The Sun.
London, England, 1819-02-17 00:00:00

that I succeeded, in shaking his Grace's opinions' t flatter
myself I r 'awed the weight and number of his objections
and. that I brought his mind to feel the extreme inconve-
nience, as well as moral objection, to leaving the question
where it is."

In a subsequent sitting of the Congress (Nov. 4), a propo-
sltion, made by Lord Castlereagh, was adopted unanimously,
" that a .letter !Gild be written to the King of Portugal, in
the name of the Sovereigns, in the most pressing and at the
same time the most affectionate terms," in order .to engage
him to fix the 20th of May, 1820, as the final term of the
traffic in his dominions. Lord Castlereagh also proposed that
" it would be useful and' perhaps necessary to consider the
trade in slaves as a crime against the L.tw of Nations, and to
assimilate it to piracy." This was submitted as a matter for
consideration merely.
In a Letter from the Noble Lord to Earl Bathurst, dated
:Aix-la Chapelle, Nov. 23, transmitting the mitts of the Rus-
!sian, French, Austrian, and Prussian Plenipotentiaries, upon
the two propositions submitted to Congress, his Lordship
says, "-the result of these notes being extremely discouraging
to nor hopes, it was determined to review the objections
brought forward to the measure of mutually conceding the
right of visit, especially by the Plenipotentiary of France.
" After presenting this review to the consideration of the
Conference, and in an audience with which I was honoured
by 'the Emperor of Russia, I took occasion to represent to his
Imperial Majesty, in the strongest terms, the necessity of,
taking some effective measure of this nature without delay,
ann-withoot waiting for the decree of final abolition on the
part of Portugal.

" His•tmpenal Majesty listened with his accustomed inte-
rest tit my representations on this subject, and promised me
to give directions to his Ministers, to propose that the con-
sideration of the question should be re-opened in London
under fresh instructions.

" The modification which I have finally urged of this mea-
sure, and, I trust, with considerable hope of success, is,
that, in addition-to the limitation of the right of visit to the
coast of Africa, and to a specific number of ships of each
power, the duration of the Convention should he for a limited
nuniber of years, say seven, at the end of which period, the
several-Powers would again have it in their power to review
their decision, after some experience of its' convenience or in-
convenience, of its efficacy to the object, and of the neces-
sity of its tieing renewed, regard being bad to the then. state
of the illicit slatie trade.. This arrangement would sufficient-
ly meet our most pressiv wants, whilst it would go less per-
manently to disturb the acknowledged principles of maritime
:law, as regulating the right of visit. By the aid of this latter
expedient, I hatter myself that I have made a considerable
:impression in removing the strong repugnance which,was at
hrst felt to thelueasure."

The'result of all these deliberations was, a declaration on
,ithe part of the Allied Sovereigns, represented at Congress,
that theywould instruct their respective Ministers in London
:to Continue the discussions upon the subject; and Lord
Castlereagh, in his last dispatch to the Government at houlle-,'
dated Paris, December- 10, 1818, says,- though "-I- cannot
give hopes of any immediate progress, I. venture, neverthe-
less, to indulge a sanguine expectation, that if the object be
• pursued with the same persevering and conciliating tempo' on
the part of Great, Britain, which has already achieved so
.much for the cause of abolition, the French Government
may be brought, at no distant period, to unite their naval
exertions with those of the other
under
Powers for the
sup-
pression. of the illicit Slave Trade, the modified regula-
.tions submitted for this purpose to the Plenipotentiaries as-
sembled