The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-23 00:00:00

THE SLAVE TRADE.

Sir G. B. PECHELL rose to call attention to 'the in-
creased importation of slaves into the island of Calm, and
to the insufficient number and cls.ss of her Majesty's ves-
sels now employed en those coasts for the suppression of
the slave trade. The gallant admiral contended that our
squadron was insufficient, and that it was removed to other
stations instead of being kept in those parts whore it would
be able to act against the slave trade, and to suppress that
accursed traffic. Our vessels also were too large for the pur-
pose. The consequence was that the slave trade was carried
on to an extent of which the noble lord at the lead of the
Government could have no conception. The feeling of
Jamaica on this subject was shown by a late meeting which
had been held in that island, presided over by the bishop
of the diocese. They adopted resolutions stating the con-
stant violation of the treaties which prohibited the traffic
on the coast of Cuba, and calling upon the noble lord et
the head of the Government to insist upon their obser-
vance. He hoped that the Government would take
measures both to increase the number and improve the
quality of the vessels stationed on the coast of Cuba.
He had proposed last session that gunboats should be
stationed there, and had had a promise from the First
Lord of the Admiralty that this suggestion should be
carried out ; but only the other day he had been told that
the climate was too hot for these vessels to be employed.
Admiral WALCOTT trusted that the First Lord of the
Admiralty would not assent to the suggestion of the gallant
officer, to station gunboats on the Cuban coast. The only
result of employing vessels with insufficient accommodation
in thst climate was to generate malignant feriae amongst
their crews. He hail served himself ou that coast and knew
the difficulties and. the risk which service there entailed.
He was ordered by his commander-in chief to take measures
for discovering the haunts of pirates and slavers. Finding
his ship unsuited for the purpose ho had employed his boats
and searched about 500 miles of the north coast of Cuba.
He was successful as to pirates but not as to slavers, because
the north side of that island was full of creeks more beauti-
ful and more ad,ipted to the concealment of small vessels
than could be found on any other coast with which he was
acquainted. When lie returned from the expedition he was
obliged to invalid for some weeks, as were also many of the
men who went with hies in boats : and a fever broke out
in the frigate which ho commanded, and also in the sloop
that accompanied them ; and this led to the loss of many
valuable lives. Now, no doubt humanity called upon us
to make every possible exertion for the suppression of the
slave trade, but still he thought that some consideration
should be given to the lives of our officers and men, which
should not be wasted in an effort, probably unsuccessful, to
suppress the slave trade. The only way was to use endea-
vours with the Government of Spain Fiiinilar to those which
had been successful with that of Brazil. If those govern-
ments were induced to come forward to pat down this ob-
noxious tea c they would be more successful than we, be-
cause the men employed by them would bo inured to the
climate, and they would be able to obtain information
which we could not.
Sir C. WOOD said that his hon. and gallant friend had
been more successful in pointing out the difficulties of
suppressing the slave trade than in showing the means of
overcoming them. It was true that great difficulties
were interposed in the way of supprezaing that trade by
vessels being sent out under the flag of the United States,
which we could not touch. He believed the most effectual
measure it was at present in our power to adopt for the sup-
pression of the slave tat. Is, was to keep a strong force of
cruisers on the coast of Africa. _ _ _

Sir J. TRELAWNY did not think the sending out of a
large number of cruisers to the coast of Africa would be
the proper step to take for checking that traffic.
Mr. KINNAIRD wished to know whether her iitajesty'e
Ministers had of late a idressed any representations to the
Spanish Government for the purpose of putting a stop to
the traffic of slaves in Cuba? It would appear that the
slave trade was at present more extensively carried on than
ever in that quarter. Perhaps the noble lord at the head of
the Government would afford them some explanation with
respect to the present state of the negotiations between the
Ministers of this country and of Spain in reference to the
subject.
Lord PALMERSTON said that Iris noble friend the
Secretary for Foreign Affairs ha I addressed repeated re-
presentations to the Government of Spain with respect to
the state of the slave trade along the coast of Cuba ; and
the Spanish Government had invariably given the most sa-
tisfactory answers to those representations, and had issued
orders for the exercise of increased vigilance for the pre-
vention of that traffic, but had at the same time invariable-
expressed doubts of the truth of the accounts which had
reached this country. The fact was that it was very difficult
to act through a government at Madrid on a government at
Cuba, which Government, he was afraid, was swayed by
arguments that were powerful with those colonial authori-
ties. He could, however, assure his hon. friend that as far
as diplomatic representations could go, no efforts were
wanting on the past of her Majesty's Ministers to induce
the Spanish Government to take real and effectual steps
for the suppression of the slave trade in Cuba.
THE GERMAN LEGION AT THE CAPE.
Mr. ADDERLEY said be hoped the house would allow
him to take that opportunity of directing its attention to
the excessive expenditure which had been incurred in the
location of the German Legion on the Cape frontier, and to
the impolicy of thereby continuing and extending a charge
on the revenues of this country in relief of the colonists
from the defence of their own frontier against Kaffir in-
vasion. He thought it was the duty of the house to in-
quire whether the heads of departments in this country
were justified in taking measures, involving a vast outlay,
without having in any way consulted parliament upon the
matter. It was very well to talk of the necessity of dis-
banding the German Legion, but the great question for
consideration was whether it had been disbanded on the
most advantageous terms. Now, he believed he could
show by the clearest evidence that that object might have
been accomplished at one-fifth of the expense which had
actually been incurred. The men of the German Legion
might have been disbanded by paying each of them is. a-
day, or 161. a year ; and the actual charge for sending each
of thoze men to the Cape amounted to 100/. There were
8,000 of those men, and at the rate of 1001. for each, their
removal to the Cape would have cost 800,000/. ; and all
that large sum might have been expended without the
sanction and control of parliament. But fortunately for
us only 2,500 out of the 8,000 had accepte•cl the offer to get
themselves removed to the Cape. It was true that the sum
set down in the estimate for that removal amounted to
only 91,000/. ; but in that estimate there was no allowance
made for the cost of the passage of those men and of the
passage of their wives and children; or for the rations to
be furnished to them for a year, or for the outlay to be
incurred in constructing roads, bridges, and other works
in the country in which they were to settle, or for a
variety of other charges; and he repeated that he
believed the total expenditure for each man could not
amount to less than 1001. But it was said that by that
measure we should get rid for the future of the enormous
expenditure entailed by Kaffir wars. He believed,
however, that it would be productive of no such result.
When the actual estimate came before them, he should, if
no other member did it, take the sense of the house upon
it, with a view to check the progress of such a system.
Mr. LABOUCHERE acknowledged the importance of
the question, stating at the same time that it was one
most difficult deal with, and embarrassing to any Go-
vernment. No one. he thought, could doubt that it was
the duty of a country to do all in its power to protect its
colonists, and he implored the house to pause lest by one
false step in the application of a principle, however sound
and just in itself, it might inflict ruin and misery, or death,
upon settlers who had left this country in the full expecta-
tion that as far as the presence of a military force was con-
cerned they would be protected from danger upon the part
of the natives of the settlement. It was true that they had
in their own recollection a Kaffir war, which, besides in
Yoking the unhappy colonists in misery, throw upon this
country the duty of defraying an enormous expenditure of
money. But in his belief that war was mainly to be attri-
buted to the fact that the Government of the day, acting on
the best motives, had denuded the colony of troops to such
an extent as emboldened the natives to attack the colo-
nists. With respect to the engagement of the German
Legion, the house would reflect that it was embodied at a
period when the Government and the country were en-
gaged in an arduous struggle with Russia ; and although
that struggle fortunately terminated before the legion was
sent to Sebastopol, yet, had it continued, every one of the
soldiers composing it wore as ready as our own gallant
countrymen to lay down their lives in the trenches before
the belearsured fortress--(hear)—and he was convinced that
had such an opportunity been afforded them, they would
have reflected no dishonour either upon the country which
they served or that of their birth. (Cheers.) Considering
the circumstances under which they were enrolled, it was