Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-12-21
GINA, TUESDAY, DECEMBER D. 1904
UoOUNdENTs

accompanying Tie -Message ocMe President Of Nh
Cn'fed States, 10 both Houses of Congress. ct N,
commencement Of The secoy,d session Of me eigh
| feenM Congress.
DOCUMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Papers in relation to the Convention be,,.een ,,,
tinted States and Great Britain, for the suupres
| SION OF the Slave Trade, communicated with tbs
PRESIDENT Message, to Congress, OH the 7th De-
ccmber, 1924.
lst- Proceedings of the Senate at its last session
WIN copies of the messages, convention. and o,e,
papers, communicated to that House.
me whole of this series of the documents ha vino
neen heretofore officially published in the National
government Journal, their republication at this
in'e Is dispensed with. They will be found in vol
"a. MIR. Adams to Mr.. Rush, Goth MAY, 1924.
| Extract.
4ii'. Same to same, July 5, 1924. Extract.
| 5th- Same to same, August 9, 1924 Extruct
OH. Same to same, "A ugust 30, 1924. Cow
! otha Mr.. George Canning to Mr. Rush An
gust 81, 1924. Copy.
9th b. MIR. Rush to Mr.. George Canning. Aueus,
80, 1924. Copy.
| 7th. MIR. Adams to Mr.. Rush. 10Th Nov.r,o.
! 9th. Mr. Addington to Mr.. Adams. 9th Novcm-
ber, 1924. Copy.
9fh. MIR Adams to Mr.. Arlington, 9TH Dccem-
Der, 1894 Copy.
No. I.--Mr. adams to Mr. Rush.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
|. Washington, both Man. 1894
SIR: The convention between. the Un;,.d Stotos
and Great Britain, for the suppression of the Af,i
can slave trade, is herewith transmitted to vou
WV" oie fa'ihcation on the part of the United
Ntates under certain notifications and exccn,ious
annexed conditions to the advice and ron.,, -,
tic Senate to its ratification.
me participation of the Senate of The United
states III the final conclusion of all treaties tn
which they parties, is already well know 10 ,h
Du1f
pies established by the conventions as well as their
Importance and the requisite of thirds of
the Senators present, To the final conclusion of ev
ey Paf' OF ratIhed treaty, will explain the causes
al It's ratihcatio under this form. 1t will he seem
that the great and essential principles which form
The basis OF the compact admitted to their full
extent III the ratified part of tire convention The
second article, and the portion of the seventh
which IT is proposed cxpumge, are unessential IN
me pan, ana were not included in the project of
convention transmitted TO you from hence They
appear. indeed, To be, so far concerned the United
States altogether noperative since they could moi
confer the power OF capturing slave traders under
the nag OF third party-a power not claimed
either by the United States or Great Britain mn
less by treaty, and the United States bayno No
such treaty with any other power. 1t is pre- sumed
mat the bearing of those articles was exclusively
upon the flags of those other nations with wh;rI,
nreat Britain has already treaties for the suppress
SION OF The slave trade, and that, while they give an
elective power to the officers OF Great Brtain they
conferred none upon those of the United States.
| The exception OF the of America from the
seas upon which the mutual power of capt,,ine the
vessels under the flag of either party NAV be exer-
csed, had reference, III the views of the senate
Doubtless, To the coast of the United States-On
no part of that coast, unless within the Gulf of
Mexico there any probability that slave trading
vessels VIII ever be found. The necessity for The
exercise of the authority capture is therefore no
greater than IT would be upon The coast of Europe
In south America, the only coast which slave
traders may be hereafter expected 10 resort is that
of Brazil, from which, ii is to be hoped tLey will
shortly be expelled by the laws of the count v
The limitation by which each party is left at Ii
berry to rcnounce the convention by six months no
tice to the other, may perhaps be useful in recon-
cling other nations to the adoption of its provisions
IL the principles of the convention are to b.. perna-
nently maintained, this limitation undoubtedly
he abandoned; and when the public mind shall
nave been faniliarzed TO practical operation of
the system, IT not doubted that this reservation
will, on all sides, be readily givcnup.
In giving these explanations to the British 90
vernment, you will state that tile President was
fully prepared to nave ratified the convention with
out alteration as 1t had been signed by you. He
Is aware that the conditional tificaIon leaves the
British government at liberty to concur therein or
to seclne the ratification altogether; but lie will
not disguise the wish, that, such as II is. il NAV re-
oeive the sanctioDsof Great Britain, nd be carried
INTO effect ~ hen The concurrence of both govern
mcnts has been at length obtained by exertions so
iO"e' ''hu 81 thSiouoy COnIilued principles so
important, and for purposes of so high and bouor-
able a character, ii would prove n severe disap-
pointment To- the friends of freedom and of human
ity, II all prospect of effective concert between the
two nations, for the extirpaton of this disgrace to
civilized man. should be lost by differences of senti-
ment, in all probability transient, upon unessena
details.
should the convention, ratified or the part of
the United States be likewise ratified on the pa of
Great Britain you Will exchange the notifications
and forthwith transmit the British ratified COPY to
TINS place. On exchanging the TatifCations, a GER
tIbcate of that act is usually executed under the
baud and seal of the persons performing it, and
mutually delivered. cory of the form of that
used III excia nCing the notifications of the conyen-
ton of 10Th October, 1918, is herewith enclosed,
and u appears to be the form generally used on such
occasions by the British government You will
transmit the certificate exchanged with the British
ratification To complete the documents belonging
tn the negociatoD, copy of the full power of the
British PlenpoteBtiaies and of the protocol of the
third conference, are yet to be forwarded to us.
BY the 9Th article OF the convention, il is provided
that copies OF IT, sand of the laws of botheouuii les
actually in force. for the prohibition md suppress
sion OF the slave trade, shall be furnished To every
commander Of the National vessels of either party,
charged with the execution Of those laws" The
fudment of this article will require the continued
ond particular attention of both governments. j
| enclose, herewith, printed pamphlet, containing
all the laws of the United States on this subject,
now i'll force. 1t is stated in your dcspatch 90
have been the Intention of the British government
20 consolidate into act, during the present
sion of Parliament, ali the British laws relating