cease; and His Highness the Sultan of Muscat, in deference to the wishes of Her Majesty and of the British nation, and in furtherance of the dictates of humanity, which have heretofore induced him to enter into engagements with Great Britain to restrict the export of slaves from his dominions, being willing to put an end to that trade; and Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Highness the Sultan of Muscat, having resolved. to record with due form and solemnity this further restriction of the export of slaves; and Her Majesty having given due authority to Captain Hamerton, her Representative at the Court of the Sultan of Muscat, to conclude an agreement with His Highness accordingly; His Highness Syeed bin Sultan, for himself, his heirs, and successors; and Captain Hamerton, on behalf of the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, her heirs, and successors, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles: ART. I. His Highness the Sultan of Muscat hereby engages to prohibit, under the severest penalties, the export of slaves from his African dominions, and to issue orders to his officers to prevent and suppress such trade. II. His Highness the Sultan of Muscat further engages to prohibit, under the severest penalties, the importation of slaves from any part of Africa into his possessions in Asia, and to use his utmost influence with all the Chiefs of Arabia, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf, in like manner, to prevent the introduction of slaves from Africa into their respective territories. III. His Highness the Sultan of Muscat grants to the ships of Her Majesty's navy, as well as to those of the East India Company, permission to seize and confiscate any vessels, the property of His Highness or of his subjects, carrying on Slave Trade; excepting only such as shall be engaged in the transport of slaves from one part to another of his own dominions in Africa, between the port of Lamoo to the north, and the port of Kulwa to the south, including the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Monfea. Done at Zanzibar, &c. PERSIA. CONSULAR. No. 102.-Mr. Abbott to the Earl of Aberdeen.—(Rec. September 25.) I HAVE had the honour of receiving your Lordship's circular despatch of the 31st December, 1843, with 2 copies of an Act of Parliament, entitled "An Act for the more effectual suppression of the Slave Trade;" and I have the honour to assure your Lordship, that the instructions contained in this despatch will be carefully observed by me. The only British subjects that are ever likely to have dealings in slaves in this country are Mohammedans, natives of the British possessions in India, who may occasionally be found residing in Persia. As they are permitted by the law of the Koran to buy and sell slaves of both sexes, I would respectfully ask to be instructed whether or not such transactions on their part would come within the prohibition established by Act of Parliament, slavery, amongst Mohammedans, being of a milder, and altogether of a different nature to Negro slavery in the various countries of America. In this country a slave is treated in some respects as one of the family of his owner; and female slaves frequently occupy the place of wives in the houses of their lords. Although it may sometimes happen, that female slaves are illtreated in the solitude of the harem, from the jealousy or vindictiveness of their mistresses, they are probably not more exposed to such violence than other women of their own station in the harems. The male slave frequently becomes the confidential servant of his owner, is less exposed to ill-treatment than the female, and by good conduct he often obtains his freedom at the hands of his master. Negro and Nubian slaves are obtained by way of the Persian Gulf, and at the markets of Mecca and Constantinople; they are numerous in this country. Since Georgia fell under the dominion of Russia, white slaves cannot be obtained as formerly; but there are still many in Persia, either themselves originally brought from the Caucasian provinces, or the offspring of those that were. The Earl of Aberdeen, K.T. I have, &c. KEITH EDWARD ABBOTT. ACT of the British Parliament, "to reduce, under certain circumstances, the Duties payable upon Books and Engravings." [7 & 8 Vict. cap. 73.] [August 6, 1844.] WHEREAS by an Act passed in the session of Parliament held in the 5th and 6th years of Her present Majesty [cap. 47], intituled "An Act to amend the Laws relating to the Customs," certain duties of Customs were granted and made payable upon books and prints of or from foreign countries: and whereas by an Act passed in the present session of Parliament [cap. 12], intituled "An Act to amend the Law relating to International Copyright," it is amongst other things enacted, that it shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by any Order in Council, to grant unto the authors, inventors, designers, engravers, or makers of any books, prints, or other works of art, first published in any foreign country specified in such order, the privilege of copyright therein for certain periods, and under certain conditions, in the said lastmentioned Act defined and contained: and whereas it is expedient that provision should be made in the manner hereinafter mentioned for reducing, in cases where Her Majesty shall have issued any such Order in Council as aforesaid, the duties of Customs now payable on the importation of books and prints: be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that whenever and so often as Her Majesty shall by virtue of the said recited power, by any Order or Orders in Council, declare that the authors, inventors, designers, engravers, or makers of any books, prints, or other works of art first published in any foreign country shall have the privilege of copyright therein, then and in every such case it shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by any Order or Orders in Council, to declare that in respect of books and prints, or either of them, published in and imported from such foreign country, the duties of Customs now payable on the importation of books and prints respectively shall, from and after a time to be named in such Order or Orders, altogether cease and determine; and that in lieu thereof there shall be payable on such books or prints respectively, from and after such time as aforesaid, only such duties of Customs as are set forth in the schedule to this Act annexed. II. And be it enacted, that with regard to books and prints published in and imported from any foreign country, between which country and Her Majesty there is now subsisting, and shall at the time of the making of any such Order in Council as is hereinafter described subsist, any Treaty or Convention binding Her Majesty to admit the books and prints of such country, either conditionally or unconditionally, into the United Kingdom, on the same terms as those of the most favoured nation, it shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by any Order or Orders in Council, to declare that in respect of books and prints, or either of them, published in and imported from such foreign country, the duties of Customs now payable on the importation of books and prints respectively shall, from and after a time to be named therein, altogether cease and determine, and that in lieu thereof there shall be payable on the importation of such books or prints respectively, from and after such time as aforesaid, only such duties of Customs as are set forth in the schedule to this Act annexed; provided alwaye, that in case the privileges granted by any Treaty to any foreign country, in respect of which any such Order or Orders in Council as last aforesaid shall by virtue of this enactment be issued, shall have been granted conditionally, such Order shall expressly declare that such foreign country hath duly fulfilled the conditions required in return for such privileges, and that it is entitled thereto. III. And be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by any further Order or Orders in Council, from time to time to revoke the whole or any part of any Order or Orders issued by Her Majesty in Council under the authority of this Act; and that from and after a day to be named in such Order or Orders of revocation, such Order or Orders issued under the authority of this Act, or such part thereof as shall be specified in such Order or Orders of revocation, shall cease and determine, and that the duties of Customs now payable upon books and prints respectively shall be payable in like manner as if such Order or Orders, or such part or parts thereof respectively, had not been made. IV. And be it enacted, that every Order or Orders in Council issued under the authority of this Act shall, within 14 days after the issuing thereof, be twice published in the London Gazette. V. And be it enacted, that a copy of every Order or Orders in Council issued under the authority of this Act shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament within 6 weeks after issuing the same, if Parliament be then sitting, and if not then, within 6 weeks after the commencement of the then next session of Parliament. VI. And be it enacted, that this Act may be amended or repealed by any Act to be passed in the present session of Parliament. SCHEDULE to which the foregoing Act refers. Books; viz. Works in the language or languages of the country of export s. d. the cwt. 15 0 20 0 the cwt. the cwt. 50 O each 0 0 the dozen 0 1 ORDONNANCE du Roi des Français, qui prescrit la Publication du Traité d'Amitié, de Commerce et de Navigation, conclu le 6 Juin, 1843, entre la France et la République de l'Equateur.-Paris, le 28 Mars, 1845. Au Palais des Tuileries, le 28 Mars, 1845. LOUIS-PHILIPPE, Roi des Français, à tous présents et à venir, Salut: Savoir faisons que, entre nous et le Président de la République de l'Equateur, il a été conclu à Quito, le 6 Juin, 1843, un Traité d'Amitié, de Commerce et de Navigation; Traité dont les ratifications ont été échangées, également à Quito, le 9 Novembre, 1844, et dont la teneur suit: Au nom de la très-sainte Trinité. De nombreuses relations de commerce étant établies, depuis plusieurs années, entre les Etats de Sa Majesté le Roi des Français et la République de l'Equateur, il a été jugé utile d'en régulariser l'existence, d'en favoriser le développement et d'en perpétuer la durée par un Traité d'Amitié, de Commerce et de Navigation, fondé sur l'intérêt commun des 2 pays et propre à faire jouir les citoyens respectifs d'avantages égaux et réciproques. D'après ce principe et à cet effet, ont nommé pour leurs Plénipotentiaires, savoir: Sa Majesté le Roi des Français, le Sieur Jean-Baptiste Washington de Mandeville, Chevalier de l'Ordre Royal de la Légion d'Honneur, son Consul Général et Chargé d'Affaires dans l'Etat de l'Equateur; Et son Excellence le Président de l'Equateur, le Sieur Benigno Malo, Docteur en droit, Ministre Juge de la Cour Supérieure du district judiciaire de l'Azuay; Lesquels, après avoir échangé leurs Pleins Pouvoirs, trouvés en bonne et due forme, sont convenus des Articles suivants : ART. I. Il y aura paix constante et amitié perpétuelle et sincère entre Sa Majesté le Roi des Français, ses héritiers et successeurs, d'une part, et la République de l'Equateur, d'autre part, et entre les citoyens des 2 Etats, sans exception de personnes ni de lieux. II. Il y aura, entre tous les territoires des Etats de Sa Majesté le Roi des Français, en Europe, et ceux de l'Equateur, une liberté réciproque de commerce. Les citoyens des 2 Etats pourront entrer en toute liberté, avec leurs navires et cargaisons, dans tous les lieux, ports et rivières des 2 Etats qui sont ou seront ouverts au commerce étranger. Ils pourront y faire le commerce d'échelle pour y décharger, en tout ou en partie, les cargaisons par eux apportées de l'étranger, et pour former successivement leurs cargaisons de retour; mais ils |
