518


FOREIGN RELATIONS.


have now to send you, inclosed herewith, a further communication from
his lordship, with a copy of a dispatch on the subject from Her Majesty's
consul-general at Tripoli.
   This correspondence, while it tends to show a desire and endeavor on
the part of the British government in good faith to suppress or dis-
courage this clandestine traffic, discloses also the fact that practices
are
admitted to still prevail at Tripoli which are, in effect, a continuing con-
nivance there with the detested trade, and that this connivance of the
Turkish. authorities is somehow successful and beyond the efforts of the
officials at Malta to detect or prevent.
        I have, &c.,
                                                   ROBT. C. SCHENCK.


                                    [Inclosure.]

                         The Earl of Derly to Mr. Moran.
                                                FOREIGN OFFICE, June 1, 1874.
  Sin: With reference to the note which I had the honor to address to you
on
the 25th of March relative to the reported increase of the slave-traffic
from Tripoli,
through Malta, to Constantinople, I have now the honor to forward to you,
for your
information, a copy of a dispatch which has been received from Her Majesty's
consul-
general at Tripoli, in which that officer points out the difficulties which
must always
exist in the way of the entire repression of this traffic, but also expresses
his opinion
that it is on the decrease, and that there is no reason for supposing that
the Malta
police in any way connive at its existence.
  A copy of Mr. Hay's dispatch has been forwarded to Her Majesty's minister
at Wash-
ington for communication to Mr. Secretary Fish.
      I have, &c.,
                                                                      DERBY.

                           [Inclosure in inclosure in No. 577.]

                           Mr. Hay to theEarl of Derby.

                                             BRITIs1 SCONSULATE-GENERAL,
                                                          Iripoli, April
27, 1874.
  My LORD: In acknowledging the receipt of your lordship's dispatch S. T.
No. 1,
of the 26th ultimo, transmitting oa copy of a note and inclosures from Mr.
Moran,
the charg6 d'affaires of the United States, relative to an alleged slave-trade
carried on
through Malta between Tripoli and Turkey, I have the honor to state that
nothing
has come to my knowledge which would justify the imputation on the police
Authori-
ties at Malta of having sanctioned or connived at a traffic in slaves being
carried on
through that island.
  It is, nevertheless, a fact that Turkish functionaries and military officers
of every
grade leaving this port for Constantinople, whether via Malta or direct,
are generally
accompanied by domestic slaves, these latter being provided with passports
by the
mayor of this town, who is supposed not to furnish these documents until
satisfied
that the bearers proceed on the voyage as domestic servants and of their
own free
will. Under this system abuses have no doubt taken place, and those papers
have
often, I am informed, been furnished to the masters of slaves without any
inquiries
being made of the slaves themselves, a small bribe given by their masters
smoothing all
difficulties in the matter. Moreover the slaves themselves are often willing
and anx-
ious to proceed to Constantinople, and assert that they are not slaves when
they find
that an admission of their real character would prove an obstacle to their
departure.
While at Malta they are still more unlikely to admit their state and demand
their
freedom than they would be here, in consequence of ýthe belief generally
prevailing
among them-which is diligently kept alive by their masters-that the object
of the
Malta authorities in endeavoring to set them free is to convert them to Christianity;
and they are otherwise induced by threats and promises to assert their willingness
to
proceed on the voyage, even wheni reluctant to do so.
  With regard to the slave-trade in general, I am happy to be able to report
a. consider-
able decrease in the importation of slaves from the interior of Africa and
their clan-