THE PORTUGUESE QUESTION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 932, 10 January 1890, Page 17

THE PORTUGUESE QUESTION.

By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) London, January 7. Lord Salisbury peremptorily ignores the Portuguese pretensions, and insists on the rights of England, and threatens an immediate diplomatic rupture, or worse, unless satisfaction j (a given for Major Pinto’s outrages. Ihe report that a British fleet will rendezvous at the Tagus on the 12th January is believed to be premature. The Standard insists on vigorous action for the purpose of restoring English prestige in Africa. German engineers are laying mines at the mouth of the Tagus. The Portuguese Government hap replied to Lord Salisbury’s communication, but the purport of the answer is not yet known. A squadron lias been ordered to Zanzibar and eight more ships proceed to Gibraltar. The mouth of the Tagus is being fortified with torpedoes. The English press insist that the insult to the national flag shall be avenged, otherwise the natives of Africa will despise it. London, January 8 Lord Salisbury insists that Portugal shall undertake to prevent a recurrence of the recent outrages in the Zambesi; which if repeated must interfere with the diplomatic settlement of the dispute. It is thought in diplomatic circles that Portugal will seek to maintain the status quo it England will act similarly. H.M. ships Calliope, Satellite, Reindeer, and Conquest b%ve sailed tor Zanzibar. It # believed that their destination, is Belagoa Bay.

PORTUGAL AND MASHOMALAND. IMPORTANT DESPATCH FROM LOP H D SALISBURY, Mr Petre, the British Minute? at Lisbon, handed to t%e ‘ Minister of Foreign Affairs on November 25 Loro despatch of November testing against the olaims pt ‘ -i, proMasbonaland. -* Portugal m The follow*to -.- .og ia the despatch referred

Foreign Office, November 21, 1889. o; r Jn your despatch of the 16th mst., I received a copy of the following royal decree which was published m the official Gazette of the 9th Inst. It purports to nlace a large territory under Portuguese £dm!«i»UatiL in.be Interioroi Afnc. to to the north and south of the Zambesi river. The district, to which the name of Zumbo is given, appears to comnriso a great part of Mashonaland End »» immense tree* to the northwwd. approaching the frontiers of the Con e ol r State and the watershed of Lake Nyassa. I encloso a map indicating the 'rentiers s forth in that decree. I have to request > ou to remind the Portuguese Government that Mashonaland is under British influence, and to state that her Majesty’s Government do not recognise a olaim of Portugal y portion of that territory. The agreement between Lobengula and Great Britain o February 11, 1888, was duly notified to them iu acvwianve with the instruction given by

me to Sir George Bonham in my despatoh of July 24 of that year. It was also officially published in the Cape Colony. The agreement recorded the fact that Lobengula is Ruler of Mashonaland and Makalakalaud. Her Majesty’s Government are also unable to recognise the claims of Portugal to the territory to the north of the Zambesi indicated in the above-mentioned proclamation. So far as they are defined, they follow the course of the Loangwn River, on whose banks there are tribes with whom her Majesty's Government have treaties, and they appear to be inconsistent with British rights established by settlement upon the Shire River and the coasts of Lake Nyassa. Beyond this they assert the jurisdiction of Portugal over vast tracts which are still unoccupied, but the knowledge of which is principally due to British explorers. You will refer Senhor Barros Gomes to the memorandum which you placed in his hands, by my direction, on August 13, 1887, in which it was stated that Her Majesty’s Government protested against any claims in no degree founded on occupation, and that they could nob recognise the sovereignty of Portugal in territory of which she had not practically taken possession, and in which she was represented by no authority capable of exercising the ordinary rights of sovereignty. You will formally renew this protest. You will inform his Excellency that Her Majesty’s Government recognise on the Upper Zambesi the existence of Portuguese occupation at Tete and Zamb:i,. but that they have no knowledge of the occupation of any other place or district. You will place a copy of this despatch at once in the hands of Senhor Barroß Gomes. —I am, &c., (Signed) Salisbory. George Glyn Petre, Esq., C.B. PORTUGAL’S REPLY.

The London Times of December 4th publishes the reply of the Portuguese Government to Lord Salisbury. The reply reiterates the statement that Portugal is within her rights in claiming sovereignty over the African territory in dispute, and denies that the resignation of the local directors constituted a disappearance of the Portuguese Company. Failing an amicable arrangement, however, Portugal states that she will agree to Lord Salisbury’s proposal to submit the case to arbitration. VIGOROUS PORTUGUESE PROTESTS. Lisbon, December 4. —ln response to the protests which the Biitieh Minister here was instiucted to make against the Portuguese claim to the ownership of Mashonaland, there are made now vigorous Portuguese protests. The Lisbon Geographical Society has protested against the action of the British authorities in supplying the Lobengulu with rifles for the purpose of enslaving the natives of Mashonaland, and demands that energetic measures be immediately taken for the protection of the natives.. This protest, it will be seen, accuses the British Government of being concerned in the slave trade. The society also protests against the visits of the British Consul at Mozambique to the interior. THE PORTUGUESE PRESS. A firm but moderate tone is adopted by all the Portuguese Press, without distinction of party, in commenting upon Lord Salisbury’s despatch of November 21st, protesting against the Portugese claim to a large territory to. the north and south of the Zambesi River; the journals of all shades of opinion uniting to support the Government in safeguarding the rights of Portugal. The journals rebut the charge of upholding slavery that has been brought against Portugal, and point out that the Anti-Slavery Conference, which has been opened under suoh happy auspices at Brussels, has had communication of documents showing what has for a long time past been the action of Portugal, which was the first European nation to abolish slavery.