"ملف 5/65 I مسألة التصرف مع العتقاء من الرق واقتراح بالتحقق من حركة المرور بين موانئ مسقط وعُمان وزنجبار" [و‎‎٣‎٩] (٢٠٠/٨٨)

s
J
PROCEEDINGS OF THE
TOREIGN DEPARTMENT, SEPTEMBER 1899.
Practice followed at Aden and Maskat in surrendering fugitive slaves. Pro
No. 2.
J'
9
A
P
peactice followed at aden^and^maskat in stjkrendehing puqi-
India Office,
London, 7tli July 1899.
Secret.
No. 32.
To His Excellency the Right Hon'ble the Governor-General of
India in Conncil.
M y L ord,
Slave trade : practice followed at Aden and
Maskat in surrendiug fugitive slaves.
have received and considered Your Excellency's letter No. 90, in the
Secret Department, dated the 11th of
May, relative to the surrender of fugitive
^ ^ ^51 offenders from the British settlement at
Aden, and the manumission of slaves at Maskat.
2. I observe that the Goyernment of Bombay report that the heinous
offences for which extradition is granted to Lahej are confined to offences enu
merated in the Foreign Jurisdiction and Extradition Act, and that the condi
tion referred to in paragraph 4 of my despatch No, 17 (Secret), dated the 22nd
of July 1898, is observed. Your Excellency in Council has agreed that the
practice, thus limited and defined, of surrendering criminals may be continued
in respect to offenders from tribal areas other than Lahej, and such sur
renders would, I presume, be granted only when a 'prima facie case had been
established to the satisfaction of the Resident. Your proceedings have my
approval.
3. I note that the practice in respect of the manumission of slaves at
Maskat is that now described by Major Fagan in his memorandum dated the
23rd of January 1899, enclosed in Colonel Meade's letter of the 19th of Febru-
ary 1899. Upon this I desire to offer the following observations. It is reported
that the practice inaugurated by Commander Haker has now been altered, and
that slaves who have taken refuge on Her Majesty's vessels within Maskat
waters will be sent to the Consulate. In connection with this, it is desirable to
call the attention of the Political Agent at Maskat to section 99, et seq., of
the general instructions for the guidance of the Captains and Commanding
Officers of Her Majesty's ships-of-war employed in the suppression of the slave
trade. Those instructions are still in force and must be followed. With regard
to Major Pagan's description of the existing practice when a slave applies for
freedom at the Consulate, I understand that the Sultan's consent to the manu
mission of a new slave, in every instance, or to that of an old slave when the
Consul considers that a case of cruelty or inhuman treatment is made
out, would not be refused. I have thought it necessary to call the
attention of Your Excellence's Government to these points, because the
Sultan's consent may, under f e circumstances described in General Instruc
tions, paragraph 99, not be required at all, and in other circumstances will not
be refused.
I have the honour to be,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient humble Servant,
GEORGE HAMILTON.
S E—SM—Sept, 1
No- 2.
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