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Regent, and of the Act that has been passed by the Legislature, to enable the Executive Government to carry into effect the several Stipulations contained therein, has the honour to transmit herewith to His Excellency the Commander Thomas Antonio de Villanova Portúgal, &c. a Copy of each of these important Documents.

His Royal Highness's Government, in their last Dispatches to the Undersigned, express some disappointment, at not having yet received ftom hence the stipulated Alvará of His Most Faithful Majesty, respecting the criminality and punishment of those who may be detected in carrying on an illicit Trade in Slaves, which was to have been promulgated within 2 months after the exchange of the Ratifications of the Additional Convention; to accelerate which promulgation as much as lay in his power, the Undersigned had the honour several times to wait upon His Excellency, and particularly after the period stipulated for the publication had elapsed.

The Undersigned begs leave to announce to His Excellency, that he has been honoured by the Prince Regent's Commands, to invite the Government of His Most Faithful Majesty, forthwith to nominate the Commissioners who are to reside, conjointly with those appointed by His Royal Highness, in execution of the several Clauses of the Additional Convention, in the Brazils and at Sierra Leone; this last being the place fixed upon by the British Government, as the most fitting, under all circumstances, for bringing in for adjudication Slavetraders detained for carrying on an illicit traffic.

The British Cabinet confidently trusts, that there will be no difficulty on the part of His Most Faithful Majesty's Government in making this nomination without delay, and likewise in declaring, which Port of His Brazil Majesty is pleased, in pursuance of the VIIIth Article of the said Convention, to appoint for the residence of the Commissioners, whose station is to be in this Kingdom.

The Undersigned begs leave to announce to His Excellency, that it is the intention of his Government to send out the British Commissioners to their respective Ports, so soon as it shall be in possession of this information; and, for the sake of securing the arrival at Sierra Leone of those destined to be fixed there, at the same time with those to be sent from this Country, or even sooner if possible, it is particularly desirous to learn, at what period it is likely that the Portuguese Commissioners will be dispatched to that Port; and the Undersigned being instructed to request, that their departure may take place with all practicable brevity, begs the favour of His Excellency to take the trouble to communicate to him His Majesty's decision in this respect, so soon as it may be made known.

The Undersigned at the same time has the honour to represent to His Excellency, how much the friendly and harmonious execution of this new system is likely to depend on the choice made by the re

spective Governments of proper Commissioners, who, in their enlightened views of strict and impartial justice, and by their knowledge of the Law of Nations, may render their judgment at once such as shall command universal confidence and respect.

Having thus executed the orders entrusted to him, the Undersigned has the honour to request his Excellency the Commander Thomas Antonio de Villanova Portugal, to accept the assurances of his highest and most distinguished consideration.

H. E. M. de Villanova Portugal.

H. CHAMBERLAIN.

No. 23.-H. Chamberlain Esq. to Visct. Castlereagh.-(Rec. 22d Oct.) (Extract.) Rio de Janeiro, 23d August, 1818.

AT a late hour last night, I received from M. de Villanova Portugal a Note and Inclosures, of which I have the honour to transmit Copies and translations herewith, by which your Lordship will learn, that His Most Faithful Majesty has fixed upon this Port for the residence of the Mixed Commission to be established in the Brazils, under the VIIIth Article of the Treaty of London, of the 28th July 1817; and that the Deputy of the Board of Trade, Senhor Silvestre Pinheiro Fereira, and Senhor João Pereira de Souza, Merchant, have been named Commissary Judge and Commissioner of Arbitration.

The Minister asserts, that the Law imposing penalties upon an illegal Traffick in Slaves, was promulgated on the 26th of January last but it was not printed till the month of May. By reference to the Copy I had the the honour to send to your Lordship's Office, it will be seen, that it had not passed through and been registered at, the various Departments of Government (which must take place previous to promulgation) until some time in that or the preceding month. Viscount Castlereagh, K. G. H. CHAMBERLAIN.

(Inclosure 1.)—M. de Villanova Portugal to H. Chamberlain, Esq. Palace of the Royal Farm of Santa Cruz, 20th August, 1818. (Translation.)

THE Undersigned has laid before The King his Master, the Note which Mr. Chamberlain addressed to him on the 10th instant, inclosing 2 Copies of the Additional Convention of London, of the 28th July 1817, to the Treaty of the 22d January 1815, and of the Act, passed subsequently, to carry into effect the Stipulations of the said Convention; and Mr. Chamberlain having observed, that the British Government had expressed, in their last Dispatches, some disappointment at not having yet received the Law which His Most Faithful Majesty had engaged to. promulgate in his Dominions, imposing the penalties which were to be incurred by those who should engage in an illicit Traffick in Slaves, he cannot avoid remarking, that this Law

having been promulgated on the 26th of January of the present year, as Mr. Chamberlain, without doubt, is aware, and the date of the printed Copies shews, the error into which the British Government has fallen in this respect, can be easily rectified by Mr. Chamberlain's stating the real fact at his convenience.

With respect, however, to the place within His Majesty's Dominions where one of the Mixed Commissions is to reside, and the nomination of the Portuguese Commissioners, Mr. Chamberlain having declared the intentions of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent of Great Britain, and the choice which His Government has made of the Establishment of Sierra Leone for the residence of the Commission to be established within the British Possessions in Africa, the Undersigned has to acquaint him, that The King his Master, not desiring to delay on his part, the due execution of the Stipulations of the said Convention, has been pleased, as soon as the Official Declarations contained in the before-mentioned Note were made known to Him, not only to fix the place within His Dominions where one of the Commissioners is to reside, and to name the Portuguese Commissioners that are to form it, but to direct, at the same time, the Board of Trade of this Kingdom to propose those who are to go to reside at Sierra Leone, as will be seen by the inclosed Copies of the Decree and Aviso; and His Majesty is also ready to name, in the like manner, the Portuguese Commissioners who are to form part of the Mixed Commission which is to be established in London, according to the dispositions of the said Convention. The Undersigned renews, &c. THOMAS ANTONIO DE VILLANOVA PORTUGAL.

Henry Chamberlain, Esq.

No. 24.-Earl Bathurst to the Chevalier Guerreiro.

Foreign Office, 13th November, 1818. THE Undersigned, one of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the Note of the Chevalier de Guerreiro of the 22d ultimo; in which are enclosed, 1st. a Copy of the Decree of His Most Faithful Majesty, designating the City of Rio de Janeiro as the place of residence of the Mixed Commission to be established in the Portuguese Dominions, and nominating the Judge and Arbitrator who are to act on the part of the King of Portugal in the said Commission, in conformity with the VIIIth Article of the Convention concluded at London on the 28th of July 1817; and, 2dly, another Decree of His Most Faithful Majesty, directing the Royal Board of Commerce at Rio de Janeiro to propose for His Majesty's approval such persons as may be qualified to act as Commissioners on the part of Portugal, at the Settlement of Sierra Leone, the place fixed upon by His Britannick Majesty for the residence of

the other Mixed Commission to be appointed under the same Convention.

The Undersigned has received the Prince Regent's Commands to return His Royal Highness's acknowledgments for these communications, and to acquaint the Chevalier de Guerreiro, for the information of his Government, that no time will be lost in the nomination of the Persons, who are to meet the Portuguese Commissioners under the said Convention, on the part of His Britannick Majesty.

The Undersigned avails himself, &c.

The Chevalier Guerreiro.

BATHURST.

No. 25.-The Earlof Clancarty to Visct. Castlereagh.-(Rec. Nov.23)
MY LORD,
Brussels, 21st November, 1818.

I HAVE the honour herewith to transmit for your Lordship's information, a Copy of the Law* which has been passed here, in execution by this Court of the 1st Article of the Treaty relative to the Slave Trade and reciprocal right of search, signed between this Crown and that of Great Britain, on the 4th of the month of May last.

I remain with great respect, &c.

Viscount Castlereagh, K. G.

CLANCARTY.

No. 26.-Viscount Castlereagh to Henry Chamberlain, Esq. SIR, Foreign Office, 27th November, 1818. THE meeting of the Allied Sovereigns and Cabinets, at Aix-la-Chapelle, has been concluded by a solemn and joint appeal to the King of Portugal, to induce His Most Faithful Majesty to contribute, as far as lies in his power, by the unrestricted abolition of the Traffic in Slaves throughout His Most Faithful Majesty's Dominions, to the consummation of that great object, which, since the Congress at Vienna in the year 1815, has been a matter of the most anxious solicitude to the several Powers who were parties to that arrangement.

For this purpose, their Imperial and Royal Majesties, the Sovereigns of Austria, Prussia, France and Russia, have severally addressed Letters to His Most Faithful Majesty; and His Royal Highness the Prince Regent has commanded me to entrust you with the delivery of a Letter of the same import from His Royal Highness himself. You will, accordingly, immediately on the receipt of this Dispatch, solicit an audience of His Most Faithful Majesty, and you will deliver the inclosed Letter into His Majesty's hands, accompanying the same with suitable expressions of good will and sincere friendship on the part of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and of the warm anxiety which His Royal Highness feels in the success of a measure so interesting to

* See State Papers, Vol. 1824, 1825, Page 308.

humanity, and which is supported by the unanimous voice or example

of every civilized Nation.

Henry Chamberlain, Esq.

I am,

&c.

CASTLEREAGH.

(Inclosure.)-The Prince Regent of Great Britain to The King of

Portugal.

MONSIEUR MON FRERE ET COUSIN, Londres, le 9 Décembre, 1818. A l'époque du Congrès de Vienne, la voix de la religion, et les plaintes d'une humanité souffrante ont obtenu les plus consolants succès.

Le monde a vu en perspective le terme d'un fléau qui a si long temps désolé l'Afrique, et votre Majesté s'est justement acquis des droits à l'éternelle réconnoissance des Nations, en proclamant, de concert avec les Alliés, le principe de l'abolition universelle de la Traite des Négres. Depuis lors, les Actes conclus à Paris en 1815, et l'heureuse issue de plusieurs négociations vouées à l'exécution progressive de cette mesure, ont fortifié les généreuses espérances du siécle, et présagé le parfait accomplissement de la transaction qui les avoit solemnellement consacré.

Si les résultâts des Conférences d'Aix-la-Chapelle, qui consomment la pacification, et garantissent la prospérité de l'Europe, laissent encore un vœu à former, c'est celui de voir assurer le triomphe final de la Déclaration du 8 Février 1815, au moyen d'un acte décrétant l'abolition du Commerce des Négres en tous lieux et pour toujours. Qu'il nous soit donc permis, à mes Alliés et à moi, de tourner des regards confians vers la Puissance, à laquelle le Suprême Arbitre des destinées de la terre, a reservé la gloire de mettre fin aux douleurs d'une population infortunée. Ce succès définitif sera sans doute le fruit des rapports intimes qui subsistent entre nous, parcequ'un concours d'intentions conciliantes, et de concessions réciproques, ne manquera pas de faire prospérer une œuvre également méritoire devant Dieu et aux vœux des hommes,

C'est à la suite de cette dernière négociation, que des mesures de surveillance mutuellement arrêtés pour la stricte exécution d'une Loi devenue générale, couronneroient les nobles efforts de toutes les Puissances appelées à régir les différentes parties du Globe, par les mêmes sentimens de Justice, et de Religion.

Je ne doute pas rencontrer à cet égard les sentimens de votre Majesté, et je la prie d'agréer les assurances de la considération distinguée et de l'attachement sincère avec lesquels je suis,

Monsieur mon Frère et Cousin, de Votre Majesté le Bon Frrèe et Cousin, GEORGE, P. R. A Mons. mon Frère et Cousin, le Roi de Portugal et du Brésil.

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