No. Date and Receipt. SUBJECT. 95. Viscount Granville to Mr. Secretary D. Sept. 12, 1825 Receipt of No. 94 Canning R. Sept. 15, 96. Viscount Granville to Mr. Secretary (D. Sept. 22, Page 264 Canning 97. Mr. Secretary Canning to Viscount Granville.... (R. Sept. 25, French Trade, Coast of Africa. 264 D. Oct. 27, 98. Viscount Granville to Mr. Secretary (D. Nov. 10, 99. Mr. Secretary Canning to Viscount) Granville.. D. Dec. 5, 100. Viscount Granville to Mr. Secretary D. Dec. 12, Canning JR. Dec. 16, 101. Viscount Granville to Mr. Secretary (D. Dec. 22, Canning JR. Dec. 25, 102. Mr. Secretary Canning to Viscount) D. Jan. 6, 1826 L'Eclair Granville... D. Jan. 12, 103. Mr. Secretary Canning to Viscount Granville.... Slaves taken from Mauritius to 278 L'Orphée-The Z. &c. 278 L'Orphée-The Z. &c. 284 125. Viscount Granville to Mr. Secretary D. Mar. 3, 126. Viscount Granville to Mr. Secretary D. Mar. 6, _____ French Slave-trade French Slave-Trade, eastern coast .... 321 321 Slave-trade at Nantes La Térèse-French Trade, east- Grecian fitting out at Marseilles, supposed for Slave-trade........... 322 323 325 SPAIN. No. 1.-G. Bosanquet, Esq. to Mr. Sec. Canning.-(Rec. April 11.) In compliance with the Instructions contained in your Despatch of 25th February, I have addressed to the Spanish Minister the Note, of which I have the honour to enclose a Copy complaining of the continued infractions of the Slave-trade Treaty in the Island of Cuba, and urging the adoption of some measures for the prevention of this evil. I have endeavoured, in this Communication, to point out to Ilis Excellency the means of evasion practised by the Dealers in Slaves to avoid detection, and to prove the necessity of an alteration in the existing Laws, and the application of some severe punishment to this crime, as absolutely necessary for the attainment of the object in view. I have also taken this opportunity of recommending, as an additional means of prevention, that a reward should be given to Persons who might be induced to come forward and give information, according to the suggestions which Sir William à Court was directed to submit for the consideration of the Spanish Government in the month of April last, but which do not appear to have been hitherto attended to. I have the honour to be, &c. The Right Hon. George Canning. GEORGE BOSANQUET. (Inclosure.)--George Bosanquet, Esq. to M. de Zea Bermudez. Madrid, March 22, 1825. THE Undersigned, His Britannick Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires, has received Instructions to address His Excellency Don F. de Zea Bermudez, respecting an evil, to which, unfortunately, it has been of late necessary repeatedly to call the attention of the Government of His Catholick Majesty, but to which, as yet, no effectual remedy has been applied-the continued infractions of the Slave-Trade Treaty in the Island of Cuba. The Note of the Undersigned, dated the 30th November last, and the Documents enclosed in that Communication, will have shown how extensively this inhuman traffick is carried on in that Colony, and how utterly impossible it has been found for the Authorities, however well disposed, to prevent it, while the Laws in force are so inefficient for that purpose. Subsequent advices, lately received from The Havannah, prove that the evil complained of continues rapidly to increase, and that, far from any impediments being put in the way of the Slave-traders, a practice has of late been introduced which greatly facilitates their undertakings, and, if it do not warrant the suspicion of a culpable connivance on the part of the Authorities, shows at least a great want of vigilance on their part. The practice alluded to, is that of officially announcing in the Diario del Gobierno, Vessels which have notoriously come from Africa, as having arrived from other Places, such as Sisal, St. Thomas, Curaçao, and, in one instance, Antigua, Places where they certainly had never touched; and as it appears that the mode by which the Owners of Slave-ships manage to conceal the real objects of their voyages is that of landing their Cargoes at the back of the Island, and then returning to Port in ballast, they are relieved, by such false reports, from all apprehension on the part of their own Government. During the course of last year, no fewer than 41 Vessels sailed from The Havannah to the Coast of Africa, notoriously, though not avowedly, for the purpose of Slave-trading, of which number, 5 had returned, at the date of these advices, under the circumstances above related. Two of these, the Nicanor and Tranquilidad, had undoubtedly come from Africa with cargoes of Slaves, which they had landed previous to their entrance into Port, and yet they were reported as having come from Sisal in ballast. Another Vessel, the French Brig Marie, P. Drouet, Master, arrived in ballast on the 16th November, and was announced to have come from the Danish Island of St. Thomas, but it was well known that she also had come direct from the Coast, with a cargo of upwards of 400 Slaves, which had been landed previous to her entrance into Port. On such glaring infractions of the Treaty, it is unnecessary to make any further observation; it is almost superfluous for the Undersigned to point out the improbability that Vessels sailing for the Coast of Africa, for the purposes, as professed by the Owners, of legitimate Commerce should, one after another, return in ballast, and that others should, notwithstanding, venture to follow their example, and that even the very same Vessels should sail for that Coast, and again return still in ballast. It will no doubt excite surprise, that so palpable a fraud should not have awakened suspicion, and have led to a careful examination of the Papers and Crews of such Vessels, in order to ascertain how far their statements were correct. Had such a practice been adopted, there is no doubt the traffick would have been considerably checked; but no such means of detention appear to have been employed, and when the Captain-General was officially addressed on the subject by Mr. Kilbee, it was found that the investigation of such Cases belonged to a Department over which His Excellency had no control. Under these circumstances, the Undersigned has been directed to call the serious attention of the Government of His Catholick Majesty to this important subject, and to urge the adoption of some measures which may give efficacy to the solemn Compact entered into by Spain in the year 1817, for the abolition of the Slave-trade, the conditions of which Compact are so openly violated, and the beneficent intentions of His Catholick Majesty rendered entirely of non-effect by the means of evasion above detailed. His Excellency Don Francisco de Zea Bermudez must be aware, that since the abolition of the Penal Code established by the Cortes, by an Article of which Slave-trading was made Felony, the Regulations for putting down this traffick rest solely upon the Decree of His Catholick Majesty of December, 1817, the Provisions of which experience has proved to be ineffectual; and as it is evident, that it is only by the severest penalties it can be hoped to prevent Persons from engaging in speculations which offer such prospects of gain, some new Legislative enactment appears necessary to effect this object. There is also reason to believe, that considerable benefit would arise from offering a liberal reward to such persons as would give information as to the existence of this Traffick, and that the certainty of detection, to which the Persons engaging in it would thus be exposed, would prevent many such undertakings, and would deter the Planters from purchasing Slaves illegally imported. Upon this Point the Undersigned has the honour to refer His Excellency to a Note addressed by Sir William à Court to the Count de Ofalia, on the 18th April last, containing some suggestions which His Excellency was directed to submit to the Government of His Catholick Majesty. The Count de Ofalia promised, at the time, that these suggestions should be taken into consideration, but it does not appear whether they have led to any result. The British Government feel perfectly satisfied that it is the wish and the intention of that of Spain, most punctually and faithfully to perform the conditions of the Treaty of 1817; but they are of opinion, at the same time, that the Laws at present in force are not sufficient to effect the object of putting down this detestable Traffick, and if His Excellency Don Francisco de Zea Bermudez will examine attentively the various cases of infraction, which have at different times been brought to the notice of himself and his Predecessors, the Undersigned feels convinced that he must acknowledge that this opinion is well founded. He is directed, therefore to express the confident hope that this matter will be taken into consideration at an early moment, and avails himself, &c. &c. H. E. M. de Zea Bermudez. GEORGE BOSANQUET. No. 2.-Mr. Sec". Canning to the Right Hon. Frederick Lamb. SIR, Foreign Office, May 31, 1825. I HEREWITH send you the Copy of a Communication, under date the 18th of this month, which has been addressed by the Secretary to the Admiralty, to one of the Under Secretaries of State for this |