The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-26 00:00:00

1.118 IVAVY.

The Cormorant, 4, screw gun vessel, has returned
into harbour at Chatham, having undergone a most
satisfactory trial of her engines and machinery,
which were found to work in a thorougly efficient
manner.
The screw despatch gunvessel Torch, 4, Com-
mander F. H. Smith, fitting at Chatham for foreign
service, is completed with the exception of painting, ,
which operation has been much retarded by the
state of the weather.
The Megara, screw troopship, landed her mili-
tary invalids yesterday alongside Portsmouth dock-
yard.
The Prince of Wales, 131, screw, has commenced
taking in her tanks in the steam basin, at Ports-
mouth. The Duncan, 101, screw, in the same basin,
is expected to make her official trial of speed during
the next spring tides.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Thomas F. Simmons,first-
class assistant. engineer, to the Asia, for service in
the Grinder; Francis Thornton, promoted to the
rank of second-class assistant-engineer in the
Bloodhound; F. G. Pearce, paymaster, additional,
to the Blenheim; B. W. Fielding, B. H. Dunn, A.
0. Tottenham, P. A. Black, A. Ross, L. C. Reece,
J. A. Clifton, J. W. Wilkins, H. E. Walters, G. S.
La Costa, G. G. Boys, F. A. Gataber, G. Osborne,
E. W. J. Hermah, and lion. E. W. D. Browne,
naval cadets to the Marlborough, for disposal ; C.
T. F. Hodgkinson, naval cadet to the Hannibal ;
T. H. Hoghton, E. S. Dugdale, and C. W. Cole,
naval cadets to the Nile, for disposal.

----
THE DEPARTURE OF TILE CII.INNEL
FLEET FROM THE FIRTH OF FORTH.

Saturday probably would have becn a great day
had the weather not -proved unfavourable. The
sky was overcast in the morning, 'Tin fell at io.tcr-
vas and heavily till 11 o'clock; and as uncL.ftaioty
prevailed as to the exact thee when the fleet would
leave, and as to where it could best be
at all, the turn out at Leith, Gra:lton, litratislar;d,
Queenserry, and along the shores of the Ei
by no means large.

We left Granton by the steamship Dundalk
shortly before one, steamed right across towards
Burntisland—a direct passage not being safe, owing
to the state of the tide—moved quietly along by
. Inchcolm, a splendid view of which, with its fine
old ruins, was obtained; passed Danibristle House,
then glistening in the sun, and had the exquisite_
pleasure of being just in time to see the monarch of
the fleet—the leoyal Albert—with all her glorious
retinue, steam up and in motion, rounding the
corner of lucbgarvie. It was one of the most im-
posing sights the eye could witness, and it was
enjoyed to the full by every one on board.
The Dundalk lay to in the neighbourbo)d. of
Inchgarvie till the majestic procession had left
St. Margaret's Hope and got fairly out into the
North Channel. Rain an clouds had then
diy-
app 'tired---the sun was shining in his slre7gtl. ;
ti e waters of the Forth were glistening with his
beams ; and as there was not at this moment in sight
a vessel save our own to disturb the placid gran-
deur of the scene, we sat in raptures, and with at
the same time a mingled feeling of devotion and
awe, as one by one, in a straight line, and at in-
tervals of distances as regular as if they had been
measured off by a chain, the Titans of the deep—the
bulwarks of British strength and freedom—marched
forth with royal dignity and grace to their home
on the ocean wave. The Royal Albert, as we have
said, appeared first, then followed the Greyhound,
next the Mersey, and afterwards, in regular suc-
cession, the Edgar, the Trafalgar, the Con-
queror, the Algiers, the Aboukir, the Centurion,
the Mars, the Donegal, and the Diadem. Each of
the vessels passed Inchgarvie by the aid of steam
alone, not a sail having been unfurled ; no sooner,
however, was the wider expanse of waters reached
than in a moment, as if by the wand of an enchan-
ter, every inch of canvas on every one of the vessels
was given to the wind, and then appeared—the
whole fleet having now passed us—an exhibition of
naval power, dignity, and glory, such probably as
not one landsman in 50,000 has ever been-pri-
vileged to observe. From the position we octal-
, pied we commanded an unbroken five-mile view
of every member of the fleet, each with its
crowding snowy canvas filled with a gentle breeze, all
with that snowy canvas lighted up with the beams
of a strong sou, uud the whole presenting a pietueu
of majesty and beauty worth going a hundred miles
to see. It would be impossible to do justice to all
the varied attractions of the display, or to describe
the feelings excited on board. Every lady an d
gentleman seemed to be for half an hour as if spell-
bound ; the tableau was infinitely beyond their
highest expectations ; they had never, with all their
visits to the fleet in St. Margaret's Hope, conceived
the idea of anything so surpassingly magnificent;
and it is hardly necessary to add that, so soon as
the spell was removed, the congratulations were
universal.—Caledonian Mercury.

FRENCH A IVD ENGL rsll STEEL

PLATED SHIPS.

The Paris correspondent of the Economist trans-
mits some interesting information respecting the
evidence which the Superior Council of Commerce
iu that capital is receiving with reference to the
duties to be charged under the new treaty. We
make the following extract :
As to the French witnesses who were examined,
most of them, as on previous occasions, stood out
manfully for the highest duties possible. Some or
them admitted that France makes as good steal as
England, that she can supply any quantity of it, and
can even dispense with Swedish iron in the ma king of
it; and yet they affected to be terrified at English
competition in that article. Several of them dwelt
strongly on the difference between the price of coal
in England and in France, as a sufficient reason for
maintaining exaggerated protection ; and they were
perfectly unmindful of the fact that this is to a
great extent compensated by the greatly higher
wages which have to be paid for labour in England.
One of them, a M. Petin by name, a partner in large
steel works in the department of the Loire, also
contended that in France taxes are higher than in
England; but M. Michel Chevalier showed him
triumphantly that on the profits which he admitted
his establishment gained he would, if in England,
have to pay 108,000 f. for income tax alone, sa) ing
nothing of poor rates, paving rates, lighting rates,
and all the other taxes with which Englishmen are
burdened; whereas in France all his taxes largely
counted are only 09,447 f.
In the course of the investigation before the
council a circumstance which is of grave political as
well as of commercial importance, has been referred
to more than once. It is that superior qualities
of French iron and steel are infinitely better than
any of the same class made in England, and that
the consequence is that the plates made in France
for covering ships are impervious to cannon balls,
whilst the plates made in England for that pur-
pose cannot resist shot. The aforesaid M. Petin
was one of the witnesses who made a statement

to that effect :—" The English," he said, "have
just sent to Vincennes steel plates for covering
ships ; and I have learned, with pleasure, that they
were smashed into a thousand puce:; on being fired
at, whilst French plates perfectly resisted." I hopo
this fact, if it really be one, and from the confident
manner in which it is affirmed there is no reason to
doubt it, ,6 ill not escape the attention of our
Government.
I-find another fact of, importance stated by the
saute gentleman. It is that the French are making
steel sheets which are peculiarly suitable for ship-
building, and that as the sheets are thinner than
iron, a vessel made of them would give consider-
ably greater tonage than one of the same size in
iron, whilst the expense would not be much
I higher.

ME PAPAL ARMY.

EXTRAORDINARY DISCLOSURES AT HULL.
For some time past Hull has been the scene of
considerable excitement consequent upon the arrival
and departure of numbers of Irishmen who have
joined the Pope's army. Several hundreds of these
recruits have arrived in Hull during the last fort-
night from Ireland, and, after remaining in the
town for a day or two, have taken their departure
in steamers plying between this port and Ant werp.
Many of these recruits arc very young men, and
arc apparently of the poorest class of society. From
what many of these persons have stated, it appears
that they left situations in Ireland in order to pro-
ceed to Italy, but it would appear from the follow-
ing declaration, which was on Friday made at the
Hull Police-court, that some at least of them have
been grossly imposed upon and deceived as to the
real object for which they were leaving their native
country. The following is a copy of the declaration
made on Friday at the Hull Police-court before the
Mayor, Z. C. Pearson, Esq.
Joseph Kearns, of No. 9, Eccles-street, in the
city of Dublin, do hereby solemnly and sincerely
declare that five weeks ago my brother, Joseph
James Kearns, who was bound to Mr, Solman for
seven years, to learn the trade of a carpenter, and
had about 3 years to serve, was induced by some
person whom I do not know to join a party to go
out to Italy to serve under his Holiness the Pope.
He went without the knowledge of his friends. It
was afterwards ascertained that he had been taken
away some evening on board a steamer bound for
Liverpool, and after ascertaining where he had
gone I followed him, and found him at Marcerata,
about 40 miles from Ancona. I had only two inter-
views with him. 'We were closely watched, the
interviews taking place in presence of one of the
corps and a sub-lieutenant, who was an Irishman.
My brother told me he had been induced to leave
home on the promise of having plenty of work as
a carpenter, a bounty of fifteen pounds and two
shillings per day wages being held out. He was
told that many buildings, fortifications, &c., were
going to be erected ; and he said distinctly at the
time he consented to go that he did not go for the
purpose of being a soldier. As soon as they arrived
there,
however (at Marcerata), the authorities in-
sn'ted upon his signing an agreement to serve as a
soldier under his Holiness for four years ; which he
said nothing on earth should have induced him to
do, had he known it before he left Ireland. My
brother further told me that it was the general
wish of the other young men to get away and come
home again, as they had been deceived, though
many had, no doubt, gone out for the purpose of
being soldiers. There is no consul within 40 miles
of the place to whom they can apply for relief, and
they are so narrowly watched that e: cape is next
to impossible. My brother told me that his fare
had been paid by some one whom he did not know,
and the men requested him to make the particulars
of the case known in England upon his return, in
order that others might be put upon their guard.
They wished me to do all I could to rescue them,
and I am on my way to London now for that pur-
pose. I arrived in Hull last night from Antwerp.
I am myself a carpenter.
The Mayor said he hoped the matter would be
taken up by the press, and every publicity given
W it,

I'M PE MAL PARLIAMENT.

HOU'BE OZ LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORA CHANtELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clr,tk%

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
Tho "A‘ShVea Harbour Trusts, Horsham and Guildford
Direct. RAWay, and Bedford and Cambridge Railway Bills
war.; rett.'a a second time.
Iffe. following bills were read a third time :—Fergus
River Navigation Improvement, Doncaster and Tadcaster
!Load, Oswestry and Newtown Railway (Additional Capi-
tal), and Marchburn, Kelso, and Lauder Eoad.

THE SEE OF DURHAM.
Earl GREY presented several petitions, praying that the
revenues of the see of Durham might be retained and ex-
pended within the diocese.

EDUCATION IN INDIA.
Several petitions were presented, praying that the Bible
might be introduced into any scheme for the education of
the natiYes of India.
THE SL AVE TRADE.

Lord STATHEDEN moved that an humble address be
presented to her Majesty praying her Majesty to be gra-
ciously pleased to appoint a consul at Mozambique with a
view to promote the interest of commerce, and with the
execution of the treaties between Great Britain and Portu-
gal upon the slave trade. The noble lord said he would not
detain the house with any statement of the circumstances
that had induced him t,) bring the subject under their lord.
ships' attention. In 1858 the official resident at that place
retired,in consequence of circumstances that occurred between
the Governments of France, Portugal, and Great Britain,
and since that time no British Minister or resident had been
appointed to his place, and the question he wished to have
settled was whether It was desirable to have the
post filled up. Independently of the importance of
the presence of such a person with regard to trade
and commerce, the operations of the slave trade loudly
called for a consul at Mozambique, in order to prevent an
increase in that detestable traffic. Whatever steps were
taken to put down the slave trade on the western coast of
Africa, they were rendered entirely useless as long as
fivt vent was given to it in the East. The conspiracy that
was formed by the slave dealers against the British
Consul when he resided there proved the importance
of • such a British resident, because they felt
that presence was in effect a death-blow to a
'successfully carrying on of this unholy traffic. During the
residence of Mr. Macleod he prevented no less than three
French vessels from shipping slaves, under the name of
Tree emigrants, for Reunion. In addition to such a
proceeding, he had, moreover, been the means of strength-
ening the Viceroy at Mozambique, and inciting him to
lend him his aid in preventing the shipment of slaves.
He thought their lordships could not think that the French
system was what it was said to be, a free immigration. If
there was any doubt about it, he thought it was 'moved by
the fact that after a cargo of negroes had been shipped for
Reunion as free immigrants they rose, and having over-
powered the crew, whom they allowed to escape by the
boats, become masters of the ship, in which they returned to
port. If the appointment of a consul at Mozambique had
only done the good he had mentioned, he thought it was
quite enough to show the importance of the presence of such
a person at Mozambique. It was clear that his with-
drawal had b eon a great satisfaction to the slave
dealers, and he asked the Goveinment to say on
what grounds they refused to make so desirable a
re-appointment. If any reformation in the present system
was desired, the autumn of the present year would afford a
favourable opportunity for making it, ay a new Governor-
General would arrive with fresh instructions from his Go-
vernment. That being so, it was of the highest importance
that a British consul should be before that time appointed
in order to use his influence and remonstrances against an
increase of the slave trade. Considering that our estimates
had reached £70,000,000, it was absurd to haggle at a paltry
expenditure of £2,000 a year for an object that would be of

immeasurable benefit to Africa. It could not be denied

that, in the island of Reunion, there did exist a strong de-
:fire for negro labour. Now, no circumstance could be more
fatal to the alliance between France and England than a
suspicion should arise among our people that that alliance
was only a peace-offering and a sacrifice to the slave trade.
That alliance had survived many rude shocks, in spite of all

that happened at the beginning of 1858, in spite of the ag-
gression of Portugal in the autumn of that year, and in spite
of the gigantic estimates which France imposed upon this
country ; but let it once be known that our efforts to sup-
press the slave trade had once relaxed, and the days of that
alliance were over. It could not, therefore, be maintained
that the absence of an English consul at Mozambique
tended to strengthen the alliance ; on the contrary, he con-
tended that the results of the vacancy were most disastrous
and unfortunate. The noble lord concluded by moving for
the address of which he had given notice.
Lord WODEHOUSE said he felt bound, on the part of
her Majesty's Governmen`, to object to the motion of the
noble lord, though not from any want of a sense of the im-
portance of the subject. It was true that the appointment
of a consul was only one portion of the arrangements made
to prevent the slave trade ; but that would naturally bring
tha whole subject of the Java trade on the south coast of
Africa under tile consideration of the house. The noble lord
had correctly stated the circumstances of the appointment
of a consul at Mozambique, who remained there till 1858.
But he (Lord Wodehouse) could not agree with the noble
lord that the proceedings of the consul there were so mild
and effective as he seemed to think. Mr. M'Cloud was
active and zealous, and made the best efforts in his power
to prevent the slave trade; but he (Lord Wodehouse) was
bound to add that he could not think that upon all occasions
his ccnduct was characterised by judgment, which was

quite as neee3sary as zeal. (Hear, hear.) The question had

now arisen 'whether that post should be again filled up.
Moe t of their lordships had read the papers which at vari-
ous times had been presented to the house on the subject of
slave trade, and were aware that the possessions of Portugal
in south Africa were very few—not exceeding three or
four or five points on the coast. The sovereignty of Por-
tugal over those places had been acknowledged by a treaty
betwecat this country and Portugal; and in order to pre-
vent the slave trade being carried on it would be necessary
that we should have a consul there who would be able to
set A ith effect, because it was clear that the efforts of Por-
tugal alone would not be able to effect that object. Under
these peculiar circumstances it was a matter of serious con-
sideration in what manner they should deal with this ques-
tion. There was no doubt that the slave trade did prevail
to .a great extent on the south coast of Africa, but he be-
lieved the only means by which it could be prevented would
be to enable the natives of the interior of the country to
follow some legitimate occupation, in order to teach them
to turn the natural advantages of the soil and climate to
account. (Hear, hear) All these objects were sought to
be accomplished by Dr. Livingstone'e expedition, and he
had met with very cons derable success. Under these cir-
cumst..nces.the government thought they could not do bet-
ter than encourage the expedition of Dr. Livingstone, and
they had accordingly this year proposed a far larger vote to
the House of Commons for that object than in any former
year. They had proposed at first a vote of £3,000 for the
expenses of the expedition, and afterwards an additional
annual vote for three years of £2,500, while the extra and
temporary expenditure for the present year would be
£3,000, making a total of £11,500, of which about £5,000
would be required to build a vessel of peculiar construction
for Dr. Livingstone. By these means that expedition
would have fair play ; and they should wait to see its re-
sult before they made any further arrangements for the
suppression of the slave trade. (Hear, hear.) He did not
mean to say that a consul at Mozambique might not be
very useful; but he did not think it desirable at the pre-
sent moment to reappoint a consul there, though his noble
friend'at the head of the Foreign-office said that at some
future time there might be no objection to doing so. He
believed that, whether on the south coast or the west coast
of Africa, or wherever else the slave trade flourished, the
only effective means of putting it down would be to •show
the natives how to engage in. some legitimate commerce,
lay a sure foundation for the ultimate suppres-
sion of the slave trade. (Hear, hear.) But he must add
that the real source of the evil lay across the Atlantic.
(Hear.) -As long as the Spanish Government did not carry
out their engagements with Cuba, the best efforts of Eng-
land to suppress the slave trade must, to a great extent,
fail ; and he grieved to add that the most recent accounts
from Cuba showed that the slave trade was carried on there
on a large and organised scale. He hoped his noble friend
would bee satisfied with this explanation. He might rest
assured that the subject had received the best consideration
by his nOble friend at the head of the Forcign-otlice, and
that whenever a consul could be appointed at Mozambique,
who would be able to act with effect, it should be done.
(Hear.)
Lord BROUGHAM entirely agreed in the latter part of
the views of the noble lord who had just sat down as to
the absolute necessity of cultivating commercial and agri •
cultural pursuits among the natives of the south coast.
of Africa, which would be of all other means the best and
surest to extinguish the slave trade, which was that great
obstacle in the way of agricultural and commercial pros
PerltY• (Ilear, hear.) The Governor of Mozambique was
paid his salary in a way which had a direct influence on
the encouraa
year__a gement of the slave trade. He was paid £9OO
'nun greatly less than his necessa . ry ex-
penses; but even that was paid by orders of the council of
Mozambique, Which was entirely composed of notorious
slave dealers and their
received his pally Accordingly, the governor
eikwoPurloaaogonTottitscn as ho shut his eyes to their
proceedings.
say that the present governor
took an active part in the slave trade ; but governors before
him slid, who received so muchper head in proportion to
tba success with which their
ents carried on the slave
would
of Dr. Living-
trade in the interior. No doubttl7:xp
stone was of great importance, and id
hPamo
but in
influence on the suppression of the slaveav trade;
the meantime they must recollect that the
men was far greater than the profit of Qergfit of telling
as long as men were allowed to be sold in thleienoterttto.)?nr, the
, and
native chief would not only not encourage but would
pre-
vent the development of agriculture. That was the easeon
the west, coast of Africa, and so it would be on the east
coast. It was not only the Portuguese Government that
encouraged the slave trade. The Spanish Government did
ess to a still greater degree, and the (um against that Go-
.iftitsailpni was krealatible, They had the statement of the

commissary judge at the Havannah,from which it appeared
that 50 slave-trading vessels left Cuba in two months of
1858 for the coast of Africa, each vessel capable on the ave-
rage of transporting 600 slaves, so that they had the fright-
ful amount of 30,000 taken from their count .) and their
home in the course of two months only. Ho id not mean
to multiply that by six, because the slave affic was not
carried on with the same activity throw; out the whole
year. Commodore Wise wrote :—" The ave trade has
taken a frightful extension. New and formidable joint-
stock companies called ' Expeditions to Africa' have been
formed, and so openly that on the Havannah Exchange
the shares in these companies are advertised, and the price
of each share is about 1,000 dollars." Thus they re-
duced to a system this abominable traffic. He had it
from a gentleman who held a high official appointment
that in his opinion no less than 18,000 slaves passed that
way in the course of the year ; and his noble friend at the
head of the Foreign-office estimated the amount of the slave
trade traffic in the course of the year at from 36,000 to
40,000 persons. Could anything be more atrocious then
than the conduct of the Spanish Government ? His noble
friend behind him, writing to Mr. Buchanan, their Minister
at Madrid, said, "If Spain honestly performed her treaty
engagements with this country, the traffic in human beings
would cease. The flagrant violation by the Spanish autho-
rities of the engagements contracted with this country must
tend seriously to impair the friendly relations so desirable
to be maintained between the two countries." It had been
said, "how can Spain put a stop to the slave trade ?" He
would answer that question by putting another, " How did
Brazil put a stop to the slave trade ?" The Spanish Govern-
ment had as much power over the authorities of Cuba as the
Brazilian Government had over their subjects, but Brazil,
much to her honour, had abolished the slave trade. No less
than 60 convictions had taken place before the Vice-Admi-
ralty Court at Sierra Leone before 1851. But since 1851,
when Brazil abolished the trade, the number came down to
12, and last year there were three condemnations, and no
more. In Brazil a man of colour, provided he was free, was
received on the same footing as a white man, was as capable
of enjoying any public trust or office, and in society he had
the same acceptance as the white man. His right hon.
friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer had lately received
from Mr. Edward Bryden, an African gentleman in Liberia,
where he was engaged in the honourable office of teaching,
a complimentary letter, and a better written or better com-
posed letter he never read. It contained appropriate quo-
tations from the Latin and Greek authors, which proved
distinctly that he was a person of high classical attain-
ments. He could not help regretting the prejudices that pre-
vailed in some quarters of the world, and especially in the
United States of America, on this subject of colour; and
this put him in mind of an anecdote which was told to
himself and his noble and learned friend Lord Lyndhurst
by an American gentleman who had been an envoy of the
United States, in the south of Europe, and afterwards at the
Hague. This gentleman told them he had made a tour in
Cuba, and that he had been most hospitably aria elegantly
entertained for three days by a negro country gentleman,
who resided in a magnificent house. When leaving he
thanked him for his hospitality, but the negro gentleman,
interrupting him, said, "I am a person above all prejudices,
and if I find a man well bred, well educated, and well prin-
cipled, I hold out the hand of fellowship to him, even if he
be as white as that table cloth." (Laughter.) He hoped the
people of the United States would hold out the hand of fel-
howship to a well educated, well principled, and well man-
nered man, even though his colour was as black as a hat.
He knew it would take a long time to effect this change,
but he lived in the hope that it would take place. He enter-
tained this hope although it had been actually laid down in
the" Dred Scott case" by the Supreme Court of the United
States that what was called the " Missouri compromise"
was unconstitutional, and therefore not to be regarded, and
that Illinois was unfit to be considered a free state notwith-
standing that compromise. The Chief Justice and one of his
brethren laid it down as law that neither parents who had
been imported as slaves nor their descendants, whether they
had become free or not, were to be acknowledged as part of
the people, but were to be regarded as beings of an inferior
order, altogether unfit to associate with the white race in
social or political relations, so far inferior that they had no
rights which the white man was bound to respect, and that
the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery
for the benefit of the white man. (Hear, hear.) In Ar-
kansas they had lately come to a resolution that free
persons of colour should either be reduced to slavery, or
driven out of the country. It was in vain to expect any
active operations on the part of the United States in the
suppression of the slave trade.. It was true tfiey had made
one or two captures, but the offenders escaped punishment.
If they were sincere, why not make the slave trade a capittil
offence ? At present, as soon as the slaves were landed, the
Government cared not what became of the vessel. Slaves
bought for £4 on the coast of Africa sold at a profit of 1,400
per cent. In one case a slave ship had been run ashore in
stormy weather to escape a cruiser; and the scene occa-
sioned by the attempted escape of the slaves was described
as horrible in the extreme. Hundreds flung themselves into
the sea, and out of 1,200 only 340 were saved, and 40 of
those died afterwards. He only knew of one worse case,
where the captain and officers of a slave ship, which was
chased, got into a boat, and attempted to set fire to the
vessel. It was to be regretted that our efforts to stop this
horrible traffic amongst the Spaniards and Portuguese
should only hitherto have led to worse atrocities. 'We had
one influence over the Spaniards at this moment in conse-
quence of the new treaty ; let us refuse them the benefit of
that treaty unless they abolished the slave trade.
The Bishop of OXFORD regretted to hear that it
was not considered fitting by the Government at pre-
sent to appoint a consul at Mozambique. The grounds
assigned for that decision had not carried conviction
to his mind. It was said that Dr. Livingstone, by open-
ing a legitimate commerce in the south-eastern part of
the district, was endeavouring to produce the same effect
as would result from the appointment of a consul.
No man appreciated more highly than he did the laudable
efforts of Dr. Livingstone, and the singular capacity of the
man for bringing what he had undertaken to a successful
issue; but he was convinced, from all the information that
reached him, that unless Dr. Livingstone's efforts in the 1
interior and up the rivers were backed by the consular in-
fluence of England at the foot of the Mozambique they:would
be almost practically paralysed. 'What had been done at
the southern branch of the Zambesi mouths ? Until he
discovered that outlet, the Portuguese Government had
kept us in ignorance that there was a free passage that
way, and had sent the whole flow of the slave traffic by
that channel. As soon as it was discovered by Dr. Living-
stone, they put a custom-house there, to prevent the illegi-
timote traffic. The real question was, did the Portuguese
Government desire, or did they not, that there should be a
legitimate traffic planed on that coast? It was as plain
as possible that the representatives of the Portuguese na-
tion there desired nothing so ardently as to prevent all
legitimate commerce, knowing that that and the slave trade
could not co-exist. That being so, their efforts could only
be defeated by the presence of an authorised representative
pf the English Government. It was said that the Portu-
guese authorities had little power to put down the traffic.
On the other hand, he believed it was the direct influence
of the Portuguese which had led the native chieftains to
encourage the trade. They had refused to do so until officers
in the Portuguese uniform had gone up with the slave
dealers. The whole settlement of Mozambique was made
ancillary to the carrying on of the slave traffic. Signals
were provided along the coast to give notice , f the approach
of English cruisers. The temptations held out to the igno-
rant natives were strengthened by the encouragement of
the Portuguese Government. They gave miserable salaries
to their agents on that coast, knowing that those agents
would pay themselves by winking at the slave-trade. But
if in the face of those enormities there was an English con-
sul there, the Portuguese Government would be com elled
to send out men of greater honour as governors ; and the
moment this was done, the efforts of the slave traders would
be paralysed. If this were done, along with the op ning of
a legitimate traffic from Dr. Livingstone's efforts, the two
things migLtby God's blessing, deliver that part of Africa
from the curse of the slave trade. No extensive armaments
were required—no alteration of policy—no danger to our
alliances. All that was neces33ary was that on that coast,
where Britain was spending not only such a large sum of
money, but lives which no money could replace, England
should be represented in her moral feeling by a consular
rept esentative,who could bring to bear on the Portuguese
court at home those claims of humanity which Portugal
had acknowledged in treaties, but which she suffered her
governors to set aside. lie therefore felt the greatest dis-
appointment in hearing that there was no intention to re-
store the consul at Mozambique. Ile believed that the
interests of Portugal herself were most deeply at stake in
this being remedied. She had been mainly enabled to re-
tain the hold of that coast through the influence of England.
Portugal might derive a richer return from that colony
than she had ever done from Brazil, were it not for the
wasting and desolating influence of the slave trade.
The English vole should bear in mind that they
incurred a vast and peculiar. responsibility in this
matter, by mainly elle:billy Portugal to keep its almost
nominal hold on atal coast. But for this there would have
been revolt against the Portuguese Government ; the power
now in the hands of the Imaum of Muscat -would have
spread down the coast, and it would have been a blessing
to the naives that a Maliommedan potentate should be
their ruler rather than a Christian prince. He trusted that
the resolution of the Government was not final, but that it
would be reconsidered, and that this great boon to humanity
—one implying so little sacrifice—would not be withheld in
this critical day of the attempt to ameliorate the condition
of the African race.

The Duke of SOMERSET observed that if treaties or
negotiation could have put an end to the slave trade, it
would have ceased long ago. He wished to set the house and
the public right on ene point which had been alluded to by
the right rev. prelate. He spoke as if the appointment of a
consul at Mczambiquefiras the only thing that remained to
be done to put an end to the slave tr de. That was totally
and entirely a mistake view. Tie had seen the reports of
&ricers from both the east and west coast of Africa, and he
could only say that the slave trade had been increasing and
was now increasing on both coasts. As long as nations
claimed exemption from the right of their ships being visited
by cruisers, though those ships might carry with them all the
appurtenancess of the slave trade, and sail close to our ves-
le,
e it was quite idle to say that sending a consul to Mozam-

bique would do any good at all. To entertain such anotion was
only deceiving ourselves. We could not touch vessels under
the American or French flags ; the captains of those vessels
knew that well, and they openly defied us. The east coast
was nearly as bad as the west ; the slave trade was now as
rife there as it was once at Sierra Leone. A fatal blow
could only be struck at that trade by stopping it at Cuba.
At present vessels under the French or American flag might
fire upon our cruisers, if any interference were attempted.
The slave ships might not be French or American, but they
hoisted those flags to protect them in their horrible traffic.
As long as this went on, it was quite idle to attach any im-
portance to sending a consul to Mozambique. Whether
there was one there or not was quite immaterial, regard be-
ing had to the much greater importance of other questions.
The best hope that he entertained was from the co-opera-

tion of the Americans. They had latterly sent some steamers
expressing an earnest desire to co-operate with us in putting
down the traffic on the West Coast of Africa, and if they
co-operate with us cordially, great advantage would result,

Lerd BROUGHAM said it had come to his knowledge
that a captain of one of the Cunard steamers—a service
which was assisted by the government to the extent of
£s,ooo—had recently acted upon the rule established by the
"Dred Scott" case, and had refused to receive as a first-
class passenger any person having the slightest tinge of
colour. He had heard of a lady being refused a passage
under these circumstances.

Earl GRANVILLE said he thought after what had
fallen from the noble lord, their lordships would prefer to
leave it to the executive to decide at what time a consul
should be sent to Mozambique. After the declaration
which had fallen from the Under-Secretary of the Foreign-
office, the government would perhaps be justified in resist-
ing the motion, but as such a course might lead to a false
impression as to the lukewarmness of the government on
the subject of the slave trade, he was unwilling to adopt it.
No one could doubt the sincerity of the motives of the noble
lord, the Under. Secretary, and as the house would proba-
bly think that the time for sending the consul had better be
left to the executive he would appeal to his noble friend not

to press his motion.
The Bishop of OXFORD said he hoped his noble friend
would not assent to the proposal of the noble earl. The ut-
most that the house could do was to express its opinion on
the question, and if they did so, the country would be con-
vinceel that they had taken the only step which was of en
to them. He, there fore, trusted that the noble lord would

press his motion.
Lord STRATHEDEN said it would only be necessary
for him to detain the house sufficiently long to indicate the
cour e he intended to take. He protested, however, against
the version which the noble lord the Under-Secretary had
given of his (Lord Stratheden's) decision when he endea-
voured to treat this as a question of the merit or demerit of
our former consul at Mozambique. He had never raised
that question. There was not one remark of the noble lord
which did not point to the dispersion of our naval squadron,
and the withdrawal of our consular establishment on the
African coast, and ho could not help expressing his aston-
ishment at the language which had fallen from the noble
lord. He felt that he had no course left to him but to divide
the house.

Their lordships then disLided, and the numbers were—
Contents
Non-contents 6-5
The motion for an address was consequently carried.
Their lordships adjourned at ten minutes to 8.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Lords' amendments to the following bills were con-
sidered and agreed to, and the bills were ordered for third
reading :—Disley and Hayfield Railway; London and
Blackwall Railway; North British and Peebles and Jed-
burgh Railway Companies ; Salisbury and Yeovil Rail.
way ; and Upper Mersey Dues.
The Kilkenny Junction Railway Bill, and Kilrush and
Kilkee Railway and Poulnasherry Embankment Bill were
considered and ordered for third reading.