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18th

2d SESSION.

Documents accompanying the President's Message.

any other citizens or subjects of the same nation, it is hereby agreed that, in such case, also, upon the delivery of the said vessel to the tribunals of that country to which the persons on whose account she is chartered, belong, the vessel, cargo, and crew, shall be proceeded against in like manner as any other vessel, cargo, and crew, within the purview of this convention, in so far as the general practice, under the law of nations, will allow. ARTICLE III. Whenever any naval commander, or commissioned officer, of either of the two contracting powers, shall, on the high seas, or any where not within the exclusive jurisdiction of either party, board, or cause to be boarded, any merchant vessel bearing the flag of the other power, and visit the same as a slave trader, or on suspicion of her being concerned in the slave trade, in every such case, whether the vessel so visited shall, or shall not, be captured and delivered over, or sent into the ports of her own country for trial and adjudication, the boarding officer shall deliver to the master, or com mander of the visited vessel, a certificate, in writing, signed by the said boarding officer, and specifying his rank in the navy of his country, together with the names of the commander by whose orders he is acting, and of the national vessel commanded by him: 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 or tribunals of her own country, being that of one of the two contracting parties, for trial and adjudication.

In all such cases, the commander of the national vessel, whether belonging to Great Britain or to the United States, shall, when he makes delivery of his capture, either to the officers or to the tribunals 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 specifiying 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.

[Sen. and H. of R.

head money, allowed by law, being in each instance secured to the captors, for their use and benefit, by the receiving government. ARTICLE V. Whenever any merchant vessel, of either nation, shall be captured under this convention, it shall be the duty of the commander of any ship belonging to the public service of the other, charged with the instructions of his government for carrying into execution the provisions of this convention, at the requisition of the commander of the capturing vessel, to receive into his custody the vessel so captured, and to carry or send the same for trial and adjudication into some port of his own country, or of its dependencies. In every such case, at the time of the delivery of the vessel, an authentic declaration shall be drawn up in triplicate, and signed by the commanders, both of the delivering and receiv ing vessels; one copy, signed by both, to be kept by each of them, stating the circumstances of the delivery, the condition of the captured vessel at the time of delivery, including the names 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 of 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 which 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 acquittal of the vessel, the expenses, as above specified, of these witnesses, shall be defrayed by the government of the capturing officer.

ARTICLE VI. Whenever any capture shall be made unThis certificate shall also contain a list of all the pa- der this convention, by the officers of either of the conpers received from the master of the vessel detained or tracting parties, and no national vessel of that country, visited, as well as those found on board the said vessel: to which the captured vessel belongs, is cruising on the it shall also contain an exact description of the state in same station where the capture takes place, the comwhich the vessel was found, when detained, and a state-mander of the capturing vessel shall, in such case, either ment 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 detention.

ARTICLE IV. Whenever any merchant vessel of either nation shall be visited under this convention, on suspicion of such vessel being engaged in the slave trade, no search shall, in any such case, be made on board the said vessel, except what is necessary for ascertaining, by due and sufficient proofs, whether she is, or is not, engaged in that illicit traffic. No person shall be taken out of the vessel so visited, (though such reasonable restraints as may be indispensable for the detention and safe delivery of the vessel, may be used against the crew,) by the commanding officer of the visiting vessel, or under his orders; nor shall any part of the cargo of the visited vessel be taken out of her, till after her delivery to the officers or tribunals of her own nation, excepting only when the removal of all, or a part of the slaves, if any, found on board the visited vessel, shall be indispensable either for the preservation of their lives, or from any other urgent consideration of humanity, or for the safety of the persons charged with the navigation of the said vessel after her capture. And any of the slaves so removed shall be duly accounted for to the government of that country to which the visited vessel belongs, and shall be disposed of according to the laws of the country into which they are carried; the regular bounty, or

carry or send his prize to some convenient 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 the 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 of 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.

ARTICLE VII. The commander and crew of any vessel, captured under this convention, and sent in for trial, shall be proceeded against conformably to the laws of the country whereinto they shall be brought, as pirates, engaged in the African slave trade; and it is further agreed, that any individual, being a citizen or subject of either of the two contracting parties, who shall be found on board any vessel, not carrying the flag of the other party, nor belonging to the subjects or citizens of either, but engaged in the illicit traffic of slaves, and lawfully seized, on that account, by the cruizers of the other party, or condemned under circumstances which, by involv ing such individual in the guilt of slave trading, would subject him to the penalties of piracy, he shall be sent for trial, before the competent court, in the country to

Documents accompanying the President's Message.

[Sen. and H. of R.

18th CONGRESS, 2d SESSION. which he belongs; and the reasonable expenses of any other, engaged in the African slave trade, is wholly and witnesses belonging to the capturing vessel, in proceed- exclusively grounded on the consideration of their hav ing to the place of trial, during their detention there, ing made that traffic piracy by their respective laws; and for their return to their own country, or to their and further, that the reciprocal concession of the said station in its service, shall, in every such case, be allow-right, as guarded, limited, and regulated, by this convened by the court, and defrayed by the country in which tion, shall not be so construed as to authorize the detenthe trial takes place; but every witness belonging to the tion or search of the merchant vessels of either nation, capturing vessel, shall, upon the criminal trial for piracy, by the officers of the navy of the other, except be liable to be challenged by the accused person, and vessels engaged, or suspected of being engaged, in set aside, as incompetent, unless he shall release his the African slave trade, or for any other purpose whatclaim to any part of the prize money, upon the condem-ever than that of seizing and delivering up the pernation of the vessel and cargo. sons and vessels concerned in that traffic, for trial and ART. VIII.-The right, reciprocally conceded by the adjudication, by the tribunals and laws of their own two contracting powers, of visiting, capturing, and deli- country; nor be taken to affect, in any other way, the vering over for trial, the merchant vessels of the other, existing rights of either of the high contracting parties. engaged in the traffic of slaves, shall be exercised only And they do also hereby agree and engage to use their by such commissioned officers of their respective Na-influence, respectively, with other maritime and civiliz vies, as shall be furnished with instructions for executing ed powers, to the end that the African slave trade may the laws of their respective countries against the slave be declared to be piracy under the law of nations. 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 Con

vention.

Whatever court of admiralty shall have cognizance of the cause, as regards the captured vessel, in each case, the same court shall be competent to hear the complaint of the masters 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 practised during the search or detention of 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.

ARTICLE XI. The present convention, consisting of eleven articles, shall be ratified, and the ratifications exchanged, at London, within the term of twelve months, or as much sooner as possible.

In witness whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereunto the seals of their arms.

Done at London, the thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twen ty-four. RICHARD RUSH, [L. s.] W. HUSKISSON, [u. s.] STRATFORD CANNING, [L. s.]

(With Mr. Rush's No. 2, of 15th March, 1824.)

C.

BRITISH COUNTER PROJET.

PREAMBLE.

His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States of North America, 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 sta tutes of their respective legislatures, immediately and reciprocally operate on the vessels and subjects, or citi. zens, of each other, have respectively appointed their Plenipotentiaries, to negotiate and conclude a convention for that purpose, that is to say: on the part of his Britannic Majesty, the Right Hon. William Huskisson, &c. &c. and the Right Hon. Stratford Canning, &c. &c. and on the part of the United States, Richard Rush, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary from those States to the court of his Majesty'; which Plenipotentiaries, after duly communicating to each other their respective full powers, found to be in proper form, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles:

ARTICLE IX. Copics of this convention, and of the I. The commanding and commissioned officers of each laws of both countries, actually in force, for the prohibi- of the two high contracting parties, duly authorized, untion and suppression of the African slave trade, shall be der the regulations and instructions of their respective furnished to every commander of the national vessels of Governments, to cruize on the coasts of Africa, of Ameeither party, charged with the execution of those laws; rica, and of the West Indies, for the suppression of the and in case any such commanding officer shall be accus- slave trade, shall be empowered, under the conditions, ed, by either of the two governments, of having deviated, limitations, and restrictions, hereinafter specified, to dein any respect, from the provisions of this convention, tain, examine, capture, and deliver over for trial and and the instructions of his own government in conformi- adjudication, by some competent tribunal, or whichever ty thereto, the government, to which such complaint of the two countries it shall be found, on examination, to shall be addressed, agrees, hereby, to make inqui- belong to, any ship or vessel concerned in the illicit ry into the circumstances of the case, and to inflict traffic of slaves, and carrying the flag of the other, or on the officer complained of, in the event of his appear-owned by any subjects or citizens of either of the two ing to deserve it, a punishment adequate to his trans- contracting parties, except when in presence of a ship gression. of war of its own nation; in which case, the commandARTICLE X. The high contracting partics declare, ing officer of the other party, instead of ordering the dethat the right which, in the foregoing articles, they have tention or search of the suspected vessel himself, shall each reciprocally conceded, of detaining,visiting, captur-give information of his suspicions to the commander of ing & delivering over for trial,the merchant vessels of the the said ship of war, and invite him to cause the sus

18th CONGRESS, 2d SESSION.

Documents accompanying the President's Message.

pected vessel to be searched and detained under his exclusive authority; provided, however, that the delay required for this purpose be not such, from peculiar and unavoidable circumstances, as to enable the suspected vessel to escape.

It is farther agreed, that any such ship or vessel, so captured, shall either be carried, or sent, by the capturing officer, to some port of the country to which it belongs, and there given up to the competent authorities, or be delivered up for the same purpose, to any duly commissioned officer of the other party it being the intention of the high contracting powers, that any ship or vessel within the purview of this convention, and seized on that account, shall be tried and adjudged by the tribunals of the captured party, and not by those of the captor.

[Sen. and H. of R.

each instance, secured to the captors, for their use and benefit, by the receiving government.

IV. Whenever any merchant vessel, of either nation, shall be visited, under this convention, on suspicion of such vessel being engaged in the slave trade, no search shall, in any such case, be made on board the said vessel, except what is necessary for ascertaining, by positive and sufficient proofs, whether she is, or is not, engaged in that illicit traffic. No person shall be taken out of the vessel so visited, though measures of restraint and personal coercion, necessary for the detention and safe delivery of the vessel, may be employed against its crew, by the commanding officer of the visiting vessel, or under his orders; nor shall any part of the cargo of the visited vessel be taken out of her, till after her delivery to the officers or tribunals of her own nation; excepting only when the immediate removal of all, or a part of the slaves, if any, found on board the visited vesII. In the case of any ship or vessel detained by the sel, shall be necessary either for the preservation of cruizers of either of the two contracting parties, on sus- their lives, or for the safety of the persons charged with picion of carrying on the slave trade, being found, on the navigation of the said vessel after her capture. And due examination by the boarding officer, to be charter- any of the slaves, so removed, shall be duly accounted ed on account of any of the subjects or citizens of the for to the government of that country to which the visitother party, although not actually bearing the flag of ed vessel belongs, and shall be disposed of according to that party, nor owned by the individuals on whose ac- the laws of the country into which they are carried; the count she is chartered, or by any other citizens or sub-regular bounty or head money, allowed by law, being, in jects of the same nation, it is hereby agreed, that, in such case also, upon the delivery of the said vessel to the tribunals of that country to which the persons, on V. Whenever any merchant vessel, of either nation, whose account she is chartered, belong, the vessel, car- shall be captured, under this convention, it shall be the go, and crew, shall be proceeded against in like man- duty of the commander of any ship belonging to the pubner as any other vessel, cargo, and crew, within the pur-lic service of the other, charged with the instructions of view of this convention, insofar as the general practice his government for carrying into execution the proviunder the law of nations will allow. sions of this convention, on the coast of Africa, of AmeIII. Whenever any naval commander or commission-rica, or of the West Indies, at the requisition of the comed officer of either of the two contracting powers shall, mander of the capturing vessel, to receive into his custoon the high seas, or any where not within the exclusive dy the vessel so captured, and to carry or send the same, jurisdiction of either party, board, or cause to be board- for trial and adjudication, into some port of his own couned, any merchant vessel, bearing the flag of the other try. In every such case, at the time of the delivery of power, and visit the same as a slave trader, or on suspi- the vessel, an authentic declaration shall be drawn up in tion of her being concerned in the slave trade, in every triplicate, and signed by the commanders both of the desuch case, whether the vessel so visited, shall, or shall livering and receiving vessels; one copy, signed by both, not, be captured and delivered over, or sent into the to be kept by each of them, stating the circumstances of ports of her own country, for trial and adjudication, the delivery, the condition of the captured vessel at the the boarding officer shall deliver to the master or com- time of delivery, including the names of her master or mander of the visited vessel a certificate, in writing, commander, and of every other person, not a slave, on signed by the said boarding officer, and specifying his board at that time, and exhibiting the number of the rank in the navy of his country, together with the names slaves, if any, then on board her, and a list of all the paof the commander by whose orders he is acting, and of pers received or found on board at the time of capture, the national vessel commanded by him; and the said and delivered over with her. The third copy of the said certificate shall further contain a declaration, purport- declaration shall be left in the captured vessel, with the ing that the only object of the visit is to ascertain whe-papers found on board, to be produced before the tributher the merchant vessel in question is engaged in the nal charged with the adjudication of the capture. slave trade, or not, and if found to be so engaged, to take and deliver her to the officer or tribunals of her own country, being that of one of the two contracting parties, for trial and adjudication.

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 tribuIn all such cases, the commander of the national ves-nal, as witnesses of the facts regarding her detention and sel, whether belonging to Great Britain or to the United capture; the reasonable expenses of which witnesses, in States, shall, when he makes delivery of his capture, proceeding to the place of trial, during their detention either to the officers or to the tribunals of the other pow- there, and for their return to their own country, or to er, deliver all the papers found on board the captured their station in its service, shall be allowed by the court vessel, indicating her national character, and the objects of adjudication, and defrayed, in the event of the vessel of her voyage; and, together with these, a certificate, being condemned, out of the proceeds of its sale. as above, of the visit, signed with his name, and speci- case of the acquittal of the vessel, the expenses, as above fying his rank in the navy of his country, as well as the specified, of these witnesses, shall be defrayed by the name of the vessel commanded by him, together with government of the capturing officer. the name and professional rank of the boarding officer by whom the said visit has been made.

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 detention.

In

VI. 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 case, either carry or send his prize to some convenient port of his own country, or of any of its dependencies, where a court of vice admiralty has jurisdiction, and there give it up to the competent authorities, for trial and adjudication. The

Documents accompanying the President's Message.

[Sen. and H. of R.

18th CONGRESS, 2d SESSION. captured vessel shall then be libelled according to the any such commanding officer shall be accused, by either practice of the court taking cognizance of the case; and, of the two governments, of having deviated, in any rein case of its being condemned, the proceeds of the sale spect, from the provisions of this convention, and the inthereof, and of its cargo, if also condemned, shall be paid structions of his own government, in conformity thereto, to the commander of the capturing vessel, for the bene- the government to which such complaint shall be addressfit of the captors, to be distributed among them, accord-ed,agrees, hereby, to make inquiry into the circumstances ing to the rules of their service respecting prize-money, of the case, and to inflict on the officer complained of, VII. The commander and crew of any vessel captured in the event of his appearing to deserve it, a punishmen under this Convention, and sent in for trial, shall be pro. adequate to his transgression. ceeded against conformably to the laws of the country whereinto they shall be brought, as pirates engaged in the African Slave Trade; and it is further agreed, that any individual, being a citizen or subject of either of the two contracting parties, who shall be found on board any vessel not carrying the flag of the other party, nor belonging to the subjects or citizens of either,ut engaged in the illicit traffic of slaves, and seized or condemned on that account, by the cruisers of the other party, under circumstances which, by involving such individual in the guilt of slave-trading, would subject him to the penalties of piracy, he shall be sent for trial before the competent court in the country to which he belongs, and the reasonable expenses of any witnesses belonging to the capturing vessel, 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, in every such case, be allowed by the court, and defray-ively, with other maritime and civilized powers, to the ed by the country in which the trial takes place.

VIII. The right, reciprocally conceded by the two contracting powers, of visiting, capturing, and delivering over for trial, the merchant vessels of the other, engaged in the traffic of slaves, shall be exercised 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 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 vessel in each case, the same court shall be competent to hear the complaint of the master, or of any person on board, or interested in the property of her cargo, at the time of her detention; and, on clear, indubitable proof being given to the court, of any vexation and abuse having been practised 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 [and] after the date thereof.

X. The high contracting parties declare, that the right which, in the foregoing articles, they have each recipre cally conceded, of detaining, visiting, capturing, and delivering over for trial, the merchant vessels of the othe er, engaged in the African slave trade, is wholly and exclusively grounded on the consideration of their having made that traffic piracy, by their respective laws; and, further, that the concession of the said right, as guard ed, limited, and regulated, by this convention, is meant and understood by them neither to extend to, nor in any way to affect, any other existing or eventual right search, or of capture at sea; in like manner as the mole of delivery and adjudication, stipulated in this conver tion, is not intended by them to affect, in any way, the ordinary modes of proceeding against vessels captural on the high seas, under the law of nations; and they do a hereby agree and engage to use their influence, respectend that the African slave trade may be generally de clared to be piracy, under the law of nations.

(With Mr. Rush's No. 2, of March 15th, 1824.) Protocol of the first conference of the American and Bri tish Plenipotentiaries, held at the Board of Trade, o the 23d of January, 1824.

PRESENT-Mr. Rush,

Mr. Huskisson,
Mr. Stratford Canning.

It was agreed, after the communication and exchange of the respective full powers, that the negotiation should be carried on by conference and protocol, with the right, on both sides, of annexing to the protocol any writte statement, which either party might consider necessary as matter either of record or of explanation.

It was further agreed, that the slave trade should be made the first subject of discussion; and that any articles on that head, which the parties might agree in drawng up, should be formed into a separate convention, to be submitted for ratification to the respective governments immediately on its conclusion, and without reference 19 the state of the negotiation on other matters.

The British Plenipotentiaries intimated their expecta tion to receive from Mr. Rush, in the first instance, a full communication of the proposals intended to be brought forward, successively, by his government, under the heads of the several questions, for the adjustment of which the negotiation had been opened, in conformity with the annexed memorandum, previously communicat

In case of any such vexation and abuse occurring ined by him, (marked A.) the detention or search of a vessel detained under this In pursuance of this intimation, Mr. Rush, after some convention, and not afterwards delivered over for trial, introductory remarks, explanatory of the views of his go the persons aggrieved, being such as are specified above, vernment upon this subject, communicated, in extens or any of them, shall be heard by any court of admiralty the projet of a Convention, for effecting a system of coof the country of the captors, before which they make operation between the United States and Great Britain, complaint thereof, and the commander and boarding of with a view to the complete suppression of the slave ficer of the detaining vessel shall, in each instance, be li- trade. able, 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.

IX. Copies of this convention, and of the laws of both countries actually in force, for the prohibition and sup. pression 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

The British Plenipotentiaries, in receiving this projet, observed, that they could not be expected to express any opinion, as to its admissibility, either in whole or in part, on a first perusal; to which observation the Amer can Plenipotentiary assented, and it was agreed that the next conference should take place on Monday the se cond of February.

RICHARD RUSH,
W. HUSKISSON,
STRATFORD CANNING.

18th CONGRESS,

Documents accompanying the President's Message.

A.

Memorandum referred to in the first conference.

1. Commercial intercourse between the United States and the colonial poss.ssions of Great Britain in America and the West Indies; and the claim of the United States to the navigation of the river St. Lawrence.

2. Suppression of the slave trade.

3. Boundary line under the fifth article of the treaty of Ghent.

4. Admission of consuls of the United States in the colonial ports of Great Britain.

5. Newfoundland Fishery.

6. Ukase of his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia, of September, 1821, with a view to an adjustment of the boundaries between the United States and Great Britain, on the northwest coast of America.

7. Questions of maritime law, heretofore in discussion between the two nations; and, also, that of abolishing privateering as between them.

[Sen. and H. of R.

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Mr. Huskisson,

Mr. Stratford Canning.

The protocol of the preceding conference was read over, and signed. The discussion which had taken place at the last conProtacol of the second conference of the American and Bri-ed, principally with reference to the first and tenth artiference, upon the subject of the slave trade, was renew. tish Plenipotentiaries, assembled at the Board of Trade cles of the counter-projet of the British Plenipotenon the 2d of February, 1824. PRESENT-Mr. Rush, Mr. Huskisson,

Mr. Stratford Canning.

The protocol of the preceding conference was read over, and signed.

The British Plenipotentiaries stated that, after mature consideration of the projet given in by Mr. Rush, at the former conference, they were disposed to consent to the general principle on which it rested, but that there were serious difficulties in the mode of carrying that principle into effect, which they wished to point out and discuss with Mr. Rush, in the hope of arriving, with his assistance, at some solution satisfactory to both parties.

The discussion which ensued, with a view to the removal or modification of such provisions in the projet as were thought likely to render the proposed convention more or less ineffectual, terminated in an agreement, on the part of the American Plenipotentiary, after he had stated his first impressions on the subject, to reconsider, more at leisure, the points of his projet, which appeared objectionable to the British Plenipotentiaries; and, on their part, to ascertain, by reference to the proper law officers, how far it might be practicable to obviate the legal difficulties on their side.

It was agreed to meet again on the 5th instant, and, in case of any further causes of delay arising in the consideration of the slave trade projet, to proceed at once with the next subject of negotiation, until these causes should be removed.

RICHARD RUSH,
W. HUSKISSON,
STRATFORD CANNING.

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The protocol of the preceding conference was read over, and signed.

Several points connected with the propositions brought forward by the American Plenipotentiary, in the previous conferences, were informally discussed, with a view to explanation, and, if possible, to the removal of difliculties on both sides.

The British Plenipotentiaries communicated a counter projet, (marked C.,) comprising the principal alterations which they proposed to introduce into the articles on the slave trade, presented by Mr. Rush, and annexed to the protocol of the first conference.

Vol. I-C

tiaries.

No satisfactory adjustment of the points at issue being arrived at, it was agreed to meet again on the 11th inst. for their further consideration.

RICHARD RUSH,
W. HUSKISSON,
STRATFORD CANNING,

Protocol of the sixth conference of the American and
British Plenipotentiaries, held at the Board of Trade,
March 11th, 1824.

PRESENT-Mr. Rush,

Mr. Huskisson,

Mr. Stratford Canning.

over, and signed.
The protocol of the preceding conference was read

had been left undetermined at the last conference,
The paints on the subject of the slave trade, which
length, satisfactorily adjusted, it was determined that,
were again brought under discussion; and, being, at
at the next meeting, to be held on the 13th instant, the
business should be completed, by the signature of the
Convention, as agreed on.
RICHARD RUSH,
W. HUSKISSON,
STRATFORD CANNING.

Protocol of the seventh conference of the American and
British Plenipotentiaries, held at the Board of Trade,
March 13th, 1824.

PRESENT-Mr. Rush,

Mr. Huskisson,

Mr. Stratford Canning.

The protocol of the preceding conference was read over, and signed.

In pursuance of the agreement entered into at the last conference, the Convention on the subject of the slave trade was produced; and, being found, on perusal, to be, in all respects, satisfactory to the Plenipotentiaries on both sides, received their respective signatures. The protocol of the present conference was, also, read over, and signed.

RICHARD RUSH,
W. HUSKISSON,
STRATFORD CANNING.

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