A. B. quoted Acts of Parliament and Admiralty decisions to shew he was wrong, but to no purpose: she was released. He, however, recommended we should try our luck in the British and Spanish Mixed Commission Court. This decision took up thirty days. In the Mixed Commission Court a claim for restoration and damages was given in at once. A. B. proceeded over nearly the same ground, and brought home perjury to the Master, several times. Here the Judge (Fitzgerald), was for condemnation, on the grounds that Atkins was part Owner, at least, and that Krause had sworn to so many lies that he could not be believed when he asserted she was a Swede. Mr. Gregory, however, objected; he believed she was a Swede, and did not think, if employed on account of Spanish Subjects, or even if partly owned by them, she could be condemned if sailing under another Flag. A. B. pressed upon him that part of the fifth Article, which declares unlawful, Slave-trading, "either by Spa“nish Ships or under the Spanish Flag, or for the account of Spanish Subjects by any Vessel or under any Flag whatever; after the 30th “May, 1820, &c." and asked him what it could apply to, but to Vessels under circumstances like this. He gave no answer, and we continued in this state of suspense for five weeks, with the Judges of different opinions. Mr. Gregory, however, got enlightened soon after the Commodore's return; found out that Krause was a great liar, the Swedish Papers a sham, the Vessel all Spanish, and he condemned her. It has at last turned out that she is not the Joseph, Krause had at Gustavia, but a Vessel picked up at Matanzas, and fitted out for this voyage under the same name. No. 3.—C. M. St. George, Esq. to Mr. Sccy. Canning.—(Rec. Dec. 5.) The Right Hon. George Canning. CHAS. M. ST. GEORGE. No. 4.-C. M. St. George, Esq. to Mr. Secy. Canning.—(Rec. Dec. 25.) Stockholm, December 14, 1822. (Extract.) You will receive with satisfaction the inclosed Note from Count d'Engeström, which, publickly and explicitly, abjures, on the part of The King of Sweden, all concern whatever, in any form or modification of Slave Trade,-excludes from the protection of the Swedish Flag, all Persons or Vessels, whether Swedish or Foreign, that may be found engaged in that Traffick, and authorizes the transmissal to His Brittannick Majesty's Cruizers of Count Engeström's Declaration to the above effect. The Right Hon. George Canning. C. M. ST. GEORGE. (Inclosure.)-Count Engeström to C. M. St. George, Esq. Stockholm, le 13 Décembre 1822. LE Soussigné, Ministre d'Etat et des Affaires Etrangères de S. M. Le Roi de Suède et de Norvège n'a pas manqué de mettre sous les yeux du Roi, la Note, que M. de St. George, Chargé d'Affaires de Sa Majesté Britannique, a bien voulu lui adresser, en date du 9 Novembre, relativement aux mesures à prendre pour prévenir l'abus du Pavillon Suédois dans la Traite des Négres ; et le Soussigné se fait un devoir bien agréable de faire part à Monsieur de St. George des hautes décisions du Roi sur un objet aussi intéressant. Pour ce qui concerne d'abord le fait particulier, cité dans la Note de Monsieur de St. George, il paroit constaté par la procédure, que bâtiment, le Joseph étoit Espagnol, malgré qu'il se soit illicitement servi du Pavillon Suédois. Les recherches les plus scrupuleuses seront néanmoins ordonnées dans la Colonie de St. Barthelemy, pour obtenir, s'il est possible, quelques renseignemens plus positifs à cet égard, lesquels seront de suite communiqués au Ministère de S. M. Britannique. Pour ce qui en est des mesures plus générales à adopter contre les abus en question, S. M. Le Roi de Suède et de Norvège sera le premier à y concourir par tous les moyens en Son pouvoir. La Législation Suédoise essentiellement protectrice des droits de l'humanité a depuis un tems immémorial, aboli et défendu l'Esclavage sous quelque forme qu'ils se présentat; et la Traite des Négres s'est par conséquent trouvé impliquée dans cette défense générale. Le Roi compte parmi les plus beaux titres de gloire de Son Auguste Père, feu S. M. Le Roi Charles XIII. de s'être associé aux nobles efforts du Gouvernement et de la Nation Britannique, pour prévenir ce fléau de l'humanité, par l'Engagement contracté dans la Section 4 de l'Article Séparé du Traité du 3 Mars 1813; Engagement, qui découloit naturellement du texte même de nos Loix, mais qui n'en renfermoit pas moins la déclaration la plus explicite des principes, qui ne cesseront jamais d'être ceux du Gouvernement du Roi. La Suède a depuis pris part aux mesures adoptées par le Congrès de Vienne, pour effectuer l'Abolition d'un Trafic, honteux pour l'humanité, indigne d'un siécle civilisé, et également dégradant pour ceux qui s'y livrent, et pour ceux qui en sont les malheureuses victimes. Confondant ainsi les antiques dispositions des Loix de la Suède avec les Engagemens récemment contractés avec un Gouvernement Allié, qui de tout tems s'est prononcé avec courage et persévérance contre l'oppression, Le Roi se félicite de pouvoir donner en cette occasion un nouveau gage des sentimens qui animent Sa Majesté, ainsi que de Son désir d'aller au devant des vuës éclairées et bienfaisantes de Sa Majesté Britannique, en autorisant le Soussigné à déclarer : Que tout bâtiment Suédois ou Norvégien qui, contre toute attente, seroit trouvé employé dans une entreprise aussi illicite que la Traite des Négres, ayant contrevenu aux Loix du Pays, sera censé avoir renoncé par le fait même, à tout droit de réclamer la protection du Gouvernement Suédois et Norvégien, laquelle lui seroit refusée le cas échéant; qu'à plus forte raison, Sa Majesté n'entend point, que le Pavillon Suédois ou Norvégien frauduleusement porté par des bâtimens étrangères puisse leur servir de protection contre les inconveniens, auxquels ils se seront exposés en se livrant à un Trafic aussi odieux: Que Le Roi sera toujours redevable au Gouvernement Britannique de la découverte et de la punition de tout abus du Pavillon Suédois ou Norvégien, dont Sa Majesté cherche à soutenir l'honneur en toute occasion; et enfin, que par suite de ces principes, Le Roi consent, à ce que tout bâtiment trouvé engagé dans la Traite des Négres et portant Pavillon Suédois ou Norvégien, soit traité exactement comme s'il n'avois jamais arboré ce Pavillon. En donnant ces assurances au Ministère de Sa Majesté Britannique, au nom du Roi, son Auguste Souverain, le Soussigné est chargé d'ajouter, que le Gouvernement Suèdois n'a aucune objection à ce que le conténu de cette Nôte soit porté à la connoissance des Officiers Commandans de S. M. Britannique de la manière qui sera jugée la plus convenable. M. St. George. Le Soussigné profite de cette occasion, &c. LE COMTE D'ENGESTROM. No. 5.-C. M. St. George, Esq. to Mr. Secy. Canning.-(Rec. Apr. 4.) Stockholm, March 20, 1823. (Extract.) IN reference to my Despatch of the 14th of December of last year, I have the honour to inclose a Proclamation, lately issued by this Government, declaring the Swedish and Norwegian Flag to be no protection, in any case of Slave Dealing whatever. The Rt. Hon. George Canning. CHARLES M. ST. GEORGE. (Inclosure.)-Royal Ordinance respecting the consequences to which Swedish Vessels expose themselves, which shall be employed in the Slave Trade. (Translation.) WE, Charles John, do hereby declare, that desiring most carefully to maintain the principles which have been adopted by Our Father, King Charles XIII. of glorious memory, and which are conformable to Our own sentiments, against the Traffick of Slaves, We have found it expedient hereby to declare, that Swedish and Norwegian Vessels which shall be employed in the Slave Trade, shall lose by this contravention of Our Orders, Our Royal protection, and that of our Officers and Functionaries; that we shall see with satisfaction, discovered and punished, every use which may be made of the Swedish and Norwegian Flag in the prosecution of this odious Traffick; and that, in consequence, all Vessels which shall be found participating in the Slave Trade under Swedish and Norwegian Colours, shall be looked upon as not carrying those Colours: which shall hereafter be considered as a Law. In virtue of which, &c. CHARLES JOHN, (L. S.) Given at the Palace of Stockholm this Seventh day of February 1823. C. D. SKOGMAN. No. 6. Mr. Secretary Canning to Sir Benjamin Bloomfield. SIR, Foreign Office, May 9, 1823. MR. ST. GEORGE inclosed to me, in his Despatch of the 20th of March last, the Copy of a Proclamation which The King of Sweden issued on the 7th of February 1823, declaring that all Vessels, Swedish or Norwegian, or under Swedish or Norwegian Colours, found to be participating in the Slave Trade, should forfeit all right to the protection of the Swedish or Norwegian Flag, or Sovereignty. I am to direct you to state to the Government of Sweden, that His Majesty has derived great satisfaction from this convincing mark of His Swedish Majesty's firm and honourable determination, to adhere to the principle of "not permitting Swedish Subjects to engage in the detestable Traffick in Slaves." You will add, that, in order to give due effect to the spirit of this Proclamation, and to enable Great Britain to issue corresponding Instructions to her Cruizers, and to the British Commissioners, and others employed in putting down illegal Slave Trade, it will be essential that a Conventional Arrangement should be entered into between Great Britain and Sweden, binding upon both Parties, with respect to the effect of the Proclamation, and defining (it it be thought necessary,) the measures and the forms which are to be adhered to in carrying the object of that Document into execution. You will state that you are ready to open a Negociation upon this matter; and, if there shall appear to be a disposition to come to some definitive arrangement upon it, you will invite them to prepare the Projet of a Treaty or Convention, which you will transmit Home for consideration. Full Powers for concluding the same will be sent out to you, as soon as the state of the Negociation shall render it necessary. I inclose, in the mean while, for your information and guidance, Copies of the several Papers which have been laid before Parliament by His Majesty's command, upon the subject of the Slave Trade, including Copies of the Treaties entered into by His Majesty with Spain, Portugal, and The Netherlands, for preventing the continuation of this odious Traffick. I am, &c. The Rt. Hon. Sir Benjn. Bloomfield. GEORGE CANNING.. DENMARK. No. 1.-H. U. Addington, Esq. to The Marquess of Londonderry. (Received April 25.) (Extract) Copenhagen, April 16, 1822. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Lordship's Despatch of the 26th March, relative to the irregular practices pursued at the Danish Colony of St. Thomas, in furtherance of the Slave Trade. I lost no time in bringing this subject under the consideration of this Government; and M. Rosenkrantz assured me that Orders should be immediately dispatched to the Governor of the Danish West India Colonies, to sift the matter to the bottom, and to adopt the necessary measures for preventing a recurrence of the practices complained of. The Marquess of Londonderry, K.G. H. U. ADDINGTON. No. 2.-Augustus J. Foster, Esq. to Earl Bathurst.—(Rec. Sept. 18.) I HAVE the honour to transmit to Your Lordship the inclosed Copy of a Reply, which M. Rosenkrantz, His Danish Majesty's Minister for Foreign Affairs, has just sent to me, in answer to the representation which Mr. Addington made to him, pursuant to the Instructions he had received from Lord Londonderry the 26th of last March, in consequence of a complaint of the French Government, relative to a practice, said to exist at St. Thomas's, of counterfeiting French Ships' Papers, for the use of Vessels engaged in the Slave Trade; but which allegation the Danish Minister shews, by the admission of the French Commercial Agent himself, who was said to have given the information, to be wholly groundless. I have the honour to be, &c. Earl Bathurst, K.G. AUGUSTUS J. FOSTER. |