before the King, and that 2 disinterested parties on each side shall decide upon the matter; and if a majority cannot be obtained, the King is to give a casting vote: but should the King be an interested party, a person shall be elected by the other 4 to give the casting vote, and their decision shall be final.

XIII. It is to be understood that packs of shakes are not to be subjected to per-centage, unless landed for the purpose of sale.

XIV. That a copy of this agreement shall be delivered to the person having charge of the Custom-House, and he shall be instructed to show it to all persons entering the river for the purposes of trade.

Upon further consideration the 2 following Articles were added: ART. I. That no person arriving for the purpose of trade shall be compelled to receive or provide for any persons they may consider as unnecessary to their trade.

II. That the whole of this agreement shall be publicly made known to the inhabitants of Lagos, by the proper person.

Dated at Lagos, February 28, 1852.
AMADIE, Austrian Merchant.
W. DUGGAN, English

Merchant.

FURRA, Portuguese Merchant. W. SILLIS, English Merchant. G. F. OITZMAN, Supercargo and Captain of the Hambro ship Tombola.

their

KING AKITOYE >
AHGENIA

Signed in my presence at the King's House, at Lagos, February

28th, 1852.

Witness:

NORMAN B. BEDINGFELD, Lieutenant,
Commander of Her Majesty's ship Jackal.

TOBIAS E. PALMER, Clerk in charge of Her Majesty's

steam-vessel Bloodhound.

(15.)-ENGAGEMENT between Her Majesty the Queen of England and the Chiefs of Bussama, for the Abolition of the Traffic in Slaves. -Signed at Bussama, Rio Grande, March 9, 1852.

EDWARD S. SOTHEBY, Esquire, Commander of Her Majesty's ship Sealark, on the part of Her Majesty the Queen of England, and the Chiefs of Bussama, in the Rio Grande, and of the neighbourhood, on the part of themselves and of their country, have agreed upon the following Articles and Conditions:

ART. I. The export of slaves to foreign countries is for ever abolished in the territories of the Chiefs of Bussama, and the Chiefs of Bussama engage to make and to proclaim a law prohibiting any of their subjects, or any person within their jurisdiction, from selling or assisting in the sale of any slave for transportation to a foreign country; and the Chiefs of Bussama promise to inflict a severe punishment on any person who shall break this law.

II. No European, or other person whatever, shall be permitted to reside within the territory of the Chiefs of Bussama for the purpose of carrying on in any way the Traffic in Slaves; and no houses, or stores, or buildings of any kind whatever, shall be erected for the purpose of Slave Trade, within the territory of the Chiefs of Bussama, and if any such houses, stores, or buildings, shall at any future time be erected, and the Chiefs of Bussama shall fail or be unable to destroy them, they may be destroyed by any British officers employed for the suppression of Slave Trade.

III. If at any time it shall appear that Slave Trade has been carried on through or from the territory of the Chiefs of Bussama, the Slave Trade may be put down by Great Britain by force upon that territory, and British officers may seize the boats of the said Chiefs found anywhere carrying on the Slave Trade; and the Chiefs of Bussama will be subject to a severe act of displeasure on the part of the Queen of England.

. IV. The slaves now held for exportation shall be delivered up to any British man-of-war, for the purpose of being carried to a British colony, and there liberated; and all the implements of Slave Trade, and the barracoons, or buildings exclusively used in the Slave Trade, shall be forthwith destroyed.

V. Europeans or other persons now engaged in the Slave Trade are to be expelled the country; the houses, stores, or buildings, hitherto employed as slave factories, if not converted to lawful purposes within 3 months of the conclusion of this Engagement, are to be destroyed.

VI. The subjects of the Queen of England may always trade freely with the people of Bussama in every article they may wish to buy and sell in all the places and ports and rivers within the territories of the Chiefs of Bussama, and throughout the whole of their dominions; and the Chiefs of Bussama pledge themselves to show no favour, and give no privilege to the ships and traders of other countries, which they do not show to those of England.

VII. Power is hereby expressly reserved to the Republic of France to become a party to this Treaty, if the Republic of France should think fit, agreeably to the provisions of Article V of the Convention between Her Majesty and the late King of the French, signed at London, on the 29th of May, 1845.

In faith of which we have hereunto set our hands and seals at Bussama, Rio Grande, the 9th day of March, 1852.

Her Majesty's

GEORGE TEAIT, Paymaster and Purser, (sloop Sealark.

DAVID JAMES LAWRENCE, Interpreter.

The above Treaty was signed and sealed in our presence.

(16.)-ENGAGEMENT between Her Majesty the Queen of England and the Chiefs of Badagry, for the Abolition of the Traffic in Slaves.Signed at Badagry, March 18, 1852.

JAMES NEWBURGH STRANGE, Esquire, Commander of Her Majesty's ship Archer, on the part of Her Majesty the Queen of England, and the Chiefs of Badagry and of the neighbourhood, on the part of themselves and of their country, have agreed upon the following Articles and Conditions:

ART. I. The export of slaves to foreign countries is for ever abolished in the territories of the Chiefs of Badagry, and the Chiefs of Badagry engage to make and proclaim a law prohibiting any of their subjects, or any person within their jurisdiction, from selling or assisting in the sale of any slave for transportation to a foreign country; and the Chiefs of Badagry promise to inflict a severe punishment on any person who shall break this law.

II. No European, or other person whatever, shall be permitted to reside within the territory of the Chiefs of Badagry for the purpose of carrying on in any way the traffic in slaves; and no houses, or stores, or buildings of any kind whatever, shall be erected for the purpose of Slave Trade, within the territories of the Chiefs of Badagry; and if any such houses, stores, or buildings, shall at any future time be erected, and the Chiefs of Badagry shall fail or be unable to destroy them, they may be destoyed by any British officers employed for the suppression of Slave Trade.

III. If at any time it shall appear, that Slave Trade has been carried on through or from the territory of the Chiefs of Badagry, the Slave Trade may be put down by Great Britain by force upon that territory, and British officers may seize the boats of Badagry found anywhere carrying on the Slave Trade; and the Chiefs of Badagry will be subject to a severe act of displeasure on the part of the Queen of England.

IV. The subjects of the Queen of England may always trade freely with the people of Badagry in every article they may wish to buy and sell in all the places and ports and rivers within the territories of the Chiefs of Badagry, and throughout the whole of their dominions; and the Chiefs of Badagry pledge themselves to show no favour, and give no privilege to the ships and traders of other countries, which they do not show to those of England.

V. The slaves now held for exportation shall be delivered up to any British officer, duly authorized to receive them, for the purpose of being carried to a British colony, and there liberated; and all the implements of Slave Trade, and the barracoons, or buildings exclusively used in the Slave Trade, shall forthwith be destroyed.

VI. Europeans, or other persons now engaged in the Slave Trade, are to be expelled the country; the houses, stores, or buildings hitherto employed as slave factories, if not converted to lawful purposes within 3 months of the conclusion of this engagement, are to be destroyed.

VII. The Chiefs of Badagry declare that no human beings shall at any time be sacrificed within their territories on account of religious or other ceremonies, and that they will prevent the barbarous practice of murdering prisoners captured in war.

VIII. Complete protection shall be afforded to missionaries or ministers of the gospel of whatever nation or country, following their vocation of spreading the knowledge and doctrines of Christianity, and extending the benefits of civilization within the territory of the Chiefs of Badagry. Encouragement shall be given to such missionaries or ministers in the pursuits of industry, in building houses for their residence, and schools and chapels. They shall not be hindered or molested in their endeavours to teach the doctrines of Christianity to all persons willing and desirous to be taught, nor shall any subjects of the Chiefs of Badagry who may embrace the Christian faith be, on that account, or on account of the teaching or exercise thereof, molested or troubled in any manner whatsoever. The Chiefs of Badagry further agree to set apart a piece of land, within a convenient distance of the principal towns, to be used as a burial-ground for Christian persons; and the funerals and sepulchres of the dead shall not be disturbed in any way or upon any account.

1X. Power is hereby expressly reserved to the Government of France to become a party to this Treaty, if it should think fit, agreeably with the provision contained in Article V of the Convention between Her Majesty and the King of the French, for the suppression of the traffic in slaves, signed in London, May 29th, 1845.

In faith of which we have set our hands and seals, at Badagry,

RETURN to an Address of the House of Commons, of the Sums paid to Foreign Governments, and of Debts due by them to Great Britain which were cancelled, in consequence of their relinquishing the Slave Trade.-July 8, 1845.*

PORTUGAL.

No debt due to the Government of Great Britain appears to have been so cancelled; but the debt incurred by Portugal for the loan raised in England; under the Convention of 1809, and with the sanction of the British Government, devolved upon Great Britain, in consequence of the annulment of that Convention by the Slave Trade Treaty of 1815.

The particulars are briefly as follows:

By the Treaty between Great Britain and Portugal, concluded at Vienna the 22nd of January, 1815,† the Prince Regent of Portugal agreed that, from and after the ratification and promulgation of that Treaty, it should not be lawful for Portuguese subjects to engage in the Slave Trade on the coast of Africa to the north of the Equator; and by the same Treaty His Britannic Majesty, on his part, agreed to remit, from the date at which the ratification of the Treaty should be promulgated, such further payments as might then remain due and payable upon the loan of 600,000l., made in London for the service of Portugal, in consequence of the Convention between Great Britain and Portugal of the 21st of April, 1809,‡ which Convention was declared to be void and of no effect.

The Treaty of 22nd January, 1815, was ratified and promulgated at Rio de Janeiro, 1st July, 1815; from which date, therefore, Portugal was released from the engagements which she contracted under the Treaty of 1809, for the payment of the interest and sinking fund, and liquidation of the principal of the loan of 600,000%., raised under that Treaty; and those engagements were transferred to Great Britain.

• Laid before Parliament, 1845, with Paper No. 471. Vol. II. Page 348.

Vol. I. Page 508.