No. 168.
Mr. Fish to Mr. Robeson.
Washington, March 30, 1872.
Sir: It has been officially represented to this Department that the privilege reserved by the Imaum of Muscat in his treaty with Great Britain for the suppression of the slave-trade, allowing his subjects to continue to import slaves, to be employed as house-servants, has been so grossly abused that the British government desires to put an end to the treaty, so that the cover which it has afforded for keeping up that traffic on the eastern coast of Africa may be removed. The co-operation of this Government has been asked in the matter, but as no definite plan has been suggested for that purpose, it has for the present been declined. Sir Edward Thornton, the British minister here, however, has been informed that the commander of the first man-of-war of the United States which should visit Zanzibar or Muscat would be ordered to intimate to the sovereign of the country that the United States would be glad to see the treaty with England adverted to canceled, as there was reason to believe that the instrument was used as a cloak and a shield to continue the slave-trade generally, in its most offensive form, and with its usual results of distress to the individuals kidnapped, and to the region whence they were obtained. I will consequently thank you to issue such an order whenever its execution may be convenient.
I have, &c.,