The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-01-11 00:00:00

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DOCUMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

rarras TN RELATTON TO THE .CONVENTION BETWEEN
THE VETTED STATES AND GREAT RRIT•IN, • TOR THE
SUPPRESSION OF THE SLATE. TRADE, COMMUNICATED,
WITH THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, TO CONGRESS, ON
THE 7TH DEC-104-
XE. ADAMS TO MR. BUSH.
Department of State, Washington, May 29.
Brl.—The Convention between the United States and Great
Britain, fur the suppression of the African Slave Trade, is here-
with transmitted to you, with the ratification on the part of the
Uuited States, under certain modifications and exceptions, an.
nexed as conditions to the advice and consent of the Senate to its
ratificatim.

The participation of the Senate of the United States in the final
conclusion."( all treaties. to which they are parties, is already well
known to the British Government; and the novelty of the prin.
ciplea established by the Convention. as well as their importance,
and the requisite assent of two-thirds of the Senators present, to
the final conclusion of every part of a ratified treaty, will explain
the causes of its ratification under this form. It wifl be seen, that
the great and essential principles which form the basis of the com-
pact arc admitted, to their full extent, in the ratified part of the
Convention. The second article, and the portion of the seventh,
which it is proposed to expunge, are unessential to the plan, and
were not included in the project of convention transmitted to you
from hence. They appear, indeed, to be, so fuss concerned the
United State!, altogether imperative, since they could not confer
the power of capturing slave traders under the flag of a third party
—a power not claimed, tither by the United States or Grew
Britain, unless by treaty. and the United States having no such
treaty with any other power. It is presumed that the bearings of
those articles were exclusively upon the flags of those other nations
with which Great Britain low already treaties for the suppression of
the slave trade, and that while they give an effective power to the
officers of Great Britain, they conferred none upon those of the.
Uuited Slates.

The etception of the coast of America, from the sews, upon
which the mutual power of capturing the vessels under the flag of
either party.may be exercised, had reference, in the view; of %be-
Senate,illewbtless, to the coast of the Uhited States. On no part
of that coast, unless within the Gulf of Mexico, is there any pro..
bability that slave.trading vessels will ever be found. The neces-
sity for the exercise of the authority to capture is, therefore, no
greater than it would be upon the coast of Europe. In South
America, the only coast to which slave traders may be hereafter ex-
pected to resort, is that of Brasil, from which, it is to be hoped,
they will shortly be expelled by the laws of the country.
The limitation, by which each party is left at liberty to renounce
the convention, by six mouths' notice to the other, may perhaps be
useful in reconciling other nations to the adoption of its previsions.
If the principles of the convention are to be permanently main-
tained, this limitation must undoubtedly be abandoned ; and when
the public mind shall have been familiarised to the practical ope.
ration of the system, it is not doubted that this reservation will, on
all sides, be readily given up.
In giving these explanations to the British Government, you
will state that the President was fully prepared to have ratified the
convention, without alteration, as it had been signed by you. He
is aware that the conditional ratification leaves the British Govern.
ment at liberty to concur therein, or to decline the ratification alto-
gether ; but he will not disguise the wish, that, such as it is, it may
receive the sanction of Great Britain, and be carried into effect.
When the concurrence of both Governments has been at length
obtained, by exertions so long and so arxiously continued, to
principles so important, and for purposes of so high and honour.
able a character, It would prove a severe disappointment to the
friends of freedom and of humanity, if all prospect of effective con-
cert between the two nations, for the extirpation of this disgrace to
civilized man, should be lost by differences of sentiment, in all pro-
bability transient, upon unessential details.
Should the convention, as ratified on the part of the Cnited
States be likewise ratified on the part of Great Britain. you will
exchange the ratifications, and forthwith transmit the British ra.
tided copy to this place. On exchanging the ratifications, a certi-
ficate of that act is usually executed under the hand and seal of
the persona performing it, and mutually delivered. A copy of
the form of that used in exchanging the ratifications of the con-
vention of the 28th October, 1818, is herewith enclosed, and it
appears to be the form generally used on such occasions by the
British Government. You will transmit the certificate exchanged,
with the British ratification. To complete the documents belong.
ing to the negociation, a copy of the full power of the British Ple-
nipotentiaries, and of the protocol of the third conference, are yet to
be forwarded to us.
By the ninth article of the Convention, it is provided that copies
of it. " and of the laws of both countries, actually in force, for
the prohibition and suppression of the slave trade, shall be fur-
nished to every Commander of the National vessels of either party,
charged with the execution of those laws." The fulfilment of this
article will require the continued and particular attention of both

I enclose, herewith, a printed pamphlet, containing all the
laws of the United States on this subject, now in force. It is
stated in your despatches to have been the intention of the British
Government to consolidate into one act, during the present Session
of Parliament, all the British laws relating to the subject; and
perhaps Congress at their next Session may deem it expedient to
do the same-bete. At all events, you will not fail to forward to
me • copy of all the law.. in force, which come within the pur'
view of the I'onvention; and although not expressly stipulated in
, that instrument, you will suggest to the British Government,
that copies of the Instructions relating to this object, given by
Each of the parties to its own natal officers, should be commu-
nicated to the other, and furnished to all the officers, en either
side, entrusted with the execution of the laws made by this Con-
vention, common to both. Lists of the vessels of either party. and
of their Commanders, thus instructed, might also facilitate the ac-
complishment of the great purposes of both, and harmonise the
practical operation of a system, not less important by the magna-
nimous end to be dbtained, than by the novelty of the means
adopted fot its accomplishment.
The conclusion of this convention has been highly satisfactory
to the President, whose entire approbation of the course pursued
by you in the negotiation of it, I em instructed to make known to
you. He indulges tire hope that it will, even as now modified,
contribute largely to two subjects of high importance—to the friend-
ly relations between the two countries, and to the general interests
of humanity. He sees in it, with much pleasure, that spirit of
mutual accommodation, so essential to the continuance and promo. '
tion of their harmony and good understanding, and welcomes it as
an earnest of the same spirit. in accomplishing the adjustment of
the other interesting objects in negotiation between the two
parties.
I ant, with great respect, Sly, your very humble and obedient
Servant, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
Richard Rush, Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary U.S. London.

EXTRACT OF A LETTIR FROM MR. Rl'Sll TO 111. ADAMS.
London, June 28, 1824.
I have this day had the honour to receive your despatch, No. 79,
of the 29th of :Hay, with the Convention for the Suppression of the
Slave Trade, as ratified ou the part of the United States, under
certain modifications and exceptions, annexed as conditions to the
advice and consent of the Senate to its ratification.
I shall proceed immediately to lay the Convention, as thus rati-
fied, before this Government, and endeavour to recommend to its
acceptance, the modifications and exceptions, row a part of the in.
strument, by all the suggestions anti arguments with which your
despatch has supplied me.

EXTRACT OF ♦ LETTER FROM MR. RCM TO MR. ADAMS.
London, July 6, 11424.
I hare had one interview with Mr. Secretary Canning, since the
'lkh of last month, on the business of the Convention for the Sup-
pression of the Slave Trade but, as yet, am not able to communi-
cate any of the sentiments of this Government in relation to it.
You shall hear them from me at the earliest moment after I am
myself apprised of them.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM Na. RUSK TO NI. ADAMS.
London, Aug. 9,
I have the honour to inform you that 'Mr. Secretary Canning has
given meta understand, in an interview which I have this day had
with him, that this Government finds itself unable to accede to the
Convention for the Suppression of the Slave Trade, with the al-
terations and modifications that have been annexed to its ratifi-
cation on the part of the United States. lie said that none of
these alterations and modifications would have formed insuperable
ban to the consent of Great Britain, except that which had ex-
punged the word America from the first article, but that this was
considered insuperable.
The reasons which Mr. Canning assigned for this determination
on the part of Great Britain, I forbear to state, as he has promised
to address a communication, in writing, to me upon the subject,
where they will be seen more accurately, and at large ; but to guard
against any delay in my receiving that communication, I have
thought it right not to lose any time in thus apprising you, for the
President's information, of the result.

11/1. RUSH TO )111. ADAMS.
London, Aug. 30, 1824.
Sir,-1 had the honour to apprise you, in my letter of the 9th
inst., that Mr. Secretary Canning had informed me, in an inter-
view that 1 had with him on that day, that this Government would
decline acceding to the Convention for the Suppression of the Slave
Tiede, as ratified in May, on the part of the United States, and
that he promised to address me so official note upon this subject.
This note I receives! on Saturday, the 29th inst. the delay having
arisen from an attack of fever under which he has been labouring.
A copy of it is herewith enclosed.
I lost no time, after receiving your instructions of the 29th of
May, in laying the matter of them before Mr. Canning, having,
on the 3ktto of June, written hint a note to request an interview,
for the purpose of executing this duty, which he grimed mc, at the
Foreign OtEcc, on the Ist of July. It wait in that interview that I
laid hilly tame him all the conaiclerations.and arguments for the
adoption of the treaty as ratified at Washington, with which your
above insfruCtions had charged me, omitting no part of them. Ile
gave no opinion at that time, on the course which this Govern-
ment would be likely to pursue, but. afterwards, on the 11:11 of
1 August, informed me, as I have heretofore mentior.ed, that the
omissicn of the words, " and America." lmm the first article of the
treat*, was CORSithrtd hr Great Britain as an insuperable objec-
tion to its a:ceptar.ce on her part and to this ettect is the note which