"El contenido de dicho Artículo no altera en lo mas minimo la practica seguida hasta el dia, ni puede por tanto introducir novedad en lo que existe respecto al punto á que se refiere el mismo Artículo."

(Translation.)"The contents of said Article do not in the slightest degree change the practice hitherto observed, nor can consequently any alteration be introduced thereby into what at present obtains with respect to the point to which the said Article refers."

The Earl of Malmesbury.

HOWDEN.

NOTES of the Spanish Government, relative to the grant of a Burial Ground for Protestant British Subjects at Madrid. 1850-1853.

(1.)-The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs to the British Minister. (Translation.) Madrid, December 4, 1850. I HAVE received the note which you have been pleased to address to me under date of the 25th October last, in which you state that, having been instructed by your Government to obtain a piece of land to serve as a Burial Ground for Protestant British subjects, and having been informed that the municipal authorities had raised some obstacles respecting the ground bought in 1796, you wish to ascertain whether there will be any objection to the establishment of the Burial Ground in question in some of the different pieces of land which you point out.

I have the honour to inform you, in reply, that I have communicated your inquiry to the Minister of the Interior, requesting him to let me know, after the proper survey of the localities in question, whether there will be any difficulty in the destination of one of those localities to the object above alluded to.

I shall lose no time in communicating to you the answer which may be returned to me; but, in the meantime, I consider it my duty to inform you, for your guidance, that whatever may be the place selected, the conditions of its concession, on the part of Her Majesty's Government, according to the spirit of the communications addressed on several occasions respecting this matter to the British Legation at this court, are the following:

1. That the ground must be inclosed by a wall.

2. That no church, chapel, nor any other sign of a temple, or of public or private worship, will be allowed to be established in it.

3. That any act which may bear the semblance of the use of any ritual whatsoever is to be avoided.

Her Majesty's Government thinks that, by the observance of the preceding conditions, the object which the British Cabinet

has in view may be attained, without giving rise to difficulties and complaints, similar to those which have already from time to time been raised with regard to other establishments of the same kind. I avail, &c.,

Lord Howden.

PEDRO J. PIDAL.

(2.)-The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs to the British Minister. (Translation.)

Sir,

Madrid, July 6, 1851.

WITH reference to the note addressed to you by the Marquis of Pidal on the 4th December last, I have the honour to state to you that the Minister of the Interior has informed me, under date of the 3rd instant, that Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to grant the permission requested by you for the construction of a Burial Ground for British Protestants, under the following conditions:

1st. The Burial Ground will be erected on the hill of San Dámaso, outside the Gate of Toledo, and it will be constructed with subjection to the hygienic or sanitary rules required by establishments of this kind.

2nd. No church, chapel, nor any other sign of a temple, or of public or private worship, will be allowed to be built in the aforesaid Burial Ground.

3rd. All acts which may tend to the performance of any divine service whatsoever are prohibited.

4th. In the conveyance of the dead bodies to the Burial Ground any sort of pomp or publicity shall be avoided.

These conditions, as you will observe, are the same which were contained in the Marquis of Pidal's note, and which have been adopted by Her Majesty's Government, in conformity with the opinion given on that subject by the Royal Council.

I have only to add, that this royal decision has already been communicated to the Governor of the Province of Madrid, and that you may direct the works to be commenced whenever it may suit your convenience. I avail, &c.,

Lord Howden.

EL MARQUES DE MIRAFLORES.

(3.)-The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs to the British

Minister.

My Lord,

(Translation.)

Madrid, May 24, 1853.

WITH reference to what I stated to your Lordship in my note of the 29th ultimo, I have the honour to inform your Lordship that, according to a communication which I have received from the Minister of the Interior, the Queen, my Sovereign, agreeing with the opinion of the Consultive Board of Police of this capital, has

been pleased to grant permission for the construction, at the place known by the name of La Herradura, at a short distance from the hill of San Dámaso, in the vicinity of this capital, of a cemetery for Protestant British subjects who may die in this town; under the following conditions, which have been already communicated to the British Legation in the note of 6th July, 1851.

1st. The cemetery will be erected on the hill of San Dámaso, outside the gate of Toledo, and it will be constructed with subjection to the hygienic or sanitary rules required by establishments of this kind.

2nd. No church, chapel, nor any other sign of a temple, or of public or private worship, will be allowed to be built in the aforesaid cemetery.

3rd. All acts which can give any indication of the performance of any divine service whatsoever are prohibited.

4th. In the conveyance of the dead bodies to the Burial Ground any sort of pomp or publicity shall be avoided.

The Civil Governor of this province has already been made acquainted with the aforesaid royal decision, and on communicating it to your Lordship, I cannot abstain from adding, with reference to what is stated to me by the Minister of the Interior, that the epithet of "gratuitous" which has been applied to the delay which this affair has experienced is not just; because, in spite of the wishes and exertions of the public administration, there are sometimes powerful causes which occasion a necessary delay in the dispatch of business, as has been the case with the affair in question. I avail, &c., Lord Howden. FRANCESCO LERSUNDI.

CIRCULAR of the Captain-General of Havana, for the suppression of Slave Trade. December 23, 1853. (Translation.)

Political Secretary's Office, Havana, December 23, 1853. As at the passing of command from one person in authority to another, who is always surrounded with an increased number of accumulated obligations, the persons who without ceasing are occupied in the prohibited Trade in Slaves brought from Africa are in the habit of availing themselves of the circumstance of entire perplexity and doubt of the subordinate authorities as to the course of greater or less suppression the new supreme authority will adopt, it is my duty to address myself to you at once, in order to inform you, that although I cannot but bear in recollection, for their observance, the laws which protect the private rights of country possessions, I will be at the same time inflexible, and will pursue with the rigour of the law, and with my own authority as Governor, as far as it may go, every employé of whatever class he may be, who may tolerate, consent, or contribute directly or

indirectly to any unlawful introduction in the said trade, either by neglect of his duties, wilful intention or corruption-of which the the careless employé is often too easily accused, even by the very person who does not disdain to avail himself of such disgraceful means, forgetting that there would be no person seduced, did not seducers abound. At the same time, I warn you that with the sole exception above-mentioned, I preserve in all their force and vigour and charge you under the strictest responsibility to observe all the other instructions which my worthy predecessors have given you for the punctual and exact compliance with the engagements contracted by Spain by the Treaties of the 23rd of September, 1817,* and 28th of June, 1835,† relating to the abolition of the said Trade, and to the observance of the spirit and letter of the Penal Law of the 2nd of March, 1845, guaranteeing the same.

But, as on these extensive coasts so much difficulty attends the total extinction of a trade which fosters the desire of gain in many, -for strong and vigorous as may be the coercive means which the authority may put in action, as is shown by the inefficiency of those employed by our faithful and powerful ally, with her numerous and vigilant cruizers, and by us, in the prosecution which (more or less active, but always incessant, notwithstanding what calumny may say) has been carried on with the said object, as the estates in the country experience daily, on account of the recent mortality amongst the slaves, and on account of their increasing development, a greater want of hands to apply to the purposes of cultivation and industry, it is indispensable to go on substituting for that which up to the present has exclusively existed, other labour which may calm the stimulants to exclusive gain, and lead individual interest in the direction of the benevolent intentions of our Queen, and the sacred compliance with the obligations entered into.

It is not necessary to say to you that I speak of the introduction of free labourers, Indians, Asiatics, or Spaniards; but at the same time, it is the will of the Government to encourage, without any exclusive privilege, all private enterprise and contracts that may be effected under the safe guardianship of the Government, and protected by the appended code of regulations which shall be remembered as a stimulus to proceeding with security and success.

In consequence thereof, you will give publicity and the greatest possible circulation to this arrangement, and to the said code of regulations the sole one to be observed in future, annulling those which have existed up to this date.

God protect, &c.,

EL MARQUES DE LA PEZUELA. The Governors and Lieut.-Governors in Cuba.

HERE follows the General Order, to be observed by the colonists imported for the purposes of the sugar estates and country farms, *See Vol. 2, Page 273. + See Vol. 4, Page 440. See Vol. 7, Page 1014.

and by those who enter into contracts with same, by order of the Captain-General, Governor-Superintendent of the Island of Cuba, with assent from the Real Audiencia.

SWEDEN.

LAW AND ORDINANCE of the King of Sweden, for the prevention of Slave Trade. February, March, 1830.

(1.)-Law of The King. Stockholm, February 7, 1830.

(Traduction.)

Nous, Charles Jean, par la grâce de Dieu, Roi de Suède, de Norvège, des Goths et des Vandales, savoir faisons: qu'avec le concours des Etats Généraux du Royaume, nous avons jugé à propos d'établir la suivante :

Loi Pénale contre la Traite des Noirs et la participation à ce Trafic. 1. Quiconque, de dessein prémédité, enlève un ou plusieurs nègres, dans le but de les transporter comme esclaves à un endroit quelconque, ou afin de les vendre comme esclaves ou d'en faire le Trafic, ou bien qui, sciemment, prend à bord d'un navire, y arrête ou enferme un ou plusieurs nègres, dans le but de les transporter ou de les importer quelque part comme esclaves, aura encouru la peine de mort.

2. Aura encouru la même peine celui qui, lui-même, ou par d'autres personnes, armerait ou frêterait un navire ou en permettrait l'emploi pour le transport des nègres, et qui par là aurait contribué à la consommation des délits indiqués dans le § précédent. Si le délit n'a pas été consommé, le coupable sera condamné aux travaux forcés à vie dans une forteresse, si c'est un homme, et dans une maison de correction, si c'est une femme.

3. Quiconque, sans que le délit puisse se référer à aucun de ceux mentionnés dans les §§ 1 et 2, s'engage lui-même dans la Traite des Noirs, ou qui, comme agent, prête la main à l'achat ou à la vente de nègres, ou qui commande à quelqu'autre, ou lui conseille d'enlever des nègres, ou d'en faire la Traite, ou qui employe ou aide quelqu'un dans ce but, ou qui, par l'offre de moyens, assistance personnelle, contrat d'emprunt, de subvention ou d'aliénation d'argent, ou de ce qui a valeur d'argent, l'expédition de documens de sûreté ou autres, sciemment prête la main à la Traite des Noirs ou à leur traitement comme esclaves, sera condamné aux travaux forcés de 5 à 20 ans dans une forteresse, si c'est un homme, et dans une maison de correction, si c'est une femme,