complete the public road from Pensacola to St. Augustine, in the territory of Florida. An act confirming the act of the legislature of Virginia, entitled "An act incorporating the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal company," and "An act of the state of Maryland, confirming the same." Acts for the relief of-Samuel Baylies; Jacob A. Blackwell; Milachi Burns; Stephen Arnold, David and George Jenks, second; col. Wm. Duane; John M. Moody and Samuel Moody, and Elijah Baily and others; John McClure; the heirs or devisees of John Ferrell, deceased; Paul Chase; Moses Shepherd; Mary Miller, administratrix of Amos Miller, dece'sd; Joseph Decrits; the representatives of Noel Soileau, deceased; Craven P. Luckett and William Reynolds; Sarah Shillito; Samuel Russell; Lemuel Wootten; James Lenox and William G. B. Abeel, Gulien Ludlow and Hector Scott; Walter Story Chandler; the representatives of Frederick Goetz and Charles W. Westfall; Gregory Ennis and William R. Maddox; William P. Yonge; capt. Richard Hightower; Nimrod Farrow and Richard Harris; John Crain; Michael McKewen; Gilbert C. Russell; Luther Chapin, of Ohio; Holden W. Prout, administrator on the estate of Joshua W. Prout, deceased; James Porter and Tunstall Quarles; George Love; Thomas Taylor, jr.; Christian Jacob Buckle; Wm. Little, administrator of Minor Reeves; Thomas L. Ogden and others; Rael McClure; Reuben Ewing and others; John Heck; Stephen Thatcher; Richard Cain and Isaac Baldwin, of Ohio; Peter Burt; Francis Wright, son, and other heirs of Francis Wright, deceased; Moses Plumer; William Pemberton; Otis Pendleton, Harris Pendleton, John F. Delaplaine, Elijah P. Delaplaine, and athers; Elias Glen; Wm. Townsend; John S. Stiles; Joseph Dozet and Antoine Bourgoud; David Gilmore; Ebenezer Averill; Priscilla Adams; Elijah Snow, jr.; Peter Yandes; Jonathan Hudson, of Baltimore; Thos. Hewes; Joel Abbott, jr.; Joseph Forrest; Samuel Dale, of Alabama; Thomas R. Broome. RESOLUTIONS. Resolution, authorizing the public documents, printed by order of congress, to be furnished to the Gardiner Lyceum. Resolution, directing an inventory of the furniture in the president's house to be taken. Suppression of the Slave Trade. Report of the committee to whom was referred so much of the president's message, of the 7th of December last, as relates to the suppression of the slave trade. tive of the United States, and the convention submitted, by the president, to the senate, for their advice and consent. The convention was approved by the senate, with certain qualifications, to all of which, except one, Great Britain, sub modo, acceded: her government having instructed its minister, in Washington, to tender to the acceptance of the United States, a treaty, agreeing, in every particular, except one, with the terms approved by the senate. This exception, the message of the president to the house of representatives, presumes "not to be of sufficient magnitude to defeat an object so near to the heart of both nations," as the abolition of the African slave trade, "and so desirable to the friends of humanity through out the world." But the president further adds, "that, as objections to the principle recommended by the house of representatives, or, at least, to the con sequences inseparable from it, and which are understood to apply to the law, have been raised, which may deserve a re-consideration of the whole subject, he has thought proper to suspend the conclusion of a new convention, until the definitive sentiments of congress can be ascertained." Your committee are, therefore, required to review the grounds of the law of 1820, and the resolution of 1823, to which the rejected, or, as they rather hope, the suspended convention, referred. The former was the joint act of both branches of congress, approved by the president; the latter, although adopted with extraordinary unanimity, was the single act of the house of representatives. Upon the principle or intention of the act of congress of 1820, making the slave trade punishable as piracy, the history of the act may reflect some light. A bill from the senate, entitled "an act to continue in force the act to protect the commerce of the United States and punish the crime of piracy, and, also, to make further provision to punish the crime of piracy," came to the house of representatives on the 27th of April, 1820, and was, on the same day, referred to a committee of the whole, to which had been referred a bill of similar purport and title, that had originated in the house of representatives. Upon the 8th of May following, the committee on the suppression of the slave trade, reported an amendment of two additional sections to the senate's bill; also, a bill to incorporate the American Society for colonizing the free people of color of the United States, and three joint resolutions, two of which related to the objects of that society; but the first of which, in behalf of both houses of congress, requested the president "to consult and negotiate with all the governments where ministers of the United States are, or shall be, accredited, on the means of affecting an entire and immediate abolition of the African slave trade." The amendatory sections denounce the guilt and penalty of piracy against any citizen of the United States, of the crew or company of any foreign vessel, and any person whatever of the crew or company of any American vessel, who should be engaged in this traffic. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FEB. 16, 1825. The committee on the suppression of the slave trade, to whom was referred so much of the president's message, of the 7th December last, as relates to that subject, have, according to order, had the same under consideration, and respectfully report: That, pursuant to the almost unanimous request of the house of representatives, expressed by their resolution of the 28th of February, 1823, the president of the United States concluded a convention with Great Britain, on the 13th of March, in the following The amendments, bill and resolutions, along with year, by which the African slave trade was denounc- the explanatory report, which accompanied them, ed to be piracy, under the laws of both countries; were referred to the committee of the whole abovethe United States having so declared, by their ante- mentioned; and, on the 11th of the same month, the cedent act of the 15th of May, 1820, and, it being un-house proceeded to consider them. After a discusderstood, between the contracting parties, as a preliminary to the ratification of the convention by the United States, that Great Britain should, by an act of her parliament, concur in a similar declaration. With great promptitude, and in accordance with this agreement, such an act was passed, declaring the African slave trade to be piracy, and annexing to it the penalty denounced against this crime, by the common law of nations. A copy of this act was transmitted, by the British government, to the execu sion in the committee, the piracy bill and its amendments having been adopted, were reported, and both were concurred in by the house. The following day, the bill, as amended, being then on its passage, a motion was debated and negatived, to recommit the bill to a select committee, with an instruction to strike out the last section of the amendment. The bill then, passed, and was ordered to be returned, as amended, to the senate. On the same day, a motion prevailed to discharge the committee of the whole from the further conside- | been made by England and America, at the date of ration of the bill and the resolutions which accom- this report, to give effect to this provision, being panied the report; and the particular resolution, already recited, being under consideration, to try the sense of the house on its merits, it was moved to lay it on the table. The yeas and nays having been ordered on this motion, it was rejected by a majority of 78 to 35 members. It having been again proposed to postpone the resolution till the ensuing or second session of the same congress, and this proposal being also determined in the negative, the resolution was engrossed, read the third time, passed, and ordered to be transmitted to the senate on the same day with the piracy bill. ascribable, in part, to a jealousy of the views of the former, corroborated by the language and conduct of one of the principal maritime powers of Europe, in relation to the same topic, the committee referred to the decision of sir William Scott, in the case of the French ship Le Louis, to demonstrate that Great Britain claimed no right of search, in peace, but such as the consent of other nations should accord to her by treaty; and sought it by a fair exchange, in this tranquil mode, for the beneficial purpose of an enlarged humanity. Certain facts disclosed by the diplomatic corresThe amendments of this bill underwent like scru-pondence of France and England during the pendency tiny and debate in the senate, and were finally concur- of that case in the British court of admiralty, were red in, the day after they were received from the calculated to guard the sympathies of America from house of representatives, without any division ap- being misguided by the language of the former power. parent on the journal of that house. The painful truth was elicited, that France had The resolution which had been received by the evaded the execution of her promise, at Vienna, to senate, at a different hour of the same day, was read Europe and mankind. That she had, long after the a second time on the 15th of May, was further taken date of that promise, tolerated, if she had not cheup and considered, as in committee of the whole, re- rished, several branches of a traffic, which she had ported to the house without amendment, and order-concurred in denouncing to be the opprobrium of ed, after debate, to pass to a third reading. But, christendom, and which she had subsequently bound this being the last day of the session of congress, and herself, by the higher obligations of a solemn treaty, a single member objecting "that it was against one to abolish, as inconsistent with the laws of God and of the rules of the senate to read it the third time on nature. the same day without unanimous consent," it re- Succeeding events in the councils of the French mained on the table of that body, on its final adjourn-nation, have not impaired the force of this testimony. ment, after an ineffectual effort to suspend one of What authority can be accorded to the moral influtheir rules, against which many of the friends of the ence of a government which insults the humanity of resolution felt themselves compelled, by their inva- a generous and gallant people, by pleading, in aporiable usage, to vote in union with its enemies. logy for the breach of its plighted faith, that its subOne of the objections to the resolution, in the se-jects required the indulgence of this guilty traffic! nate, was founded upon the peculiar relation of that The emperor Napoleon, who re-established this branch of the national legislature to the executive, in commerce on the ruins of the French republic also the ratification of treaties; which seemed, in the abolished it again, when he sought to conciliate the opinion of those who urged this argument, to inter-people of France, during that transient reign which dict their concurrence in a request of the president to institute any negotiation whatever. A cotemporary exposition of the object of the amendments to the piracy bill, and the resolution which the house of representatives adopted, by so large a majority, will be found in the report, which accompanied them, from the committee on the suppression of the slave trade. Those objects, it will be seen, were in perfect accordance with each other. They were designed to introduce, by treaty, into the code of international law, a principle, deemed by the committee essential to the abolition of the African slave trade, that it should be denounced and treated as piracy by the civilized world. immediately preceded his final overthrow. Congress adjourned without acting on this report. By an instruction to the committee on the suppression of the slave trade, of the 15th of January, 1822, the same subject was a third time brought directly before the house of representatives. The instruction called the attention of the committee to the present condition of the African slave trade; to the defects of any of the existing laws for its suppression; and to their appropriate remedies. In the report made in obedience to this instruction, on the 12th of April, 1822, the committee state, that, after having consulted all the evidence within their reach, they are brought to the mournful conclusion, that the traffic prevailed to a greater extent than ever, and with increased malignity; that its total suppression, or even sensible diminution, cannot be expected from the separate and disunited efforts of one or more states, so long as a single flag remains to cover it from detection and punishment. They renew, therefore, as the only practicable and efficient remedy, the concurrence of the United States with the maritime powers of Europe, in a modified and reciprocal exercise of the right of search. The resolution being joint, and having failed in the senate, for the reason already stated, the subject of it was revived in the house of representatives, at a very early period of the succeeding session of congress, by a call for information from the executive, which, being received, was referred to a committee of the same title with the last. Their report, after reviewing all the antecedent measures of the United States, for the suppression of the slave trade, urgently recommended the co-operation of the American and British navy against this traffic, under the guard- In closing their report, the committee add, in effect, ed provisions of a common treaty, authorizing the that they "cannot doubt that the people of America practice of a qualified and reciprocal right of search."have the intelligence to distinguish between the This report closed with a resolution, requesting" right of searching a neutral on the high seas, in "the president of the United States to enter into such" time of war, claimed by some belligerants, and that arrangements as he might deem suitable and proper, with one or more of the maritime powers of Europe, for the effectual abolition of the African slave trade." The United States had, by the treaty of Ghent, entered into a formal stipulation with Great Britain, "that both the contracting parties shall use their best endeavors to accomplish the entire abolition of this traffic." The failure of the only joint attempt which had "mutual, restricted and peaceful concession, by "treaty, suggested by the committee, and which is "demanded in the name of suffering humanity." The committee had before intimated, that the remedy which they recommended to the house of representatives, presupposed the exercise of the authority of another department of the government; and that objections to the exercise of this authority, in the mode which they had presumed to suggest, had hitherto existed in that department. Their report closed with a resolution, differing in no other respect from that of the preceding session, than that it did not require the concurrence of the senate, for the reason already suggested. The report and resolution were referred to a committee of the whole, and never farther considered. After a delay till the 20th of the succeeding February, a resolution was submitted to the house, which was evidently a part of the same system of measures, for the suppression of the slave trade, which had been begun by the act of the 3d of March, 1819, and followed up by the connected series of reports and resolutions which the committee have reviewed, and which breathe the same spirit. This resolution, in proposing to make the slave trade piracy, by the consent of mankind, sought to supplant, by a measure of greater rigor, the qualified international exchange of the right of search for the apprehension of the African slave dealer, and the British system of mixed tribunals created for his trial and punishment: a system, of which experience and the recent extension of the traffic, that it sought to limit, had disclosed the entire inefficacy. The United States had already established the true denomination and grade of this offence, by a municipal law. The resolution contemplated, as did the report which accompanied and expounded that law, the extension of its principle, by negotiation, to the code of all nations It denounced the authors of this stupendous iniquity as the enemies of the human race, and armed all men with authority to detect, pursue, arrest, and punish them. Such a measure, to succeed, to its fullest extent, must have a beginning somewhere. Commencing with the consent of any two states, to regard it as binding on themselves only, it would, by the gradual accession of others, enlarge the sphere of its operation, until it embraced, as the resolution contemplated, all the maritime powers of the civilized world. While it involved of necessity the visit and search of piratical vessels, as belligerant rights against the common enemies of man, it avoided all complexity, difficulty and delay, in the seizure, condemnation and punishment of the pirate himself. It made no distinction in favor of those pirates who prey upon the property, against those who seize, torture and kill, or consign to interminable and hereditary slavery, the persons of their enemies. trade a statutory piracy, and of the resolution of the The principle of the law of 1820, making the slave house of representatives of May. 1823, which sought to render this denunciation of that offence universal, cannot, therefore, be misunderstood. sentatives, when ratified with almost unprecedented It was not misconceived by the house of repreunanimity. An unfounded suggestion has been heard, that the abortive attempt to amend the resolution, indicated that it was not considered as involving the right of search. The opposite conclusion is the more rational, if not, indeed, irresistible; that, having, by the denomination of the crime, provided for the detection, trial and punishment of the criminal, an amendment, designed to add what was already included in the main proposition, would be superfluous, if not absurd. But no such amendment was rejected. The house of representatives, very near the close of the session of 1823, desirous of economising time, threatened to be consumed by a protracted debate, entertained the previous question, while an amendment, the only one offered to the resolution, was depending. The effect of the previous question was to bring on an immediate decision upon the resolution itself, which was adopted by a vote of 131 members to 9. garded with indifference. The house had been pre- been submitted, to lay it on the table, and to postpone Is the house now ready to retrace its steps? of America, nor their representatives, will sully the The committee believe not. Neither the people glory they have earned by their early labor, and steastate governments, the cause of humanity at home dy perseverance in sustaining, by their federal and and abroad. The calamity inflicted upon them, by the introduction of slavery, in a form, and to an extent, forbidding its hasty alleviation by intemperate zeal, is imputable to a foreign cause, for which the past is responsible to the present age. They will not deny to themselves, and to mankind, a generous co-operation in the only efficient measure of retributive justice to an insulted and afflicted continent, and to an injured and degraded race. Your committee are at a loss for the foundation of any such discrimination. It is believed, that the Lost ancient piracies consisted in converting innocent captives into slaves; and those were not attended with the destruction of one-third of their victims, by loathsome confinement and mortal discase. While the modern, therefore, accords with the an-policy of the resolution of May, 1823. cient denomination of this crime, its punishment is not disproportionate to its guilt. It has robbery and murder for its mere accessories, and moistens one continent with blood and tears, in order to curse another, by slow consuming ruin, physical and moral. America, the committee behold a speedy termination In the independence of Spanish and Portuguese of the few remaining obstacles to the extension of the One high consolation attends upon the new remedy for this frightful and prolific evil. If once successful it will forever remain so, until, being unexerted, its very application will be found in history alone. Brazil cannot intend to resist the voice of the residue of the continent of America: and Portugal, deprived of her great market for slaves, will no longer have a motive to resist the common feelings of Europe And yet, while, from the Rio de la Plata to the Amazon, and through the American archipelago, the importation of slaves covertly continues, if it be not openly countenanced, the impolicy is obvious, of denying to the American shore the protective vigilance of the only adequate check upon this traffic. Can it be doubted, that, if ever legitimate commerce shall supplant the source of this evil in Africa, Your committee forbear to enter upon an investigaand a reliance on other supplies of labor its use clse- tion of the particular provisions of a depending newhere, a revival of the slave trade will be as imprac-gotiation, nor do they consider the message referred ticable, as a reversion to barbarism?-that, after the to them as inviting any such inquiry. lapse of a century from its extinction, except where the consequences of the crime shall survive, the stories of the African slave trade will become as improbable among the unlearned, as the expeditions of the heroes of Homer? which has approached so near consummation, nor a They will not regard a negotiation to be dissolved, convention, as absolutely void, which has been executed by one party, and which the United States, having first tendered, should be the last to reject.. Convention with Colombia. his rank in the navy of his country, together with the names of the commander by whose orders he is act EXECUTIVE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SENATE.ing, and of the national vessel commanded by him; IN SENATE OF the United STATES, The following written message was received from the president of the United States, by Mr. Everett, his secretary: The president of the senate pro tempore: and the said certificate shall further contain a declaration, purporting that the only object of the visit is to ascertain whether the merchant vessel in question is engaged in the slave trade, or not; and, if found to be so engaged, to take and deliver her to the officers and tribunals of her own country, being that of one I transmit to the senate a convention, signed by the of the two contracting partics, for trial and adjudicaplenipotentiaries of the United States, and of the re-tion. In all such cases, the commander of the national public of Colombia, at Bogota, on the 10th of December, 1824, together with the documents appertaining vessel, whether belonging to the United States, or to to the negotiation of the same, for the constitutional the republic of Colombia, shall, when he makes deconsideration of the senate, with regard to its ratifi-livery of his capture, either to the officers or to the triJAMES MONROE. cation. Washington, 21st Feb. 1825. bunals of the other power, deliver all the papers found on board the captured vessel, indicating her national character, and the objects of her voyage, and, together with them, a certificate, as above, of the visit, signed with his name, and specifying his rank in the navy of his country, as well as the name of the vessel commanded by him, together with the name and professional rank of the boarding officer, by whom the said visit has been made. THE CONVENTION. In the name of God, author and legislator of the Universe: the United States of America and the republic of Colombia, being desirous to co-operate for the complete suppression of the African slave trade, by making the law of piracy, as applied to that traffic under the statutes of their respective legislatures, immediately and reciprocally operative on the vessels and citizens of each other, have respectively furnished to their plenipotentiaries the necessary and full powers to conclude a convention for that purpose; that is to say: the United States of America, to RICHARD CLOUGH ANDERSON, jun. a citizen of said states, and their minister plenipotentiary to the said republic, and the republic of Colombia, to PEDRO Art. III. Whenever any merchant vessel of either GUAL, secretary of state and of foreign relations; who, after a reciprocal communication of their re-nation shall be visited under this convention, on susspective full powers, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles: This certificate shall also contain a list of all the papers received from the master of the vessel detained, or visited, as well as those found on board the said vessel; it shall also contain an exact description of the state in which the vessel was found when detained, and a statement of the changes, if any, which have taken place in it, and of the number of slaves, if any, found on board at the moment of the detention. picion of such vessel being engaged in the slave. trade, no search shall, in any such case, be made on Art. 1. The commanders and commissioned offi- board the said vessel, except what is necessary for cers of each of the two high contracting parties, duly ascertaining, by due and sufficient proofs, whether authorized under the regulations and instructions of she is or is not engaged in that illicit traffic. No person their respective governments to cruise on the seas shall be taken out of the vessel so visited, though and coasts of Africa, and of the West India Islands, such reasonable restraints as may be indispensable for the suppression of the slave trade, shall be em- for the detention and safe delivery of the vessel, may powered, under the conditions, limitations and re-be used against the crew by the commanding officer strictions, hereinafter specified, to detain, examine, of the visiting vessel, or under his orders; nor shall capture, and deliver over for trial and adjudication, any part of the cargo of the visited vessel be taken by some competent tribunal of whichever of the two out of her, til after her delivery to the officers or tricountries it shall be found, on examination, to belong bunals of her own nation, excepting only when a reto, any ship or vessel concerned in the illicit traffic of moval of all or a part of the slaves, if any, found on slaves, and carrying the flag of the other, or owned board the visited vessel, shall be indispensable, either by any citizens of either of the two contracting par- for the preservation of their lives, or form any other ties, except when in the presence of a ship of war of urgent consideration of humanity, or for the safety of its own nation; and it is further agreed, that any ship the person charged with the navigation of the said or vessel, so captured, shall either be carried, or vessel after her capture. And any of the slaves so sent, by the capturing officer, to some port of the removed, shall be duly accounted for to the govern country to which it belongs, and there given up to ment of that country to which the visited vessel bethe competent authorities, or be delivered for the longs, and shall be disposed of according to the laws same purpose to any duly commissioned officer of of the country into which they are carried; the reguthe other party, it being the intention of the high con-lar bounty, or head money, allowed by law, being, in tracting powers, that any ship or vessel, within the each instance, secured to the captors, for their use purview of this convention, and seized on that ac- and benefit, by the receiving government. count, shall be tried and adjudged by the tribunals of the captured party, and not by the captor. Art. IV. Whenever any merchant vessel of either nation shall be captured under this convention, it Art. II. Whenever any naval commander, or com- shall be the duty of the commander of any ship bemissioned officer, of either of the two contracting longing to the public service of the other, charged parties, shall, on the high seas, or any where not with the instructions of his government for carrying within the exclusive jurisdiction of either party, into execution the provisions of this convention, at board, or cause to be boarded, any merchant vessel the requisition of the commander of the capturing vesbearing the flag of the other power, and visit the sel, to receive into his custody the vessel so captured, same as a slave trader, or on suspicion of her being and to carry or send the same, for trial and adjudicaconcerned in the slave trade; in every such case, tion, into some port of his country, or its dependenwhether the vessel so visited shall or shall not be cies. In every such case, at the time of the delivery captured and delivered over, or sent into the ports of the vessel, an authentic declaration shall be drawn of her own country for trial and adjudication, the up in triplicate, and signed by the commanders, both boarding officer shall deliver to the master or com- of the delivering and receiving vessels; one copy signnander of the visited vessel, a certificate, in writing, ed by both, to be kept by each of them, stating the signed by the said boarding officer, and specifying circumstances of the delivery, the condition of the captured vessel at the time of the delivery, including the name of her master or commander, and of every other person, not a slave, on board at that time, and exhibiting the number of the slaves, if any, then on board her, and a list of all the papers received or found on board at the time of capture and delivered over with her. The third copy of the said declaration shall be left in the captured vessel, with the papers found on board, to be produced before the tribunal charged with the adjudication of the capture. And the commander of the capturing vessel shall be authorized to send any one of the officers under his command, and one or two of his crew, with the captured vessel, to appear before the competent tribunal, as witnesses of the facts regarding her detention and capture; the reasonable expenses of such witnesses, in proceeding to the place of trial, during their detention there, and for their return to their own country, or to their station in its service, shall be allowed by the court of adjudication, and defrayed, in the event of the vessel being condemned, out of the proceeds of its sale. In case of the acquital of the vessel, the expenses, as above specified, of these witnesses, shall be defrayed by the government of the capturing officer. Art. V. Whenever any capture shall be made under this convention, by the officers of either of the contracting parties, and no national vessel of that country to which the captured vessel belongs, is cruising on the same station where the capture takes place, the commander of the capturing vessel shall, in such oase, either carry or send his prize to some convepient port of its own country, or of any of its dependencies, where a court of vice admiralty has jurisdiction, and there give it up to competent authorities for trial and adjudication. The captured vessel shall then be libelled according to the practice of the court taking cognizance of the case; and, if condemned, the proceeds of the sale thereof, and its cargo, if also condemned, shall be paid to the commander of the capturing vessel, for the benefit of the captors, to be distributed among them according to the rules of their service respecting prize money. tised during the search or detention of the said vessel, contrary to the provisions and meaning of this convention, to award reasonable costs and damages to the sufferers, to be paid by the commanding or boarding officer convicted of such misconduct. The government of the party thus cast in damages and costs, shall cause the amount of the same to be paid, in each instance, agreeably to the judgment of the court, within twelve months from the date thereof. In case of any such vexation and abuse occurring in the detention or search of a vessel detained under this convention, and not afterwards delivered over for trial, the persons aggrieved, being such as are specified above, or any of them, shall be heard by any court of admiralty of the country of the captors, before which they make complaint thereof; and the commander and boarding officer of the detaining vessel shall, in such instance, be liable, as above, in costs and damages, to the complainants, according to the judgment of the court; and their government shall equally cause payment of the same to be made, within twelve months from the time when such judgment shall have been pronounced. Art. VIII. Copies of this convention, and of the laws of both countries which are or may be in force, for the prohibition and suppression of the African slave trade, shall be furnished to every commander of the national vessels of either party, charged with the execution of those laws; and in case any such commanding officer shall be accused, by either of the two governments, of having deviated, in any respect, from the provisions of this convention, and the instructions of his own government in conformity thereto, the government, to which such complaint shall be addressed, agrees hereby to make inquiry into the circumstances of the case, and to inflict on the officer complained of, in the event of his appearing to deserve it, a punishment adequate to his transgression. Art. IX. The high contracting parties declare that the right which, in the foregoing articles, they have each reciprocally conceded, of detaining, visiting, capturing and delivering over for trial, the merchant Art. VI. The commander and crew of any vessel vessels of the other engaged in the African slave captured under this convention, and sent in for trial, trade, is wholly and exclusively grounded on the conshall be proceeded against conformably to the laws of sideration of their having made that traffic piracy by the country whereipto they shall be brought, as pi- their respective laws; and further, that the reciprocal rates engaged in the African slave trade; but every concession of the said right, as guarded, limited and witness belonging to the capturing vessel shall, upon regulated by this convention, shall not be construed the criminal trial for piracy, be liable to be challeng-so as to authorize the detention or search of the mered by the accused person, and set aside as incompe- chant vessels of either nation, by the officers of the tent, unless he shall release his claim to any part of navy of the other, except vessels engaged or suspected the prize money, upon the condemnation of the ves-to be engaged, in the African slave trade; or for any sel and cargo. other purpose whatever, than that of seizing and deArt. VII. The right reciprocally conceded by the livering up the persons and vessels concerned in that two contracting parties, of visiting, capturing and de- traffic, for trial and adjudication by the tribunals livering over for trial, the merchant vessels of the and laws of their own country, nor be taken to affect, other, engaged in the traffic of slaves, shall be ex-in any other way, the existing rights of either of the ercised only by such commissioned officers of their respective navies, as shall be furnished with instructions for executing the laws of their respective countries against the slave trade. For every vexatious and abusive exercise of this right, the boarding officer, and the commander of the capturing or searching vessel, shall, in each case, be personally liable, in costs and damages, to the master and owners of any merchant vessel delivered over, detained or visited by them, under the provisions of this convention. Whatever court of admiralty shall have cognizance of the cause, as regards the captured vassel, in each case, the same court shall be competent to hear the complaint of the master or owners, or of any person or persons on board the said vessel, or interested in the property of her cargo at the time of her detention; and, on due and sufficient proof being given to the court, of any vexation and abuse having been prac high contracting parties. And they do also agree and engage to use their influence, respectively, with other maritime and civilized powers, to the end that the African slave trade may be declared to be piracy under the law of nations. Art. X. It is further agreed by the contracting parties, that it shall be allowed and free to either of them to renounce this convention, and all the rights and liabilities created by it, at any time, on giving six months' notice thereof to the other contracting party. Art. XI. The present convention, consisting of eleven articles, shall be ratified, and the ratifications exchanged in the city of Washington, within the term of six months from the signature hereof, or sooner, if possible. In witness whereof, the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and affixed thereunto their seals. L |