The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-01 00:00:00

PORTUGUESE SLAVE-TRADE.

The following four notes. during the Administration
of the Viscount de Sada Bandeira, marked " private
and confidential," were annexed to a very long official
note addressed by Baron:de Ribiera de Sabroza to Lord
Howard de Walden, on the 11th ult., and published in
the Diario do Governo of the 19th, justifying the refu-
sal of the Portuguse Governments to sign the treaty for
the total abolition of the slave-trade, now almost exclu•
sivcly carried on under the Portuguese flag. The ex•
cuse set up for this apparent breach of confidence is,
that a similar measure has been recently observed in
England on the part of his Lordship.
(Private.)
" My dear Sir,—lmmediately on my arrival at theiLe-
gation I pointed out the remarks you had made to Lord
Howard and I find that the treaty had been agreed
upon as it stands, with the exception in Article 7, where
the words coasting boat' are not to exist,l the expres-
sion any vessel whatever' being considered sufficient.
In Article 13 the word colonial' was not agreed to
be left out. In Article 14 the words on giving six
months' notice of a desire to make such revision" are
out, and the last part of the paragraph commencing
six months,' &c., to the end, is kept.
" All the other alterations suggested, and affecting- in
no way the efficacy of the Treaty, including the alt(a-a-
tion in the placing of the paragraph following in Artiiele
14, cannot be adopted at this late hour without entail-
ing a delay which would render the conclusion of the
negotiations impossible before Lord Howard's depar-
ture, irrevocably fixed for the next packet. Any ulterior
arrangements with regard to a third commission or
a guarantee, must be made the subject of future con-
sideration, either in the shape of ,an additional ar-
ticle or otherwise, but cannot interfere with the treaty as
it now stands, and which Lord Howard considers as
concluded with the Viscount de Sa. It remains, then,
with you, my dear Sir, to press your scribes a little, and
hasten the manual labour which is to terminate a ne-
gotiation of which you seemed to feel the necessity your-
self when I:had the pleasure of seeing you this morning,
and which I will engage to finish my share of, if you
will go on sending me article by article the Portu-
guese translation.

" Yours very truly,
`• AUGUSTUS CRAVEN.

" The paragraph lately inserted in —Article 1-f runs
thus :—‘ It shall come into operation on the cast coast
of Africa in six months, and on the west coast of Africa
in four months from the above date.'
" P.S.—I will send you the English translation of
French and Swedish paragraph early to-morrow."

(Superscription.)
" SENHOR GOMES DE OLIVEIRA, &C., SECRETARIA
DOS VEGOCIOS ESTICANGEIROS.
" LISBON, SUNDAY NIGHT.

" My dear Viscount,—Not having seen you at the
Palace to-night, I write a line to tell you that I have been
at work all day at our treaty, and that I think I have
succeeded in adapting all your amendments very well
to the different articles. I herewith send you also
the annexes A and B with the grammatical cor-
rections rendered evident on consideration, and the
addition of the substance of your amendment in the
body of the treaty. 1 think you can at once put
the two annexes in question in course of copying. The
third clause I must look over again with you. If yen
like to give me half an hour to-morrow afternoon, I will
come down with you at your time. I am sure that
half an hour will he enough to set your people at work,
and I should be extremely glad to he able to report
something positive by this mail, as Parliament may again
take up the slave-trade question with renewed vigour,
after the holidays which they have been enjoying.
" I am, &c. •
" HOWARD DE WALDEN.
" I am satisfied with the news from EnP.land."

" SUNDAY.

"My dear Viscount,—l return you herewith the
translation, or rather the Portuguese. of our treaty ; I
hare desired Craven to make the alterations of domi-
nions in possessions.
There are still some sheets of Portuguese to be
sent me.

" I remain, &c.

" HOWARD.
" I inclose a letter I have received from Gibraltar,
respecting the Miguelite agents."

(MOST CONFIDENTIAL.)
__ .

" My dear Viscount,—Here is a note upon which
to hang your delaration as to piracy. You will pro-
bably state-1, your objections and difficulties, if.insur-
mountable ; 2, the fact of having established a penal law
inflicting a secondary punishment for (illegible) con-
cerned .in the slave trade ; 3, remark on no European
Power besides England having actually declared slave
trade piracy ; and 4, conclude with a delaration of the
readiness of Portugal either simultaneously or jointly
to unite with other Powers of Europe in any resolution
to the (fEl:ct of declaring slave trade piracy, although,
circumstanced as the Government is now, you cannot
venture to take the initiative. This, in short, strikes
me as the outline of the best case to make out, wording
the conclusion as strongly as you can in a general sense,
denouncing the slave trade.
Believe me, &c.,
"HOWARD DE WALDEN.
" Saturday night."