This is but one of the methods by which the Laws are evaded, and Slave Trade is carried on with impunity, in Cuba. You will communicate these Papers to the Spanish Government, and repeat, in the name of your Government, their earnest hope that some means will be devised, by more efficient Regulations, for putting down a trade which appears still to exist in full force in the Colonial Possessions of Spain, although His Catholic Majesty formally abolished it by Treaty, so long ago as the year 1820. George S. Bosanquet, Esq. SIR, I am, &c., GEORGE CANNING. No. 10.-Mr. Secretary Canning to G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. Foreign Office, Nov. 19, 1824. I HEREWITH transmit to you, for your information, a Copy of Papers, marked A. and B., relative to the Slave Trade, which were presented to both Houses of Parliament, by His Majesty's Command, in the course of the last Session. George S. Bosanquet, Esq. I am, &c., GEORGE CANNING. SIR, No. 11.-Joseph Planta, Jun. Esq. to G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. Foreign Office, November 20, 1824. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Canning to send to you, for your information, a Copy of the Act, recently passed, for amending and consolidating the Laws relating to the Abolition of the Slave Trade. G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. SIR, I am, &c., J. PLANTA, JUN. No. 12.-G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. to Joseph Planta, Jun. Esq. (Received October 7.) Madrid, September 20, 1824. THE Orders contained in Mr. Secretary Canning's Despatch of the 11th ult., marked Slave Trade, directing remonstrances to be made to the Spanish Government respecting the continuance of the Traffic at Cuba, having never been executed, on account of the absence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, I think it right to apprize you of this circumstance, in order that you may send any Instructions you think proper respecting it. I have the honour to be, &c., Joseph Planta, Jun. Esq. GEORGE S. BOSANQUET. No. 13.-G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. Nov. 25.) marked Slave Trade, dated the 25th of October, and shall lose no time in carrying into effect the Instructions therein contained. I have the honour to be, &c., The Right Hon. George Canning. G. S. BOSANQUET. No. 14.-G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. to Mr. Sec". Canning.—(Rec. Dec. 5.) I HAVE the honour to transmit to you the Copy of a Note, which I have received from the Spanish Secretary of State, in reply to a Communication made to that Gentleman's Predecessor by Sir William à Court, relative to some Vessels fitting out at Cadiz for illegal Slave Trading. You will perceive, Sir, by this Note, that the Government of His Catholic Majesty have determined that, in future, on granting Licenses to navigate, a special condition shall be inserted in the Bond of Security required from the Owners of the Vessels, that they shall not be employed in the Slave Trade. I have the honour to be, &c., The Right Hon. George Canning. G. S. BOSANQUET. (Enclosure 1.)-M. de Zea Bermudez to G. S. Bosanquet, Esq.(Translation.) HONOURED SIR, San Lorenzo, November 18, 1824. I HAVE laid before The King, my August Master, the Note addressed, under date of the 15th of July last, by Sir William A'Court to this Ministry, to acquaint them with the Intelligence which he had received from the English Consul at Cadiz, that several Spanish Vessels were preparing for the Slave Trade, and to state his persuasion that they would not be suffered to put to sea, and that those who thus attempted to violate the Provisions of the Treaty of September, 1817, would be punished; and His Majesty, though desirous to throw every possible obstacle in the way of His subjects carrying on the Traffic in Slaves, being yet prevented by the Laws from proceeding against the Masters of Vessels on mere suspicion, has been pleased to resolve, that in the Bond, into which Merchant Vessels are required, pursuant to the Ordinance, to enter, upon being qualified by means of the Royal License of Navigation, the express obligation shall henceforth be inserted of their not engaging in the said Trade. I shall this day, by the King's Order, communicate to the Minister of the Navy the proper directions for the accomplishment of this Resolution; and I have the honour to inform you of the latter, in reply to the above Note from the Minister of His Britannic Majesty, availing myself of the present opportunity, &c. FRANCISCO DE ZEA BERMUDEZ. The Chargé d'Affaires of England. SIR, No. 15.-Mr. Secretary Canning to G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. Foreign Office, December 17, 1824. I HAVE received your Despatch, marked Slave Trade, of the 22nd of November last; and I have to desire, that you will express to the Government of His Catholic Majesty the satisfaction experienced by His Majesty's Government, at learning from the communication made to you by M. Zea, under date of the 18th of November last, that His Catholic Majesty had determined that, on granting in future to Merchant Vessels Licenses to navigate, a special condition should be inserted in the Bond of Security required from the Owners of the Vessels that they should not be employed in the Slave Trade. But you will observe to M. Zea, that there is nothing in this Regulation which would prohibit Private Cruisers, having Letters of Marque, from engaging in the Slave Trade. Such a prohibition would be, nevertheless, clearly conformable to the spirit of His Catholic Majesty's determination. I am, &c., G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. SIR, GEORGE CANNING. No. 16.-Mr. Secretary Canning to G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. I SEND to you the Copy of a Despatch, dated the 20th of September, which I have received from His Majesty's Commissary Judge at The Havannah, containing suggestions with respect to the disposal of Negroes emancipated under the Slave Treaty with Spain. It is to be presumed, from the manner in which the subject has been treated between Mr. Kilbee and the Captain General of Cuba, that no specific directions have been given by the Government of Spain for the disposal of Slaves who may be placed under their protection in the event of emancipation under the Treaty. The suggestions of Mr. Kilbee appear to be well calculated to effect the beneficent object of that protection; and you will request from the Government of Spain an explanation of their intentions on this head, throwing out, at the same time, Mr. Kilbee's suggestions, for the consideration of the Spanish Ministry. I am, &c., G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. SIR, GEORGE CANNING. No. 17.-Mr. Secretary Canning to G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. Foreign Office, January 24, 1825. I FURNISH you with the Extract of a Despatch, dated the 20th of September, which I have received from His Majesty's Commissary Judge at The Havannah, and of the Answer which I have this day returned to it; upon the subject of the maintenance of Slaves found on b ard of Vessels detained for illegal Slave Trade. I have to desire that, in reference to the application, a Copy of which you will find in Sir W. à Court's Despatch of January 21st, 1824, you will make this point the subject of a renewed Representation to the Spanish Government, urging them to send out to their Commissioners at The Havannah and Sierra Leone, Instructions corresponding with those which have been given to His Majesty's Commissioners upon the point in question. G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. I am, &c., GEORGE CANNING. No. 18.-G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. to Mr. Sec. Canning.-(Rec. Jan. 31.) I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatches, marked Slave Trade, of the 15th of November and 17th of December last; the former relating to the facilities given to this Traffic at Cuba, the latter suggesting an extension of the Regulation respecting the Registry of Vessels to Private Cruisers. I have transmitted the Documents enclosed in the first of these Despatches to the Spanish Government, accompanied by the enclosed Note. On the receipt of the second, I communicated its contents, verbally, to M. Zea, and His Excellency appeared to think that there would be no difficulty on the subject. He expressed, however, the desire to have the wishes of His Majesty's Government communicated in writing, in order that he might consult with the Minister of Marine upon the measures to be devised in order to meet them ;-a suggestion which I accordingly complied with. I have the honour to be, &c., The Right Hon. George Canning. GEORGE S. BOSANQUET. (Enclosure.)-G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. to M. de Zea Bermudez. Madrid, November 30, 1824. THE Undersigned, His Britannic Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires, in pursuance of the Instructions received from his Government, has the honour to communicate to His Excellency Don Francisco de Zea Bermudez, Copies of two Despatches with their Enclosures, received from His Majesty's Commissary Judge residing at The Havannah, under the Treaty for the suppression of the Slave Trade, by which His Excellency will perceive, that the above Traffic is carried on with great impunity in the Island of Cuba, and that the Authorities, however well disposed, are unable to stop its progress under the existing laxity of the Colonial Laws. Within the period of eight months, no less than 34 Vessels had sailed from The Havannah alone, notoriously for the purpose of engaging in the Slave Trade; and the fraudulent intentions of the Owners are frequently facilitated, by their Vessels, on their return from their original destination in Africa, being officially reported to have returned from other Ports. As the new Regulations, which His Excellency Don Francisco de Zea Bermudez did the Undersigned the honour to communicate to him in his Note of the 18th instant, have in a great measure anticipated the wishes of His Majesty's Government on the subject; he will merely express the hope, that no time will be lost in making them known to the Captain General of Cuba, in order that the beneficent intentions of His Catholic Majesty, effectually to put down this disgraceful Traffic in the Colonial Possessions of Spain, may no longer be frustrated, and the Laws evaded by the methods hitherto so successfully employed for that purpose. The Undersigned avails himself, &c., H. E. Don F. de Zea Bermudez. G. S. BOSANQUET. No. 19.-Mr. Secretary Canning to G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. SIR, Foreign Office, February 18, 1825. In reference to my Despatches to you, marked Slave Trade, of the 25th October, 1824, and of January 24th, 1825, upon the subject of the Maria de la Gloria, and of the question of Emancipated Slaves, as arising out of the treatment of the Slaves which were landed from that Vessel, I send to you the Copy of a Despatch upon this subject, dated the 15th of November last, which I have received from His Majesty's Commissary Judge at The Havannah; and I have to desire that you will bear in mind the purport of this Despatch, and make such use of it as may be most expedient in your Communications with the Spanish Government upon the points in question. G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. SIR, I am, &c., GEORGE CANNING. No. 20.-Mr. Secretary Canning to G. S. Bosanquet, Esq. Foreign Office, February 25, 1825. I SEND to you herewith the Copies of two Despatches from Mr. Kilbee, His Majesty's Commissary Judge at The Havannah, dated the 15th and 28th of November last. You will find in these Papers, and particularly in the Note addressed to the Captain General by Mr. Kilbee on the 14th of November, 1824, a detailed statement of the mode by which the Laws of Spain, abolishing the Slave Trade, are evaded in the Island of Cuba. You will address a Note upon the subject to the Spanish Government. You will comment upon the Cases of the Nicanor, the Tranquilidad, and the Marie, which had recently arrived at The Havannah, nominally in ballast, but notoriously with cargoes of Slaves which they brought from Africa, and landed at the back of the Island; and you will press upon the Government of His Catholic Majesty the adoption of some measure which shall give efficacy to the solemn compact |