The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-18 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YESTERDAY.)
.THE SLAVE TRADE AND THE SPANISH
TREATY. -
The Bishop of OXFORD said be rose, pursuant to
the notice he Lad given, to present a petition to their
lordships from the inhatutaets of tho parish r f St. Mary,
in the island of Jamaica. It state I that in 1814 a treaty
was entered into between Great Beitain and Spain for
treatythe abolitionan of
subsequent the slave
tehheiiart
subjects,
tcullti.;e:ttatranl:t.ka,diete inhut.
such
spite ofthe
:aersis
prayed"ilicarried
that o nt
hbeyi rSlpcarndi7
as to them should seem meet to compel Spain to finfil
the treaty. In presenting this petition ho would venture
for a few moments to call the attention of their lord-hi
to the great sit jest to which it referred. He was sorry
to say that he need spend scarcely any of their lord hips'
time in proving the allegations of thi- petition, that tae
continuance of this traffic in slaves by Spain was a
breach of her most solemn treaties with this country, a
breach of those treaties aggravated by almost every
con litton of aggravation with which ()Lie nation could
violate the engagements it had entered into with aeo-
ther. As early as the year 1814 a general treaty was
entered into between this country and Spain, in which
Spain, without binding herself to any per 'molar line of
conduct, united with th's country in condenu the
trade in slaves. Shortly aft, r that at thegreat European
congress, a I the great European powers agreed together
in tke•face of the world to condemn this trade, and en-
tercl into mutual engagements one with another that
I they would co-operate in putting it down. Ito 1817 a
new and speclic treaty was entered into between this
country and Spain, iu which Spain not only undertook
distinctly that in the year 1820 the slave trade, SO far as
her own subjects were concerned, should cease and de-
termine altogether, but further, Spain consented to re-
ceive from this country a sum of 400,0001., which was to
be an iedemnrty for the lasses which her euhjentg aould
incur by carrying out That treaty. But though that treaty
was entered into in 1817, year after year passed try and
nothing was done by Spain to carry out that treaty. In
consequence, in 1835, a new and more explict treaty
was entered into bet weer this country and Spain, in
which Spain repeated her engagements, and she bound
herself at once to bring in a sufficiently stringent penal
law to mate it impossible for her subjects to continue
the traffic. Bat still true to the policy which throughout
bad characteri,,ed her conduct—a policy which curiously
enough had been remarked for long past generations,
and which caused Lord Bacon, in one of his pungent re-
marks, to say that Spaniards were always as a nation
slow of despatch, so that their slowness bad passed into
a proverb' " May my death come from Spain," by which
men knew that if it came from Spain it would be hong in
coming—true to their character, ten years pasted atter
this treaty of 1835 before any such penal law was made,
and then, when, owing to the remonstrances of this
iuntry, a law was framed, the only point which could
make it eff,ctual, declaring the slave trade piraov, W:11
left out. But in spite of repeated remonstrar cos from
successive Gevernments of this country, in spite of the
dishonour which such conduct brought upon her, Spa-
nish su`j -cts had been engaged in the slave trade from
that time to this, except during two years that Valdez
a-a s Captain-General of Cu' a. And he had a letter fre ni
a person who was likely to be well informed on the ;oh-
j-c-, which stated Viet the horrible traffic still o xisted,
and that several ship-loads of Africans had lately been
landed in Cube lie thought he need not spend any
more of their lordship.? time in proving the first rind
principril allegation of this petition, that the slave-trade
still cant'nued to he carried on by Spain with nee x-
hausted and that it; was so carried on in spite of
the most plain and repeated engagements with this coun-
try that it should absolutely' aerie. In thus violating
her treaty enee:;emen's Slims Lad net the poor ex-use
Wbm!i many countries might urge ia such a matter, that
her Gaeernment .:es Lot strong enough to catry them
out. The proof lay in a nutshell. It lay in this
o-itnple fact, that whin the C.iptain-General of Cuba
had been desired to intei-Lre with the trade, be had been
perfectly able to int-y.l,re with it, and•fer the time being
to stop it. It appeared from the slavetra 'e papers
waited el ere from :veer to year laud on their :ord:ships'
table that when Vialoloa wao rppeinted Captain-General
of Cuba he called together the persons in the islard
knot; u to be engaged in the accursed traffic, and he told
them he ha f come to the honest de t, rumination to stop it.,
but that he would give six inehths, is a hick he would
tale no ni-tine, in order that those who had ventures
might v. ind up their affair-, but that at the expiration of
that ti no be was determined to put the law in force.
What ev, •t' to result? They found that in 1840 as many
as 50 ships wire deTatehed from Cu! a to the coast rf
Africa, but that in 1842, when the Captain-General
en,leaveured to enforce the treaty, only three ships were
d eqmatchi d from Cuba te the c ,a-t of Africa ; and that
while itt the year IS4O 14,470 Africans were imported
bite Cutea in 1812 oily 5,100 were imperted. And this '
was not all. Whet.: the same Captain-General was in
C;ohn, he took meant] for ace rtaining what the genertl
f sling of the Cubans was with regard to the superrntsion
of the traffic and he reported that :ill Cubans who-e 3
opinions wore asked unheeitatinaly condemned it, and
that the feeling of tne people aa a body were favourable
to the termination of it. And there were reatons why
they suaulti. The trade was conducted for the bine-fit
cif certain speculatori, who introduced Africans for the
purpose f breaking up new land, and bringing it in cam-
petition with the old estatos in the isatid, and then fore
those who were now lieirg in opulence on the produce
t,f the in estates were c'e irons for their own sakes that
the accursed tr•flic should be stopped. But how was
the expression of opinion received in that country ? It
was regarded aso a criminal offence, and visited with the
,everest penalties ; end there were instances in which
persons Fad been iropriee ned and Laui4ed from the
ieland merely beceus, they had expressed with freedom
their opieioe of this treffice. It canoe, therefore, to this,
the Spanish Government, instead of being overborne by
popular violence, iteel eut dean the a% lult,snino
feel-
it,e of the islaud, in order ,hat it might retain this trade„
Why was it that the Gascininent f Spain was anxious
to retain this trade ? Ile se:ls afr.oid he must say it al
the bpsest of :1,1 mativen—it was the personal advan-
tage of Perviog great roil, who received their reward
for this :recur ed trait'. lie believed there was no
doubt that a person standing very high indeed in Spain
—close upon the throne ef Say.in—had received largely
these wages of iniquity fr,r the contieuance of thin itc•
cursed trade. Teey knew those who were eent as cap-
ta'ros-general to Cube were sent for the moat part for this
one purpose, that they might replenish their exhausted
f-o tunes by the fees which they received on the importa-
tion e f A fricanee L appeerel by the papers on their
lerdships? table that tl.eie had been centaina-gener.,l of
Cuba alto, within a short time of taking poseession, f
their office had been able to retire aith as much as
100,000/ , I ought by the blood of these tinborn they ban,
in spite of the treaty, suffered to be ieipottecl into Cahn.
g, It was known that one captair.-general riceired
.ritfee:o-
three doubluons a-l.ead for every slitve who was o
duced into the country. But this eat not all, there was
ineborne to tie Go•
another feature f this case—a trio g
wilful falsification of the returns of
the eystennit'c and
vcrnrnent the criminality of this thing, and tat -nail
thecunt'
were able to trace naleifioations of the
'•er of slave, in the island. From the slave trade
g pipersr,a,e,a conyYceivable amount, repeat d year after year, in
order to evade the treaty. For instance, in orle year the
whole cumber of slaves was put deten at 300,000, while
they had the clearest evidence that they knew the num-
ber was 900,000. And there was another matter, the
treatment by the Government of that class of Africans,
which bore, in consequence of the treaty, the title of
etnancipados, ty;•cauFe it teas agreel that the slaves who
wele in roduced alter a certain day, should, after an ap-
prenticeehip try five years, te set free. The way in which
the Government had w t rked this had been by continu-
ally substituting the slaves who had died for -rho • e
who would have become ea,ancipat d, thus again evad-
ing the conditions of the treaty.
,"13.-e thought he bad
now brought the case to this point, and -this violation cif
treaties was not the consequence of a weak Government
overbotne by a popular movement, but . was the direct
act of the Government itself ; and it was th• act of
the Government, not from any desire to derelope the
resources of the country, but in order that o,rtain
persons might have reserved to thert•theutneans of min-
ing wealth through the miseries of the African people.,
Ile would now turn to another side of the cubj,ct. 11 AS
this a state of things which Great-Britain, intoticien,fictenoeft
the world, could lionerely at d lawfully
He considered that. we were boeldiccti:
Oaf these Arca km
alloewthat this curl
was slopped, and that thebcco.mnd
d to this enures, first of
were enforced.
We
weiColonists in the .Weet India le-
all by our duty
wroarsslati‘g•e-
twhieddcchttaymcsnhsolu3gldaralf
rn"ti'e as unjust, b- awsequal,setl, -we had entered into an
lands, because bytotvhoautrhaecth,
and free countriescwr c
lenies that they should not be
obligation with o
impete wth nountries which imported
Again, the people of thin
slaves in
taxed to a great amount to maintain a
°teectio of treaties. gain,
fig dron on the coast of Africa
atalana noble use to which to apply money ; hut they had
ccAoult4idtry".llllneerte
r-O-ri:latto do that, and. at the same tune to all itv by
breach of treaties the evil to be created. There was here
an inconsistency which went far to damag-e our fair name,
and led other countries to suppose that we had some
other secret motive for maintaining the squadron on the
coast of Africa, because they said if our real object was
to stnp the slave trade why did we suffer a state like
Spain to laugh in our face and violate treaties I There
was another reason, a great moral consideration. No na-
tion had a right to undertake •the championship of the
afflicted and then shrink from the labour and the danger.
We had no right to put ourselves forward to the world
as the suppressors of the slave trade unless we were
pared and firmly to enforce those treaties for its
suppression which our allies had made with us. There
was another view of the subject to which it was impox-
sible not to allude. Remember for a single moment the
position if the island of Cuba with regard to a great
neighbouring country, the United States, and see how
inevitable it was that the condition of things which we
had to long suffered to exist must add to the danger of
hostile feeling and acts which might end most unhappily-
Remember that the people of that country are the inhe-
ritors of cur blood, that they have our own blood for the
sea, our own jealousy for the national honour and the na-
tional flag ; remember that
carrying on, if
operations which we were told we were
t woh the ships
not with the ships of that nation, at leas
without exciting
we could not carry on the
cf the right of
sailing under the flag of that naticsnts,te
jealousy—remember the unsettledh afeeling
causing too far the right we
of a sing'.o commander in o:r'Y
snip was or was not entitled
search, and Bee how with such the intemperance
claimed of seeing whetherfl
to carry flag —see how this state of things
He said a common •
might involve
between this country and the United
ruin, because a war
d be fatal to the advancement of the human
States would theAaallelriinc7common ruin.
race, to the advancement of anything like rational
1• 'VE
liberty, to the advancement cf anything like attoo

and the welfare of mankind. But suffering Cuba to be a
slave-importing state must, in the nature of things, be a
continual provocative to war. If happily Spain would
follow the example set by Port ugal which, by using her
influence, had induced the Brazilian Government to
abolish the slave trade in that country—if Spain would
act up to the treaties to give to these imported Africans
the liberty which, under treaty, they would now possess
—she would take away the desire which now existed in
certain parts of the United States to annex Cuba for cer-
tain purposes of the federation. We had, therefore, in
this way a call which no nation could possibly disregard.
We were bound in the face of Europe, and in the face of
the world, to suffer these treaties no longer to be a dead
letter, and to require our Government to use every means
at its command to compel the equivocating Government
of Spain to fulfil its treaties. Hear.)
Lord BROUGHAM said itehould be remembered that
Spain had received nearly half a million of money as a
consideration for entering into these treaties, which
she had systematically violated. His right rev. friend
bad alluded to a delicate sutject—the hazard of war with
the United States, which we avoided by insisting upon
Spai❑ acting up to her engagements. The fire bell
which broke their slumbers might prevent their being
burned in their beds, and that was how he regarded this
warning. Therefore be would call the attention of our
Government, of the Spanish Government, and of the
French Government to the bounden duty of them all to
step the slave trade. It was sometimes said that the
United States had an interest in the slave trade. They
bad no interest in it ; not one of those states imported
slaves. If the system of corruption whic.i prevailed in
the Cal-an Government were put an end to—and that
might be done—one of the greatest difficulties in the
settlement of the question would be removed, so far as
regarded this country and America. We ought to he
perfectly candid with our American brethren. They
coul I not allow the right of search during peace, for the
rigbt of search was belligerent and utterly unknown in
time of peace. The law of nations not only declared that
the right of searub did not exist except during war, but
it stated that there is no difference between one stale
and another—that the smallest state has the same right
to object to the right of search as was possessed by
France, England, or America. He had no hesitation in
saying that he believed the question would eventually be
satistactor•ly arranged, and it would be arranged the
mere satisfactorily the more we kept up a friendly in-
tercourse with whom we had to continue the discussion.
That the matter might be arranged by Spain being called
upon to do her duty and perform her obligations was a
consummation devoutly to be wished. He could not con-
clude his remarks without briefly referring to a matter
which had recently exited some attention. There could
be no doubt that the slave trade was carried on under
the colour of exporting or carrying free negroes, as they
were called, across the Atlantic. In a recent case, ont of
a cargo of 350 not lees than 35 died in the course cf 10
days, and eventually the poor negroes who remained
rove upon the crew and murdered the whole of them ex-
cept one.
Earl GREY—Killed.

L rd BROUGHAM raid his noble friend was per-
fectly right. The negroes " killed" the whole crew ex-
cept one man, and some parties were disposed to com-
plain of the exception. (Hear, hear.) He believed a
great mistake had been committed by our not having
taken more precaution for establishing a better mode of
communication between ourselves and the African
chiefs, some of whom were men of great capacity and
power, and wholly opposed to the slave trade, looking
upon it with abhorrence, and wishing to see useful com-
merce greatly extended. But instead of increasing dur-
ing the last eighteen months commerce bad consider-
ably diminished. With respect to the petition which bad
been presented, he thought the people of Jamaica had a
most just ground of complaint, and trusted that their
complaint would nut be overlooked. (Hear, hear.)
The Earl of MAL MESBURY, who was very indis-
tinctly heard, after complimenting the right rev. prelate
on the hereditary feeling with which he addressed their
lordships on the subject, said he wished other nations
took as great an interest in it as the people of this coun-
try. But he regretted to say that we were not aided as
we could wish to be aided by other nations, and this was
one of the great difficulties with which we had to con-
tend. The right rev, prelate had with great justice
blamed the Spanish Government for its continued
breaches of treaty and its cruelties to the natives of
Africa. If all the despatches that had been written
by the English Government to Spain were woven
together he believed they would almost reach from
this country to Cuba. (Hear, hear, and a laugh.)
It would not be fair to infer that the failure which
bad taken place was the fault of the British Govern-
ment. And he thought it right to state that Minis-
ter after Minister had done his best to induce Spain
to perform her duty, but, unfortunately, had not suc-
ceeded. Spain bad taken a course the most difficult in
the world to overcome—that of passive resistance. The
right rev, prelate must recollect that a foreign minister-
could not entirely act upon those feelinge which he pos-
sessed as an Englishman. The feelings of other nations
who did not view the matter in the same light, and who
did not take the same strong views as ourselves, must
be attended to, and a minister was often unable to act
with the vigour he might otherwise be disposed to exec -
the. A great relaxation of feeling had taken place with
respect to the principle of slavery itself ; but there was
not a general agreement on the principle laid down by
the noble and learned lord. No doubt we had no right
in time of peace, according to i .t,:rnational law, to carry
out the right of search ; but there might be established
a sort of ocean police. Some parties had refused to admit
that principle, asserting that for no suspicion should a
ship carrying the American flag be boarded or detained
except at the risk of the parties so boarding and detain-
ing her. Attempts had been made to obtain from all civil-
ieed nations some kind of agreement by which all officers
might know exactly how far they should go in cases of
suspicion, and he protected in cases of mistake. In that
we had been anticipated by the French government who
laid down this law, that in time of peace no French ship
should he detained or searched, or boarded, but that
certain forms should be gone through without detaining
her, which to a certain but very small extent would
ens de them to ascertain her nationality and her right
to carry the flog. He could not admit the position laid
down by the American minister, unless it should be for-
tified by the opinions of the law officers of her Majesty's
Government, that if the American flag was to have per-
fect immunity, every pirate and every slaver on the
face of the sea would carry that flog and no other, thus
dishonouring that country and prostituting its flag to
the worst and basest purposes. (Rear.) He-thought
it very desirable that an ocean policasfiould be formed
--that there should be some agreement among states
as to how far they should Be a lowed to go for the pur-
pose of ashertainiug a vessel's nationality. From the
conversations he had had with the American minister
in this country, and also from the observations con-
tained in an able paper written by General Case, he was
not without strong hopes that some arrangement of that
kind would be come to with the United States, which
would give the officers of both countries the means
of verifying a flag without running the risk
of giving offence. He thought their lordships
would not require him to go into the generel
political difficulties attending suppression of the sieve
trade. As he said before, the Engli-h Minister was
often unable fully to carry out his sentiments, and was
obliged to defer in some t espects o the opinion of
others. He thought e e had committed a great mistake
in sending a squadron to the Cuban waters instead of
the African coast. He bad been informed by Admiral
Fanshawe, who was about to take Ike command of the
Mediterranean tteet, that at the beginning of the Rus-
sian war the slave trade was neatly t xtingui-hed— t lea t
in the first year of his command on the African coast
his squadron captured fifty-four savers, that in the
following year they captured fifty, and that in the
third year the number was reduced to two or three.
lie was followed by Admiral Bruce, who stated that
number Was infinitesimally small. 'l3 t during th
Russian war the greater part of on squadronui oe-aswithe-
drawn from the African coast, and in tie course of
those two years the slave trade made considerable pro-
gress. He had already referred tohesnumber of
despatches which had been written to
notwithstanding the assistance she had receivedpin who.f
this country, had not evinced the least gratitude from
suspicions and fears of Spain with regard to Cuba were.
always directed to the United States ; and it had been the
policy of Ibis country to defend that island against any hoe-
tile invasion. But he did not hesitate to say in his place in
that house that if Spain should continue to show theutter
want of principle—the utterand base ingratitude—which
ebe had always displayed towards this country, she must
expect amity to be exchanged for indifference, and in-
stead of our taking her part she must expect to suffer
whatever consequences might ensue from her conduct.
(Hear.) With respect to the case which the noble and
learned lord (Brougham) bad referred, the facts were as
he bad stated them. During the absence of the captain
and a portion of the crew the remaining portion were
killed, with the exception of one individual. An English
vessel having heard of the disaster, chased the slaver,
who gave herself up without offering any resistance.
She was taken into the Liberian waters. The French
authorities claimed the ship, and took her out of the
Liberian waters. It appeared we were not justified in
taking this slaver into Liberian waters without an
order or permission from the authorities. Whatever
quarrel there may be is between Liberia and the French
Government, and her Majesty's Government had no•
thing to do with the matter. It would be his duty to
protest to the French Government against the course
which they were pursuing, which, although it appeared
to be a system of immigration, could only be cons dared
a renewal of the slave trade. (Hear )
The Earl of CARLISLE expressed his horror at
the system of slavery carried on in Cuba, of which he
hod been an eye-witness. The suppression of the dame
.trade must be carried on with reference to changes and
limits cucanastances Care should be taken not to exceed the
of our .
well-defined. rights and duties, nor to inter..
fere with the general rights of others. But he felt bound
to rap",
of this country,pinihou that, in the long run, the people i
pressiou of the el:veot had done so much for the sup- '
and be
ye
joi:atile, would not adopt a retrograde
course ;
pact of n
andctory HZ '9
hear that there was a pros-
u(tAon of the dispute between this
country Anaerica.
Lord WODEEIOUSIn saldLhdowtever much it might
have been our duty to put an'
slave trade, he
doubted whether it was wise to emboatle.
the slave trade, as carriediOna speculation
for suppressing
of other countries. But having done so,- thein chi ~s
mean to say that they ought now to abando
n thheatdid not
e°
He rejoiced to bear of the course which tied beentuakr".
with regard to the United States, and had no do en
doubt that
the greatest exaggerations had appeared in the American
papers as to what bad been done by the officers of oer
cruisers. But be would put it to their lord-hips to
consider what would be the feeling of the people of
this country if there was an armed squadron in the
Channel stopping and searching our outward-
bound vessels ; whatever might be the reason for
doing so by a foreign power it would cause a disagreeable