'Italian Proceedings on the African Coast of the Red Sea.' [‎34v] (20/32)

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“ in no way save Her Majesty’s Government the
“ inconvenience which would be entailed by a
“ concurrence in the scheme propounded.
“ In regard to the question raised about the
“ slave trade, Lord Hartington has no special re-
“ mark to make, further than to say that the
“ observations he has already made appear to him
“ to apply equally to the proposals under this
“ head made by the Italian Government. But His
“ Lordship feels that neither this, nor the other
“ question dealt with in this letter, has any direct
“ bearing on Indian interest. Whilst, therefore, he
“ is glad to be able to assist the Secretary of State
“ for Foreign Affairs in his consideration of the
“ Italian proposals by a full expression ol his own
“ views upon them, he must leave the decision to
“ be arrived at in regard to them to the independent
“ responsibility and judgment of the Secretary of
“ State for Foreign Affairs.”
The decision of Her Majesty’s Government was
communicated to General Menabrea verbally on
the 19th August.* Lord Granville said that he
had consulted the Secretary of State for India on
the subject, and that, after full consideration, the
conclusion had been come to that the proposal was
one which Her Majesty’s Government could not
accept. He recapitulated briefly what had passed
between the two Governments in regard to the
question, reminding General Menabrea that Her
Majesty’s Government had throughout maintained
that the legitimate sovereignty of the coast belonged
unquestionably to the Euler of Egypt, governing
under the suzerainty of the Sultan, and that they
could not admit that that sovereignty could be in
validated or interrupted by the action of any local
Chief. Her Majesty’s Government had consented
to take note of the assurances given by Signor
Cairoli that no Italian Government establishment
of a military character would ever be formed at
Assab, and that no troops or fortifications would be
maintained, either on the mainland or on the islands
in the Bay. But they had at the same time stated
that they were unable to make sucb a declaration
as had been desired by the Italian Ministers, to the
effect that the establishment at Assab Bay not only
met with no opposition on the part of Her Majesty’s
Government, but would receive their moral support.
They had felt that such a declaration w r ould be at
variance with the language hitherto held, and
would put the Egyptian Government in a false
position.
For the same reason Her Majesty’s Government
felt that they must decline the present proposal.
They considered that it would be inconsistent with
their previous attitude, and would be liable to be
construed as a practical recognition of territorial
rights of which they denied the validity.
General Menabrea said that he regretted this
decision; that whatever might be the view taken
by Her Majesty’s Government of the rights of the
question, the existence of the Italian establishment
* Lord Granville to Mr. Macdonell;
No. 354,19th August 1881.
From Foreign Office, 25th August 1881;
No. 619.