Governor-General and the Provincial Secretary of Angola have been lately recalled. Her Majesty's Commissioner. I am, &c. RUSSELL. No. 56.-Her Majesty's Comm'. to Earl Russell.-(Rec. Sept. 27.) THE despatches addressed to your Lordship by this Commission during the present year have made you fully acquainted with the abusive practice which is now being openly carried on here of shipping negroes to the Island of St. Thomas, under the pretext of their being free; and with the steps which, in pursuance of the instructions conveyed in your Lordship's despatch of the 16th of January last, I had taken with the view of putting an end to this system. It is with unfeigned regret I have now to report that the practice referred to has in no way abated, but that each vessel and each packet leaving this port for St. Thomas continue to ship negroes for that island in the same open and undisguised manner as heretofore. The mail-steamer Dona Antonia, which sailed hence on the 2nd instant, conveyed 82 of these negroes to St. Thomas, under the usual varied denominations of slaves, libertos, and free negroes, who were embarked in the presence of Her Majesty's ship Arrogant, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Edmonstone, commanding the squadron on this coast. Judging from this circumstance, and the fact that the Libertade, as reported in my despatch of the 30th of May, 1862, had been boarded, and allowed to proceed on her voyage to St. Thomas after she had been officially denounced by Her Majesty's Commissioner to the Governor-General and to the Senior Officer on this division of the station, my conclusion is that Her Majesty's naval authorities have resolved to refrain from interfering with these vessels, and this, in consequence, as I am given to understand, of their not having received any instructions on the subject from the Admiralty. Whatever may be the cause of this apparent resolution on the part of Her Majesty's naval officers, despairing, as I do, of receiving any assistance from the local authorities here in sup-. pressing these malpractices, I cannot too strongly express my conviction that unless Her Majesty's Advisers take this matter into their own hands, no hope can be entertained of this system being abolished. I have, &c. EDMUND GABRIEL. Earl Russell. No. 58.-Her Majesty's Comm'. to Earl Russell.-(Rec. Sept. 27.) French naval forces on this coast, arrived here on the 10th instant, and having proceeded on board for the purpose of paying my respects to that officer, I am happy to be able to acquaint your Lordship of his having informed me that the system of exporting negroes to the French West Indian Colonies was formally put an end to by him on the 30th ultimo, in accordance with the orders of his Sovereign, and that he had himself witnessed the last shipment, on that day, from the establishment of Messrs. Régis at the mouth of the Congo. I observed to the Commodore that I felt assured Her Majesty's Government would receive this intelligence with great satisfaction, and that, so far as regarded its immediate bearing on the duties confided to me at this place, I unhesitatingly added, that no measure could have been adopted by the Government of the Emperor more desirable and opportune than the termination of a system which the Portuguese authorities in this province had but too plainly evinced a disposition to view in a light highly prejudicial to that sacred cause which the British and French Governments had so much at heart-the suppression of the Slave Trade. On other points connected generally with this question the language of the Baron Didelot was most satisfactory. He assured me that the desire of the Government of His Imperial Majesty for the suppression of the Slave Trade was no less earnest and sincere than that of the Government of Her Majesty the Queen; and, in reply, I observed that he might always rely upon my best cooperation and assistance in carrying into effect the humane views by which both nations were animated. I have, &c. EDMUND GABRIEL. Earl Russell. No. 68.-Her Majesty's Comm". to Earl Russell.—(Rec. Nov. 15.) (Extract.) Loanda, September 27, 1862. I HAVE the honour to acquaint your Lordship that on the 17th instant his Excellency José Baptista d'Andrade arrived at this place to assume the office of Governor-General of this province, to which His Majesty the King of Portugal has lately appointed him in the room of Major Sebastião Lopes de Calheiros e Menezes, who has been "exonerated" from the government. Having, according to the usual practice, attended, by invitation, the ceremony of his Excellency's inauguration, I afterwards took an early opportunity of personally tendering my respects. Senhor Andrade, who is a captain in the Portuguese navy, and has seen much service in this part of Africa in command of cruizers, as Governor of Ambriz, and in other offices of trust, has been selected for the important functions now assigned to him in consequence of his high character and his intimate acquaintance with the affairs of this colony; and I am inclined to hope that that supineness in the fulfilment of the Treaty regarding the traffic in slaves which it has of late been so frequently my duty to detail to your Lordship will no longer mark the administration of the Government of this province. At the audience I briefly explained to Senhor Andrade that it was no less the express desire of Her Majesty's Government than my own individual wish to act in perfect accord with his Excellency and with all the authorities of His Most Faithful Majesty in carrying out the special duties confided to my care, and I expressed a hope that on matters connected with those duties Her Majesty's Commissioners would no longer meet with any obstruction in corresponding directly with the General Government of this province. In reply, his Excellency assured me that it was his earnest wish to maintain always the best understanding with the British functionaries here, and although on his assumption of the government he had purposely refrained from making any public announcement of his intended policy, it would ever be his desire to uphold the honour of his country by a scrupulous fulfilment of the Treaty for the extinction of the traffic in slaves, and that he should feel happy in communicating with me at any time, either personally or by letter, for the furtherance of that desirable object. Senhor Calheiros, on the occasion of his publicly resigning the reins of government to his successor, delivered an address, in which, after giving a succinct review of the present state of the province, financial and political, and the unsatisfactory nature of the relations existing with some of the native tribes in the interior, he spoke as follows: "I ought now to refer to a matter of great importance. At the commencement of my administration, the amicable relations between the General Government of this province and the Commander of The United States' Naval Forces were seriously threatened; they were not, however, interrupted, and the solution was satisfactory. "The demands which the Agents of Her Britannic Majesty have at various times pressed upon this General Government have been met in accordance with the law, and as became the dignity of the nation. "The relations with the Commander of the Naval Forces of His Majesty the Emperor of the French have been most cordial." Senhor Calheiros leaves this to-morrow for Lisbon in the Portuguese mail-steamer Zaire, and the person who has held the office of Secretary-General under his administration has also been removed. Earl Russell. EDMUND GABRIEL. REPORTS FROM NAVAL OFFICERS. WEST COAST OF AFRICA STATION. No. 81.-Commodore Edmonstone to the Secretary to the Admiralty. I HAVE the honour to report, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that Her Majesty's Acting Commissioner at Loanda in August last brought under my notice a practice that is now being carried on by direction of the Portuguese authorities of shipping, principally by the periodical packets, socalled free negroes or emigrants from that place to the island of St. Thomas, in apparent contravention of the existing Treaty be tween Great Britain and Portugal. The Governor being absent, and the services of the Arrogant urgently required elsewhere, I was unable at that moment officially to look into the matter, but, on my return to Loanda a few days since, I lost no time in communicating with the Governor, which I preferred doing in the first instance personally, and in the presence of Mr. Gabriel, rather than enter into any correspondence. As all the bearings and working of this new scheme have already been so fully reported upon by the Commissioners to the Foreig Office, it is not necessary that I should again on this occasion enter into any further details, but will merely express my earnest convic tion that no time should be lost in arranging this important business between the two Governments, in order that our future course may be made clear, and that the serious responsibility of interfering with these packets may be avoided. The Governor, who is a very able and intelligent man, and I believe sincerely desirous of putting down the Slave Trade, has evidently organized this new scheme, no doubt also encouraged by his own Government. At my late interview with him he did not at all attempt to evade the question; on the contrary, he assured me that it had been well considered; that he had taken, and would take, every possible precaution that only bona fide free blacks were embarked; that every one individually carried a passport, which he showed me, endorsed by some responsible party; and that he did not think he would be justified in preventing a free black more than he would a free white in emigrating in the manner described. I pointed to his Excellency what abuses this practice would open the door to; that it evidently was not contemplated when the original Treaty was enacted; and I suggested to him the propriety of deferring any further shipment until the views of our Government had been ascertained on that point; but he declined acceding to my proposal. As this matter evidently is of some importance, and might lead ultimately to unpleasant results, I trust it will not escape the earliest attention of Her Majesty's Government. I may mention that the island of St. Thomas is only one-tenth part cultivated; therefore labour being very valuable, it is not likely that slaves would be resold from there, but it is obviously possible, and not improbable, that at any time it might suit the convenience of the slave-dealers to do so. The Secretary to the Admiralty. I have, &c. W. EDMONSTONE. No. 87.-Commodore Edmonstone to the Secretary to the Admiralty. (Extract.) Arrogant, at Ascension, January 2, 1862. ON referring to the annexed documents, it will be seen how utterly useless it is for us to place any reliance whatever on native promises. Even the Abbeokutans, who have received so much consideration and support at our hands, break a solemn Treaty a few days after it is signed; I allude to the one (a copy of which is inclosed) effected by Commander Bedingfeld to do away with the barbarous custom of sacrificing human beings, which still prevails at Abbeokuta. The Secretary to the Admiralty. W. EDMONSTONE. (Inclosure 1.)-Commander Bedingfeld to Commodore Edmonstone. (Extract.) December 9, 1861. 16th.-A MESSENGER arrived from Abbeokuta. Heard that another human sacrifice had taken place there, and, from all accounts, in defiance of the Alake, who tried hard, or professed to do so, to prevent it. I, in consequence, sent his messenger back, demanding a full explanation. 5th.-Received letters from the Alake and Chiefs of Abbeokuta, in explanation of the recent human sacrifice, a copy of which was sent to the Acting Governor, and another annexed. I trust that the publicity now given to the Treaty against this horrible crime. will be of use, but the power of the Alake is very small. From private sources I hear that he is really in earnest, and is doing his best. I regret to say I have been informed that another vessel has shipped slaves near Whydah, the shipper being the notorious Dr. Carvallo, who is now here going home by the mail. I think it a pity something cannot be done to these men, who come out openly in the mail-packet to Lagos, and proceed up to Whydah, and having got off their cargo, return to Lagos to go home by the mail. As the Griffon and Antelope were both watching this vessel, I |