have been promulgated by them for the suppression of the Slave Trade,

under cover of the French Flag.

I am, &c.

H. E. Sir Charles Stuart, G.C.B.

GEORGE CANNING.

(Inclosure.)—Mr. Çonsul Parkinson to Mr. Secretary Canning. (Extract.) Pernambuco, March 12, 1823. HAVING reference to my Instructions, requiring me "to keep a watchful eye upon all Undertakings for trading in Slaves," I beg to acquaint you that, on the 2d instant, Le Trident, a French Cutter, commanded by Monsieur T. Borboreau, came into Pernambuco roads with a Cargo of 126 Slaves from the Bonny.

His Majesty's Frigate, Doris, and the French Sloop of War, L'Hirondelle, were then at anchor in the roads, which exciting some apprehension in the Commander, he made signal of distress, and was brought by a Pilot within the reef, that is to say, into the harbour of Pernambuco.

The Trident was recently built and fitted out for this Traffick at Martinique, and during her stay in the River Bonny was dangerously worm-eaten. Nevertheless, having completed her Cargo of Slaves, 133, in a Vessel of less than 100 tons burthen, with a Crew, as I am assured, of eighteen in number, and composed of men of various Nations, she sailed for Surinam. Bad weather and contrary winds frustrated all their endeavours, they were driven out of their course, and sickness, combined with starvation, finally brought them hither.

The arrival created no small embarrassment-the Judge of the Custom House conscientiously refusing entry under any modification, and the Master of the Slave Ship, dreading Capture or detention, should he quit the harbour and again pass under the guns of the Doris. His apprehensions of obstruction from the French Vessel of War seem to have been less strong, and with reason,—the French Sloop of War, L'Hirondelle, and the French Ship lying at this moment within a few cable lengths of each other in the harbour.

Urgent applications were addressed to the Junta of Government to give entry to the Vessel, resting on the unseaworthy state of the Cutter, her absolute want of provisions, and of water, and want of pecuniary funds, the Slaves were designated as Passengers from Martinique, although I have ascertained that the Captain on his arrival made declaration that he came from Cabinda in 75 days, with a Cargo of 133 Slaves, of whom 16 had died in the passage,-and at the Ballast Office, declared that he came from Princes Island. The rights of hospitality were strenuously claimed for the Vessel of a friendly Power, compassion and humanity were invoked on behalf of People avowedly engaged in violating the Laws of their own Country, those of Portugal,-and in trampling under foot the very virtues of which

on their own behalf they claimed the exercise :-finally, the Junta gave way, and an order was issued, authorizing the sale of 20 of the Slaves; permitting the remainder to be placed in the Lazaretto for the recovery of their health.

This event has created a strong sensation here. The Right Hon. George Canning.

JOHN PARKINSON.

UNITED STATES.

No. 1.-The Marquess of Londonderry to the Right Hon. S. Canning. (Extract.) Foreign Office, April 15, 1822.

I DID not lose the opportunity of speaking to Mr. Rush, on another point of increasing interest to this Government, on which I have often had occasion already to address you; viz. the formation of some common System between the Two Countries for the more effectual prevention of the illicit Traffick in Slaves.

The Correspondence which took place between you and Mr. Adams, in the course of last year, and the Report of the Committee to Congress on the subject of the Slave Trade, have been called for, and laid before Parliament; and I stated to Mr. Rush, that however unfavourable the language of the American Government was to our wishes, yet, that the Report above mentioned still gave ground for hope, that, upon the Principles therein laid down, some joint Measure could, in the end, be arranged between the Two Countries.

In order that we might clearly understand each other, I requested Mr. Rush to draw up a Memorandum of our conversation, for transmission to his Government, and I herewith enclose to you a Copy of this Memorandum, which will put you in full possession of all that passed.

His Majesty's Government have, likewise, never relaxed in their earnest endeavours to induce that of France, both sufficiently to enforce their Legislative enactments against illicit Slave Trade, and to improve and extend them in such manner as to put a stop to the Traffick in Slaves, which, it unhappily appears, by the last Accounts from the Coast of Africa, is still very extensively carried on under their Flag.

In Sir Charles Stuart's Communications to this Office, His Excellency has more than once mentioned, how much his efforts with the French Government would be assisted, were the American Minister at Paris enabled to co-operate with him in his representations; and I have, therefore, to desire that you will avail yourself of any opportu

nity, in conversation with Mr. Adams, to state this fact, and to impress upon him the great advantages which might be expected, from an instruction to the American Minister to co-operate with Sir Charles Stuart, in his exertions to induce the French Government to come to some more satisfactory arrangement for the suppression and prevention of this still increasing evil.

I have, in conclusion, only to request that, in the communications which you may hold with the American Ministers upon the subject above alluded to, you will conform your language to what I have here stated, and that you will use your best exertions, whenever the opportunity may offer, for furthering the objects which His Majesty's Government have so much at heart, in the manner I have stated. The Right Hon. Stratford Canning.

LONDONDERRY.

(Inclosure.)-Memorandum of Conversation between the Marquess of Londonderry and Richard Rush, Esq.

WHEN this subject was finished, His Lordship adverted to the Slave Trade, and it is at his special desire that I mention what he said. He remarked that his Government retained an undiminished anxiety to see the effectual downfal of this Traffick, and felt its obligations to continue labouring in so great a work. That more especially was this the case, since the most recent intelligence from Africa gave humanity fresh cause to deplore the augmented prevalence and miseries of the Traffick.

That he had noticed with peculiar satisfaction the doctrines contained in the Report of the Committee of the House of Representatives, on the expediency of mutually authorizing a regulated visit and search of the Vessels of the Two Nations, when suspected of having Slaves illicitly on board (which Report has been republished by Parliament), as it opened a new hope to him that The United States might yet accede to some System of this description; and that, as to the Tribunal before which captured Slaves were to be brought he had little doubt but that such alterations might be proposed, in that part of the plan, as to free it from our constitutional and other objections. His Lordship seemed to point to each State constituting its own Tribunal, before which the Cases should be carried for adjudication. That the British Court had a powerful motive for its continued solicitude, that The United States might see their way to an acquiescence in the Principle of Mutual Search, in the strong impression it was under, that an application by the Two Nations to France, on the basis of their joint consent, would not be without its effect in overcoming the scruples that had hitherto existed with that Power upon the same point; and that, urged by these considerations, it was the

intention of His Majesty's Government to make another effort with the Government of The United States on this subject, believing that an acquiescence in the Principle in question by the Maritime States of the World, would be the only sure means of extirpating the Traffick. That he had abstained until now from approaching the subject again, after the past failures with us, rather choosing that my Government should be left to its own course, under the well-known earnestness of its desire for abolition; but that the duty of formally making the effort alluded to, was one that would not be much longer postponed by him; and of this intimation he requested that I would apprize you. I replied that I would do so, but was entirely explicit with his Lordship upon the occasion. I distinctly said, that I had not the least expectation of my Government agreeing to the mutual Right of Search, under whatever modification or circumstances the proposition might be again exhibited, but on the contrary, entertained the most decided and unequivocal belief, founded upon the reasons heretofore given, that its objections to it in every shape would be insurmountable. That my Instructions, in a word, were absolute and imperious, and left no room for doubt or hesitation in my mind upon the subject. John Quincy Adams, Esq. RICHARD RUSH.

No. 2.-The Right Hon. S. Canning to The Marq. of Londonderry. (Received June 26.)

(Extract.)

Washington, May 8, 1822.

I HAVE already informed Your Lordship that the Slave Trade Committee in the House of Representatives, has again reported in favour of a limited Right of Search. I have now the honour to inclose a Copy of the report, which embraces and enforces, as Your Lordship will perceive, the Report of last year.

I wish it were in my power to add, that Congress had taken up the resolution with which the Report is concluded; but it has confined itself for this Session, to an order for the printing of 2,000 additional Copies of the Report: a Motion to this effect has been carried, and there is reason to hope that an endeavour will be made, under less forbidding circumstances, though still in the face of great difficulties, to bring forward the main Question at an early period of the next Session.

The accompanying Report will be found to contain a Statement of the Number of Cruizers employed at different times on the Coast of Africa by the Government of The United States, and also of the number and present situation of such Africans as have been taken by their Officers, either at Sea or on Shore.

It does not appear that any overture of a general nature, affecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade, has been made, either by or to this Government during the last year, with the exception of an idea thrown

out by the French Minister, though not, as it would seem, under the Instructions of his Court, to obviate the chief objections to a Right of Search, by allowing the several Contracting Parties to appoint Commissioners, vested with that power, on board each other's Cruizers. To this suggestion, which, however impracticable, has proceeded no doubt from a laudable desire to contribute to the Suppression of the Slave Trade, allusion, I believe, is made in the Fifth Annual Report of the American Colonization Society. The Appendix to the same Report will be found to contain an Account of the Settlement which that Society has recently effected, by purchase, at Cape Mesurado, on the Western Coast of Africa.

The House of Representatives has lately passed a Resolution, requesting the President to communicate Copies of the Judicial Proceedings and Correspondence, relating to the case of a French Slave Ship, La Pensée captured some months ago, together with a South American Privateer, La Centinelle, to which she was a prize, by The United States' Sloop of War, Hornet, and sent for adjudication into the Port of New Orleans.

The Marquess of Londonderry, K.G.

STRATFORD CANNING.

(Inclosure.)—Report of a Committee of Congress.

Friday, April 12, 1822.

MR. GORHAM, from the Committee on the suppression of the Slave Trade (in compliance with a Resolution of the 15th of January last), made the following Report, accompanied by a Resolution, which was read:

The Committee on the suppression of the Slave Trade, to whom was referred a Resolution of the House of Representatives, of the 15th of January last, instructing them to inquire whether the Laws of The United States prohibiting that Traffick have been duly executed, also into the general operation thereof, and if any defects exist in those Laws, to suggest adequate remedies therefor; and to whom many memorials have been referred, touching the same subject; have, according to order, had the said Resolution and Memorials under consideration, and beg leave to report :

That under the just and liberal construction put by the Executive on the Acts of Congress of March 3, 1819, and that of the 15th March, 1820, inflicting the punishment of Piracy on the African Slave Trade, a foundation has been laid for the most systematick and vigorous application of the power of The United States to the suppression of that iniquitous Traffick. Its unhappy Subjects, when captured, are restored to their Country,-Agents are there appointed to receive them,-—and a Colony of the offspring of private charity is rising on its shores, in which such as cannot reach their native tribes will find the means of alleviating the calamities they may have endured before their liberation.