No. 49.-Mr. Sec". Canning to The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. IN reference to the Letter addressed by the late Marquess of Londonderry to Your Lordships on the 19th of February 1819, inclosing Copies of certain Treaties entered into with Foreign Powers for preventing illegal Slave Trade; I furnish Your Lordships with 50 Copies of Articles Signed at Brussells, December 31, 1822, and January 25, 1823, Explanatory of, and Additional to, the Treaty concluded at The Hague, May 4, 1818, between His Majesty and The King of The Netherlands for the prevention of that Traffic. I am to signify to Your Lordships The King's commands, that you do issue to the Officers commanding His Majesty's Ships and Vessels, such Instructions, in conformity with the purport of these Articles, as shall be judged necessary for more effectually carrying into execution His Majesty's intentions in the Stipulations therein recorded. I have the honour to be, &c. GEORGE CANNING. The Lords Comm. of the Admiralty. No. 50.-Lord Francis Conyngham to Robert Wilmot, Esq. SIR, Foreign Office, April 19, 1823. IN reference to the Letter from this Department of the 19th of February 1819, inclosing, for the information of Earl Bathurst, Copies of the Treaties entered into with Foreign Powers for preventing illegal Slave Trade-I am directed by Mr. Secretary Canning to send to you the 10 Copies accompanying this Letter, of Articles signed at Brussells, December 31st 1822, and January the 25th 1823, Explanatory of, and Additional to, the Treaty concluded at The Hague, May the 4th 1818, between His Majesty and The King of The Netherlands, for the prevention of that Traffic. I am to request that you will submit to Earl Bathurst the propriety of communicating these Articles to the Colonial Authorities at Sierra Leone, and in the neighbourhood of Surinam. Robert Wilmot, Esq. I am, &c. FRANCIS CONYNGHAM. No. 51.-J. W. Croker, Esq. to Lord Francis Conyngham. MY LORD, Admiralty Office, April 21, 1823. IN reference to Mr. Secretary Canning's Letter to My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty of the 19th instant, transmitting Copies of some Explanatory and Additional Articles to the Treaty concluded with The King of The Netherlands on the 4th of May 1818, for the prevention of the Traffic in Slaves, I am commanded by My Lords to acquaint you, for the information of Mr. Canning, that their Lordships have instructed the Commanding Officer of His Majesty's Ships on. the Coast of Africa, to observe and carry into effect, so far as depends upon him, the Stipulations contained in those Articles, and to give corresponding Instructions to the Commanders of the Vessels under his orders; and that their Lordships have also directed the Vessels, upon other Stations, which, under the Treaty of the 4th May 1818, are furnished with the Instructions relative to Vessels engaged in a Traffic in Slaves under the Dutch Flag, to be supplied with Copies of the Additional Articles for their information and guidance. Lord Francis Conyngham. SPAIN. I am, &c. J. W. CROKER. No. 1.-Lionel Hervey, Esq. to The Marquess of Londonderry. (Received April 21.) MY LORD, Madrid, April 4, 1822. WITH reference to Your Lordship's Despatch of the 10th ultimo, directing me to make application to the Spanish Government to forward such Instructions to the Captains of the Spanish Navy as may enable them to stop all Ships engaged in the Slave Trade; I have to state that, having spoken to M. Martinez de la Rosa, he desired that I would address him a Note upon the subject, of which the inclosed is a Copy. He told me last Saturday that he had referred my Note to the Minister of Marine, and that he hoped to be soon able to return me a satisfactory Answer. The Marquess of Londonderry, K.G. SIR, I have the honour, &c. LIONEL HERVEY. (Inclosure.)-Lionel Hervey, Esq. to Don F. Martinez de la Rosa. Madrid, March 12, 1822. I HAVE received Instructions from my Government to express the satisfaction with which His Britannick Majesty has learnt that the Spanish Commissioners at The Havannah have received Orders from their Government to carry punctually into effect, in all their proceedings, the Stipulations of the Slave Trade Abolition Treaty; and that Circular Orders to the same effect have been received by the CaptainGeneral, the Admiral, and the Intendants, with directions to communicate the same to the several branches of their respective Depart ments. As, however, His Britannick Majesty's Government have reason to believe, that the several Spanish Vessels of War cruising in those seas are not furnished with the Special Instructions annexed to the Slave Trade Treaty, to enable them to detain Slave Ships, agreeably to the Stipulations of the Treaty; I am directed to suggest to Your Excellency the expediency of providing the Commanders of these Vessels with such Instructions forthwith, in order to insure the execution of this important duty. I trust that Your Excellency will lend us your good offices in the attainment of this object; and avail myself, &c. Don F. Martinez de la Rosa. LIONEL HERVEY. No. 2.-Lionel Hervey, Esq. to The Marquess of Londonderry. (Received May 26.) (Extract.) Aranjeuz, May 12, 1822. As soon as I had received the Regulations for the Mixed Commissions, I lost no time in drawing M. Martinez de la Rosa's attention to the suggestion contained in Your Lordship's Despatch of the 22nd February,* as to the expediency of extending the Provisions of the Thirteenth Article of those Regulations to the Vacancies occasioned by any other cause than death. His Excellency, at the time, did not start any objection to the proposed extension, but said that he would advise with his Colleagues upon the measure; expressing, however, a wish that the Commission should be removed from Sierra Leone without delay, as the Place was so unhealthy that the Spanish Commissioners could not be persuaded to remain there. When I saw M. Martinez de la Rosa at Madrid, yesterday, he requested me to put my Application upon paper. I propose accordingly to address a Note to His Excellency upon the subject. The Marquess of Londonderry, K.G. LIONEL HERVEY. No. 3.-Lionel Hervey, Esq. to the Marquess of Londonderry. (Received June 2.) (Extract.) Madrid, May 20, 1822. I HAVE the honour to inclose, for Your Lordship's information, a Translation of a Note, which I have lately received from His Excellency M. Martinez de la Rosa, dated 10th May, by which I am requested to inform His Majesty's Government, that Orders have been already given to furnish all Captains of Spanish Vessels of War with a Copy of the Printed Instructions annexed to the Slave Trade treaty. The Marquess of Londonderry, K.G. LIONEL HERVEY, (Inclosure.)-Don F. Martinez de la Rosa to Lionel Hervey, Esq. SIR, (Translation.) Palace, May 10, 1822. I HAVE the honour to inform you, and to request that you will be pleased to communicate to the British Government, that on the 6th instant, the Minister of Marine transmitted to the Admiral and Commandant of the Dock Yard at the Havannah, the Order for providing the Captains of the Spanish Vessels of War cruizing off the Barlovento Islands, with the Instructions annexed to the Treaty for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, and for instructing them to observe, most punctually, all the Stipulations of the said Treaty. Having thus replied satisfactorily to the Note which you were pleased to address to me upon this subject, on the 12th of March last, it only remains for me to renew to you the assurance, &c. &c. Lionel Hervey, Esq. F. MARTINEZ DE LA ROSA. No. 4.-Lionel Hervey, Esq. to the Marquess of Londonderry. (Received June 27.) (Extract.) Madrid, June 11, 1822. I HAVE the honour to inclose, for Your Lordship's information, a Copy of my Note to M. Martinez de la Rosa, respecting the illegal renewal of the Old Royal Licences for Slave Ships, by Spanish Colonial Authorities; together with a Translation of His Excellency's Answer, which is of a very satisfactory nature. The Marquess of Londonderry, K.G. LIONEL HERVEY. (Inclosure 1.)-Lionel Hervey, Esq. to Don F. Martinez de la Rosa. Madrid, May 24, 1822. THE Undersigned, &c. has received Instructions from his Court, to call the attention of His Catholick Majesty's Government to a very considerable Abuse practised by the Colonial Authorities of Spain, with respect to Passports formerly granted by the Spanish Government, for carrying on the Slave Trade, previous to its entire Abolition by that Power. This abuse consists, as will appear by the annexed Inclosures, in the renewal of the Royal Passports of the legitimate Traffick, for fresh Voyages, by means of Notes or Memoranda, indorsed or subjoined, bearing the Signature of the Local Authorities, and assigning some colourable pretext for the assent of these Authorities to this evasion of the Engagements of their Sovereign. The Undersigned is fully convinced, that he has only to make known to the Ministers of His Catholick Majesty the Abuses which thus exist, in order to induce them to issue immediate and positive Orders to their Colonial Authorities, to discontinue a practice which, if persevered in, would render ineffectual the fulfilment, with the greatest good faith by the Mother Country, of the Stipulations into which She has entered with Great Britain, for the complete Abolition of the Slave Trade, at the period fixed by the Treaty of 1817. The Undersigned, &c. Don F. Martinez de la Rosa. LIONEL HERVEY. SIR, (Inclosure 2.)—Don F. Martinez de la Rosa to Lionel Hervey, Esq. (Translation.) Palace, June 3, 1822. I HAVE received the Note which you were pleased to address to me on the 24th of last May, complaining of an Abuse on the part of the Authorities in the Island of Cuba, in renewing, by means of Marginal Notes, on different pretexts, the Old Royal Licences for carrying on the Slave Trade. The King, to whom I have had the honour of submitting this Reclamation of the British Government, desirous of fulfilling most scrupulously all the Stipulations of the Treaty for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, has commanded me to send out (as I have done this very day,) the most positive Orders for preventing any repetition of similar Abuses, and for examining most severely into the conduct of any Persons who may in future be found guilty of such criminal proceedings. I have, &c. Lionel Hervey, Esq. F. MARTINEZ DE LA ROSA. No. 5.-Lionel Hervey, Esq. to the Marquess of Londonderry. (Extract.) (Rec. June 27.) Madrid, June 13, 1822. I HAVE the honour to inclose the Copy of a Note which I addressed to Don F. Martinez de la Rosa, on the 11th of last Month, together with His Excellency's Answer. As soon as I received this Note I drew up a Declaration, of which the inclosed is a Copy, and proposed it to him, the day before yesterday, for his Signature. His Excellency made no objection to the wording of the Declaration, but observed that, by an Article of the Constitution, it was indispensably necessary to consult the Council of State, before any Additional Article could be affixed to a Treaty, or any Alteration made in any of its Stipulations. I replied, that this Declaration only went to the explanation of an Article which had been imperfectly drawn up, and could not be considered as an alteration of, or addition to, the Treaty; but as I found His Excellency still averse to the measure of signing the Declaration, and as he suggested that every object in contemplation would be accomplished by transmitting the Declaration, as I had drawn it up, but without Signature, for the guidance of the Mixed Commissions, I did not press the proposition further, but consented to the alternative of inclosing the Declaration to His Excellency in an Official Note, which he promised to answer in such terms as he thought would prove satisfactory to my Government. I accordingly presented a Note yester |