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freely, fully, entirely, and absolutely. I do also covenant and grant that the quiet and peaceable possession thereof shall, with all possible speed, be freely and effectually delivered to the Queen of Great Britain, or such person as Her Majesty shall thereunto appoint, for her use in the performance of this grant; the inhabitants of the said island and territories, as the Queen's subjects, and under her sovereignty, crown, jurisdiction, and government, being still suffered to live there.

II. Docemo will be allowed the use of the title of King in its usual African signification, and will be permitted to decide disputes between natives of Lagos with their consent, subject to appeal to British laws.

III. In the transfer of lands, the stamp of Docemo affixed to the document will be proofs that there are no other native claims upon it, and for this purpose he will be permitted to use it as hitherto.

In consideration of the cession as before mentioned of the Port and Island and Territories of Lagos, the representatives of the Queen of Great Britain do promise, subject to the approval of Her Majesty, that Docemo shall receive an annual pension from the Queen of Great Britain, equal to the net revenue hitherto annually received by him; such pension to be paid at such periods and in such modes as may hereafter be determined.

Lagos, August 6, 1861.

DOCEMO.

OBALEKOW.

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NORMAN B. Bedingfeld, H.M. ship "Prometheus," Senior
Officer, Bights Division.
W. McCOSKRY, Acting Consul.

(ANNEX)-British Proclamation, on taking possession of Lagos. August 6, 1861.

Docemo, King of Lagos, having ceded the sovereignty of Lagos to the Queen of Great Britain, her heirs and successors for ever, we, Norman B. Bedingfeld, Commander of H.M. ship "Prometheus," and Senior Officer of the Bights Division, and William McCoskry, Esquire, Her Britannic Majesty's Acting Consul, do this day formally take possession in the name of Her most gracious Majesty Queen Victoria.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN. British Consulate, Lagos, August 6, 1861.

AGREEMENT between Great Britain and the Alake and Chiefs of Abbeokuta. November 7, 1861.

IN consequence of the representation of Commander Norman B. Bedingfeld, R.N., Senior Officer of the Bights Division of Her

their

Majesty's ships, the Alake and Chiefs of Abbeokuta, express regret that there should have been occasion for the complaint of their want of faith in keeping the Treaty made between them and Her Majesty's Government by Commander Forbes, in 1852.*

They now solemnly declare that the 3 Articles mentioned below, and to which they have now affixed their names, shall be strictly enforced for the future, and be at once made public:

ART. I. With a view of strictly enforcing the 1st Article of the above-mentioned Treaty, the Alake and Chiefs hereby promise to stop the road leading to Okeodou, and other places by which slaves are sent to the coast for exportation, against such export, as far as it is in their power; and they will also punish severely any of their own people against whom it can be proved that they have broken this law.

II. The Alake and Chiefs also solemnly declare that now and after this date, no human being shall be sacrificed, either by them, their people, or others, inside or outside the walls of the town, or anywhere else in their territory.

III. It having been fully explained to the Alake and Chiefs by Commander Bedingfeld the injury caused to legal commerce by shutting the road between Lagos and Abbeokuta ; out of friendship to the Queen of England they are willing to promise that that road shall never again be stopped on any pretext whatever, without the consent and approval of Her Majesty's Government at Lagos; provided always, that when it is deemed expedient to prevent the Egbas from going to Lagos, the merchants must provide themselves with canoe-men from that place.

Signed at the King's Palace, this 7th day of November, 1861.
THE ALAKE.
APESE KEMETA.
LEMO TPOcu.
OKOLOMO.

APISE ERUNOON. NORMAN B. BEDINGFELD, Commander, R.N., Senior Officer for the Bights Division of Her Majesty's ships.

RICHD. F. BURTON, Captain, Her Britannic Majesty's Consul, Fernando Po.

HENRY EALES, Surgeon, Her Majesty's ship "Prometheus."

ARGENTINE CONFEDERATION.

BRITISH TREASURY WARRANT, fixing the rates of Postage on Letters, Newspapers, and Packets transmitted to and from the Argentine Confederation. February 9, 1859.

WHEREAS by an Act of Parliament, passed in the 4th year of *See Treaties with Lagos, &c., 1852, Vol. 9, Pages 33, 35.

the reign of Her present Majesty; intituled "An Act for the regulation of the duties of Postage," power is given to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, from time to time, by Warrant under their hands, to alter and fix any of the rates of British postage, payable by law, on the transmission by the post of foreign or colonial letters or newspapers, or of any other printed papers, and to subject the same to rates of postage according to the weight thereof, and a scale of weight to be contained in such warrant.

And whereas further powers are given to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, by another Act of Parliament passed in the 11th year of the reign of Her present Majesty, intituled " An Act for giving further facilities for the transmission of letters by post, and for the regulating the duties of postage thereon, and for other purposes relating to the Post Office."t

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And whereas certain powers are also given to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury by another Act of Parliament, passed in the 18th year of the reign of Her present Majesty, intituled " An Act to amend the laws relating to the stamp duties on newspapers, and to provide for the transmission by post of printed periodical publications."+

And whereas it is expedient that regulations should be made for the transmission by the post of the letters, newspapers, and packets hereinafter mentioned.

Now we, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, in exercise of the powers reserved to us, in and by the said hereinbefore recited Acts, and every of them, and of all other powers enabling us in this behalf, do by this Warrant, under the hands of 2 of us the said Commissiouers, by the authority of the statute in that case made and provided, order, direct, and declare, as follows:

1. On every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight, posted in the United Kingdom, addressed to the Argentine Confederation, or posted in the Argentine Confederation addressed to the United Kingdom, and transmitted by the post between any part of the United Kingdom and any place in the Argentine Confederation, (the conveyance between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Confederation being by British packet-boat) there shall be charged and taken an uniform rate of postage of 6 pence.

2. On every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight, transmitted by post between the Argentine Confederation and any of Her Majesty's Colonies, or any Foreign Country through the United Kingdom (the conveyance between the Argentine Confederation and the United Kingdom being by British packet-boat) there shall be charged and taken a British rate of postage of 6 pence for the conveyance of every such letter between the Argen*See Vol. 5, Page 248.

† See Vol. 8, Page 247.

See Vol. 10, Page 320.

tine Confederation and any part of the United Kingdom; and for the conveyance of every such letter between the port in the United Kingdom of the departure or arrival of the packet or ship conveying the same, and the Colony or Foreign Country to or from which the same shall be forwarded, such a further or additional rate of postage as shall, from time to time, be charged and payable for British postage on letters not exceeding an ounce in weight, posted or delivered at the port in the United Kingdom of the departure or arrival of the packet or ship conveying the same, and transmitted direct between such port and any such Colony or Foreign Country; provided that, in all cases where such additional rate includes both inland and sea services, there shall be deducted from the said rate of 6 pence the sum of 1 penny, in respect of the inland conveyance under this clause, of every such letter sent through the United Kingdom.

3. On every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight, transmitted by British packet-boat from any port, by the Argentine Confederation to any other Foreign port without passing through the United Kingdom, there shall be charged and taken a British rate of postage of 4 pence.

4. All such respective letters so transmitted as hereinbefore, in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd clauses of this Warrant mentioned, if exceeding an ounce in weight, shall be subject to the several further and additional and progressive rates of postage hereinafter mentioned, that is to say:

On every such letter, if exceeding an ounce in weight, and not exceeding 1 ounce in weight, there shall be charged, taken, and paid, 2 rates of postage.

And on every such letter, if exceeding 1 ounce, and not exceeding 2 ounces in weight, 4 rates of postage.

And on every such letter, if exceeding 2 ounces, and not exceeding 3 ounces in weight, 6 rates of postage.

And for every additional ounce in weight of any such letter, above the weight of 3 ounces, there shall be charged, taken, and paid, 2 additional rates of postage; and every fractional part of such additional ounce shall be charged as an additional ounce in weight; and each progressive and additional rate chargeable under this clause shall be estimated and charged at the sum which any such letter would be charged with under this Warrant, if not exceeding an ounce in weight.

5. Nothing herein contained shall he construed in any wise to annul, prejudice, or affect any of the exemptions and privileges granted by the said recited Act, passed in the 4th year of the reign of Her present Majesty, or to annul, prejudice, or affect any of the privileges which seamen and soldiers employed in Her Majesty's service, and seamen and soldiers employed in the service of the East India Company, are now by law entitled to, of sending and receiving by the post, letters not exceeding an ounce in

weight, subject to the regulations and restrictions in respect of the same.

6. On every printed British newspaper posted in the United Kingdom, addressed to the Argentine Confederation, and on every printed newspaper posted in the Argentine Confederation addressed to the United Kingdom, transmitted by the post between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Confederation, direct by packet-boat, there shall be charged, taken, and paid, in the United Kingdom, the rate of British postage hereinafter mentioned; that is to say: if not exceeding the weight of 4 ounces, a rate of 1 penny; and if exceeding that weight, but not exceeding the weight of 8 ounces, a rate of 2 pence; and for every additional 4 ounces in weight of any such newspaper, above the weight of 8 ounces, an additional rate of 1 penny shall be charged; and any fractional part of such additional 4 ounces shall be charged as an additional 4 ounces in weight.

7. All packets consisting of books, publications, or works of literature or art, whether British, Colonial, or Foreign, and all packets consisting of printed votes and proceedings of the Imperial Parliament posted in the United Kingdom addressed to the Argentine Confederation, or posted in the Argentine Confederation addressed to the United Kingdom, may be transmitted by the post between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Confederation (the sea conveyance being by British packet-boat); and all such respective packets shall be transmitted in conformity with, and under, and subject to, the several regulations, orders, directions, and conditions hereinafter mentioned and contained relating thereto; and the single rate of postage for the transmission of such packets shall be the sum of 3 pence; and all such respective packets so transmitted and chargeable with postage under this clause, shall be subject to the several progressive and additional rates of postage hereinafter mentioned (that is to say):

On every such packet, if not exceeding 4 ounces in weight, there shall be charged, taken, and paid for the transmission thereof respectively as aforesaid, the uniform single rate of postage of 3 pence.

And of every such packet exceeding 4 ounces in weight there shall be charged, taken, and paid progressive and additional rates of postage, as follows (that is to say):

On every such packet, if exceeding 4 ounces in weight and not exceeding 8 ounces in weight, 2 rates of postage.

And on every such packet, if exceeding 8 ounces and not exceeding 1 pound in weight, 4 rates of postage.

And on every such packet, if exceeding 1 pound and not exceeding 1 pound in weight, 6 rates of postage.

And for every additional of a pound in weight of any such packet above the weight of 1 pound there shall be charged, taken, and paid 2 additional rates of postage, and every fractional

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