Political Officers. The cost of food and of repatriation when necessary
should be drawn on a separate bill and attached to the monthly cash account
sent to the Comptroller, India Treasuries, Calcutta.
(vii) In cases of persons born in slavery (known as " Muwalli d" or
domestic slaves) good offices can only be given in circumstances of gross
ill-treatment with a view to the extraction of a guarantee from their masters
that the ill-treatment shall cease. They are in no case entitled to a
Manumission Certificate; on the other hand we are under no obligation to
assist their masters to recover them. It should be remembered in this connec
tion that domestic slavery is not prohibited in Turkey under the Brussels Act.
A domestic slave is one born in slavery, one or both of the parents being at the
time bonded slaves.
(viii) Emancipated slaves, who can work as field labourers, porters, &c.,
but not those of the domestic class, may be sent to Zanzibar in direct com
munication with His Majesty's Agent and Oonsul-General at that place; in
such cases all charges, which should of course be kept as low as possible and
should not exceed Es. 50, in each case, will be borne by Government.
The funds required may be drawn on separate bills and submitted with the
monthly account to the audit officer concerned.
Emancipated slaves may, if necessary, be sent by native craft, sailing
under the British, flag to Zanzibar, His Majesty's Agent at that place
being advised by post • of their despatch; if, however, native sailing
Foreign Department letter No. 145 E.-A., dated ^ available, emancipated
the leth January 1900. slaves may be sent to Zanzibar via
^ F Qyf 4 . i fn I ! e ? art ? 1 Q e on letter N0,2142 E ■" A ■ , dated Bombay by steamer, the cost, which
the 30 th October 1900. J J ' i.t>
Foreign Department letter No. 918 E.-A., dated should, not eXCeed abOUt xtS. OU, being
the sth May 1903. debited as described above [note (vi)J.
The above procedure can be applied to all ports under the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
E-esidency.
(ix) Whilst a slave from Persia or from the Arabian shore of the Gulf,
not otherwise entitled to his freedom, becomes ipso facto free on setting foot
in British India, it has been held that if he returns of his own free will to the
Foreign Department letter No. 1647 E.-A., dated place where lie Was tomiClly domiciled,
the 6th September 1892. he reverts to his original status of slavery.
(x) It was held in 1896 by the Advocate-General to the Government of
Bombay in the case of the seizure of a slave dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. on the high seas by Captain
E. G. Beville, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Maskat, that the capture was probably illegal
because section 3 of the Slave Trade Act of 1873 only authorises seizure by the
Commander or Officer of any of His Majesty's ships.
(xi) Refund of expenditure. —When a slave is restored to his owner,
either because he is not entitled to manumission or as the result of a reconci
liation effected between him and his master, the expenses of returning him
(including cost of his feed and keep) should be notified direct to the Consular
Officer concerned with a view to its recovery from the owner. In the case
of refugees from the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. the cost is treated as a first charge on the
man's earnings and will be recovered and refunded direct by the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India.
Agent in due course.
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