The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-02 00:00:00

Lord BROUGHAM asked whether her Majesty's
Government would have any objection to the
production of the correspondence that had taken
place between Lieutenant Bosanquct, of the Leveret, and
the Portuguese Minister, on the subject of the African
slave trade. lie apprehended there could not be the
slightest objection to the production of these papers. lie
( Lord Brougham) had been abused by the Members of the
Portuguese Parliament, most properly exercising their
priviloge, as he (Lord Brougham) should exercise his ;
and they had expressed the greatest indignation at his
calling it a feeble Government. Now he apprehended
that these censures arose from incorrect translations of his
speech. Ile had certainly alluded to the conduct of An-
tonio de Meth°, Governor of Mszambique, who went out
in a slaver from the very port of Lisbon, and the vessel,
instead of returnfng there, had carried over 600 slaves to
Rio and Cuba, for the profit of the Governor whom it had
taken out. There never had been such a gross
thing done, and yet the Governor was never pu-
nished for it. In fact, a duty of seven dollars a
head was levied lii;on every slave-ship, and yet the
Portuguese Government called that prohibiting the slave
trade, ia hile they were actually deriving a revenue from it.
He had been informed that six months ago a vessel was
fitted cut with a double set of papers and double logs, and
when bis informant went on board a sight presented itself
which experienced as they were in the atrocities
of that execrable crime called by bad courtesy th •
African slave trade, was enough to harrow up one's
feelings, and almost make the blood curdle in their veins.
The vessel had been anchored (Jr the coast at night, and
in a tropical climate these 600 wretches were kt pt under
hatches all night. In the morning no less than 60 were
found stretched dead, having been suffocated for want
of air, and 20 or 30 more were in so desperate a
sate, that they died before the ship was a league 1
from the shore.—(Hear.) Here (re upwards of 80
individuals murdered, cruelly murdered, in one night by
that Government, for who did it by another did it by him-
self; and yet that Government levied a tax of seven dollars
per head on every slave ship. These are the facts which
he had thought it his duty at the earliest mosient after
they had come to his knowledge of laying them before
their Lordships and before the face of the co..ntry, to the
useful and wholesome end that they might be inquired
into in the proper quarter, and that those who boasted
they had made treaties with Portugal by which Por-
tugal had bound itself to put down the slave
trade, should demand an immediate explanation.
upon the subject, Ile believed the facts he had stated,
were not exaggerated, and if necessary, he had no objection
to give his author's name. With these observations, he
had only to ask the Noble Lord at the head of the Admi-
ralty, if there would be any objection to the production of
Lord Bosanquet's correspondence on these matures.
Lord MINTO was not r'avare that there would be any
objection. At the same time he would be glad to have
the opportunity of consulting with his Noble Friend the
Secretary for Foreign Affairs, before he gave a decided
answer. A notice had some time since been given by his
Noble Friend of his intention to 12y some papers on the
table of the House of Commons connected with the Por-
tuguese treaty, and ire found upon those papers a measure
of a vigorous character calculated to enforce more treaties
with Portugal. ( Hear, hear.) It was not at all impro-
bable that the papers now referred to mignt
form part of more to be produced by his Noble Friend.
Under such circumstances, the Noble Lord would
probably delay making his motion till he saw what
papers were produced by his noble Friend. He
The Noble Lord would say that as far as his recollection
served him the account of the transactions given by the
Noble and Learned Lord would be found to be pretty cor-
rect. The Noble and Learned Lord had said the slave
trade bad been connit eI at very openly—he might have
used a stronger word than connived. The active and zea-
lous conduct of Lieutenant Bosanquet had been the sub •
j ct of great complaint on the part of the Portuguese
When those complaints had been received, the answers
sent out to them were that rs soon as Lieut. Bosanquet
returned to this country, every opportunity would be taken
to primate him for his conduct.—( Cheers. )
Lord BROUGHAM was exceedingly glad to heat.- the
statement Which had just been made by the Noble Lord.
He hyped the measure about to be taken would in.
deed be a vigorous measure. The more vigorous it
was the better pleased with it would lie be, and the more
h a .tidy would he support it. It was useless, however, to
talk of abolishing the slave trade until they put an end to