The National Register.
London, England, 1822-05-13 00:00:00

MONDAY. MAY 18, 1822.

made to a very elaborate opinion pronounced by J tidge
Van Ness in one of these cases, which deserves to be
recorded. He intimated, that even if this ship and cargo,
taken under the Spanish flag, bail toot been proved to he
American property, he would have held that the demand
of restitution by the Spanish claimant ought to be reject-
ed. on the ground that the trade, being prot ttttt need
illegal and even criminal by the municipal laws of Spain,
a nil the property being liable to confiscation lit the courts
of his own country, no Spanish subject could have a
right to Maim restitution in the courts of the United
States.—Another very important document has reached
the Directors (tom the United States. It is the report of
a committee of the House of Representatives in their
last session, relative to the mutual exercise of the right of
search, by Great Britain and America, with a view to
the suppressiou of the slave trade. This committee gave
a very clear opinion in favour of the exercise of this
right.
Lord CALTKORPE rose to propose the motion of thaiiks
to the Directors of the African Institution. He la-
mented the inadequate manner in which the efforts of
the abolitionists were supported by foreign powers, but
he anticipated a more favourable result from the consti-
tutional govertunents of the continent.
- -

Lord NIMENT, in seconding the motion, animad-
yerted in severe terms upon the odious trafic of the
slave trade, and expressed a hope that the time was not
far (Natant, when, by the COIIIIIIOTI co•nperation of all
civilized goverittn, tits, a termination would b: put to the
depredations of that monster of all mankind—the trader
in human flesh.

The Marquis of LasraciowNE proposed the second
resolution, which was declaratory of the abhorrence of
the society at the manner in which the slave trade sub.
seated. He lamented the indisposition which was ma-
nifested by foreign power to take the only step that
could renddr the abolition eflective, tianitly, by making
it piracy. He congratulated the meeting upon the great
example set in this respect by the United States of Ame-
rica, whose goveruuten took the proper attitude that it
became freemen to assume in the cause of freedom.
Mr. NVILIIER,ORCE, in seconding the declaratory
resolution, deeply regretted the necessity which existed
of enlightening the public mind of prance respecting
the odious measure of the slave trade.
Mr. BROUGHAM proposed a resolution expressive of
the gratification of the soci?ty at finding the slave trade
made piracy by the United States of America. In doing
so, he was grieved to say, that instead of being lISWIII.
bled, as they had hoped, this day, to witness the con-
summation of their le years' labours in enforcing the act
of abolition, they had now the ne.riification to find a
new series of troubles risinj, to their view, fmm a Lingo-
lar combination of unhappy circumstances. As long as
their own laws had to be watched over to be enforced—
as long as their own colonies declined to give their own
slaves the equal bmefit of the law, and withheld from
them every thing which was not extorted (mitt the mas-
ters, by the necessity of fostering the slaves now risen in
price, if that degraded epithet must still attach to Mimeo
beings—as lung as other nations refined to redeem
their own plighted promises—so hug the African iiisti-
union must obviously and necessarily have much to ac-
complish. It would seem from the interesting report
which had been read, that the chief countries ofEtirope
since the peace, exhibited nothing, but a irrits of pledges
given to be forfeited—opportunities of benefiting 111•111.
kind only afforded to be scandalously thrown away—
chances held forth to the nations of the world, but cast
aside, of recovering themselves, anil of gaining imperish-
able renown. (Applause.) fie looked with toidignation
at the contrast presented by the republican sot jeCIS of a
tree country, in the performance where they had not
promised so much, to those govemnents who had pio-
onset' so much and performed so liitle.—(Applatic4
Too much could slot be said of the labours of the Society
of Friends, who had been forcibly compe:le,!, by the
greatness of their own doings, to encroacit upon that
meekness of habit which itititomily induced Mein to