The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-02-10 00:00:00

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House to consider the •mmense progress that saes been
made. All States he tithe' formally o lisped
this inhuman traffic, r engaged to ,aka to su es for
that purpose. But though much has beenll one, much
remains to be done. What has been done would he
found inefficient fur the ends of humanity, unless all
States could he prevailed on to bestow their sincere
exertions in the suppression of the igfiee sregie,:__
Towards this an immense stride has been made, by
theconceseirme of Spain. to estimating the .e0,,,N.
votive efects of the good dispositions of dlffereet
Powers on the Abolition, Spain holds a rank. el.
tremely important, not merely from her situationisnd
leztent of territory, but because her unwilling.
ness to lend her aid to this pest cause renalekg
all former exertions meek's. The House were
well aware, that as long as Spain retaiued oda
traffic, the subjects of any other European Sive
could pursue the same, under cover of the Spanish
the. Considering the emission of Spain geogrepki,
cslly, it his narrowed this traffic to a great eatesn....,
She consents to gise rap this traffic, from tire present,
in every place north of the tine, and in every piece
south of the Line in the coarse of 18:10--and et this
moment no Slave Trade can -be carried on under the
countenance of any European Power, wish the es,
ception of Spain and Portugal. Another citcum.
sleet* is obvious : by the present arrangements, the
Slave Trade is completely excluded from the *hole
of the West India Islands, and all places north e(
the Equator. By this concession a plain line is
drawn between the legal And illegal traffic. At pre.
sent the only traffic legal is that .. oath of the fins,
and this to continue so only till the 20th May. IRO.
He was free to confess that the Powers of Eareee
' have done a great-deal hi this interesting cause, mit
if the. Congress of -Vienne possessed no Other claim
to the gratitude and recollection of the world, lee
as affording the first opportunity for the great
Powers coming 'together, and issuing a dreier:idea
against the Slave Trade, since aceeded to by the
States that did not then join in it--4t it ftsiely en.
titled to the esteem add remembrance of the world,
end there is now no State in Europe, great oraman,
that has not subscribed this decl intim'. His
Lordship, after stating that he believed we were now
in the last stage Of prevention, went oo to explain
the more and further necessity of entirely checking
the existing traffic. He said it was painful, but us.
cessary, to state, that in spite of all oar vast ever.
lions, there has arisen en the coast .if Africa au ills.
gal traffic in Slaves, which gives it a character of
greater inhumaisity that' it was before marked byos
character necessary from the description of vestols
that those engaged in it are cumpelled to resortte.

It has been endeavoured to obtain regulations to pre.
vent this from the different Powers, and it ought to
be declared, that no State is fairly changeable with
any of the disgraceful conduct alluded • to. M.
mischief has been done ander the flag of France, but
Government has found every anxiety on the part d
that country to counteroct it. There was not even
any necessity to apply to it ; far it was at the same
! moment he first received well.fountled intelligence
of these infamous practices, and an application
from their functionary here for my advice on iW
beat means of potting a stop to them. However,
we ought not to assume to be masters of Om
administration of this tratic—our right to• search
neutral vessels in war, ceases on the return of
peace: this remedy canna., be had. unless other
States would consent to our retaining this privile.3.
What is now required of all countries Is, to take
away -the protection of their ,flag from this abominable
ttide ; for if it is countenanced or connived' at by
any, that flag will be assumed by alt ritiende:s.—
With to • view to this, motile, auth••tity is given by
the present Contracting Parties to crotaio of their
shiprof war to search merchant vessels suspected of
having slaves on board. There would, in the outset,
lie ef course a natural reluctance, a strong prejudice
against grouting this right—and it is due to Portugal
to declare, that though she has not agreed to the

present Abolition of the. Trade, she was the first
Power to yield this right. In 1815, a Treaty with
(he( Power was agreed upon, similar to that with
Spain, by which our Government engaged to pay-to
it 300,0001. in consideration of the sacrifices made,
and to enable the King of Portugal to indemnify his
so iljeets for the losses sustained by them in the trade.
In the exercise of the right described, there was a
stipulation 011 the part of Great Britain totbstaia
as mach as possible from annoying the commerce Of
each Slate. It is a great satisfaction to his .11'11-
jelly's Guveromeut tote enabled to declare, that
the conditions of Oil l'reaty have been ar
proved of by the Portugoise Government, theigh
the ratifications have •not yet been received...
No search is le be made but by vessels specially ao-
thori.ed—nia detention, but in the case where slates
are actually discovered on board. To give a liberty
of detaining en account of intention to trade, would
create great trouble, and engender meltitedes of
eases of a disputable and questionable nature; it was
therefore deemed expedient to narrow the operation
Or-the right of detentioo to cases palpable in thee.
MI, and to prevent the zeal of each country in
Moe:Rash from becoming an annoyance to the other.
France etas abolished it in all her own .territories,

and .prehibited all her aubjrcts from engaging in it;.
she has moreover, .made the carrying ono( the Ire&
a criminal offence. Spain has likewise recognised
this principle of rendering the offence .criininal.—
Still; however, there will remain a great .protectioa
to those sordid and unfeeling enough to-persevere,
if thetag of any one Niger will (afford ilmat sh
ter. The Hags •of Powers are now flying on the
coasts 'of" Africa, who. scarcely ever before lest
a ship there on any pretence whatever. With re-
spect to the regulations necessary to effectuate a retrell
purposes of Abolition, he was sure the How sod
the euentry will .feel that if the consent to Abolition
be important, the law of regulating the measures for
Abolition is of ten-fold importance. It is by
combined aid regulated exertions of the differest
Powers, that their purposes cars be truly effected•
and not otherwise; without this the traffic "redid
retill.egisti under a •darker and more matignent de-
stllooll. fin "proViriing for the exercise tit the mutual
Aight.tai preveittiotit it'is quite obvious that neither
State would consent to their vessels being brought
tfefore tribunals of the other, and to conikcatioos
so
decreed. The result of these conflicting
ilifficulties
was, that a tribunal should be coustiiuted of ill:N-
-• tiduals of bath Fifties, the capto:s and 4:4,,,,uted•