Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-12-16
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
.oup,NyING THE PRESIDENTS ANNUAL. MESSAGE
nersioa to Mr.. Stevenson.

..xorxcr RELArINe TO ruE DETENTION OF
s"xs,c,y VESSELS on THE AFRICAN COAST BY
Rs,rIsH ARMED CRUISERS.
Lord Patmerston to Mr.. Stevenson
FosEIGS OFFICE, Aug. ., lo4l
The undersigned, her Majestys Principal Secretary
r State for Foreign Affairs, has received Two notes.
,,.sssed TO him on the 18th of November, lo4o ana
- 1st of March last by Mr.. Stevenson, Envoy Tx.
0" a,rv and Minister Plenipoentiary of the United
SITES complaining Of the search and detention OF 'he
Isa,s5 states vessel douglas" and OF the vi treat
,"m, Of her crew by Lieutenant Seagram OF her Ma
,ss,ys brig "Termagant," employed on the coast u
ffica in suppressing the slave trade.
H. ,bssc two commu ncatons from Mr. Stevenson,
= stated that on the 2lst October 1889, Lieutenant
Se,rram boarded the tDouglas, while she was parsu
;nu her voyage the coast of Africa, examined Tue
ships papers and the passports
n. ba,ches hauled down the American nag ana seIeu
The vessel as SLAYER; that he kept possession OF ne
urino eight days. namely from the Sist October, $685.
:, the OOH of the month; that the othcers ana
men of the "Douglas became Ill from their exposure
mo sun and that in consequence three of them died,
,a the capain is still in bad health And Mr. Steven
con the confident expectation OF the President
~ the United States, that Her Majestys Government
will make prompt reparaon Tor the conduct OF Lien
tenant Searram in this case, and VIII take emcien'
,,e,ns 10 preyent the recurrence of such abuses.
The undersigned has, reply, to state that, in pur.
suance of the wish expressed by Mr. Stevenson the
mart of his Government, strict investigation has by
order of the Lords of the Admiralty, been made into
Lieutenant Seagram, commanding her Majesty +
ship sTermagant," employed in suppressing the slave
trade on the of Africa had been apprized by the
commanding officer of her Majesty's ships on that
coast of an agreement entered into by that officer with
Commander Paine, of the U. S. Navy, for searching
and OBTAINING ships found trading in slaves under the
l. S flag: and Lieutenant Seagram having, on the 2ls
October, 1882 met with the ship douglas carrying
the flag of the Union he boarded her and made inquiries
as to the voyage for which she was bound. Lieuten
Seau HDoupIdS
with great incvlty, and Discrimination was shown te
reply any questions relating to her Voyages but he
ascerained that she bound to the river Brass anc
he found on board Of Der Spanicrds, who were
going TO that river where trade but the slave trade
carried on.
Lieutenant Seagram requested to see the papers OF
the douglas; but the captain of the douglas could
produce custom-house clearance, and had made an
entrance on his log that, on leaving the Havana ne
could not procure one and that be had returned to the
habor to obtain such paper, but had left the harbo
ssain without it. This circumstance appeared suspi
cous to Lieutenant Seagram; and, on examining the
papers produced by the captain of the Douglas, he
found that the douglas was consigned to we'll
known slave trader, Don Pablo Tesas, who was then
on board of her. and TO whom the shaving vessels
and clark, which had been recently condemned tol
slave trade, had been consigned
Lieutenant Seagram pressed for permission to exam
inc the hold of the vessel and the consgnee gave him
permission to examine her freight, because he concev-
ed it protected By the United States Flag and
der the same impression, he Acknowledged to Leuten-
ant Seagram that her cargo Spanish and had been
shipped American solely for the purpose of avoiding
seizure.
The matches of the vessel having then been opened
aud Lieutenant Seagram having proceeded 10 exam
me her. il was discovered that she fitted out for
the slave trade, with eaguers hoops, and slaves,
slave deck in panks, and three complete slave copPers
Lieutenant Seagram reports that, under those cir
cumstances, he should have sent the douglas to the
L. States be delivered to the authorities Of that
but 81, he cd r1or frQfn no
commanding officer of Her Majesty's vessels on the
coast of Africa not to send any vessels to the w. b u-
Ill he should have been informed what course the u
S. Government took to the slave vessels Eagle ana
"Clara" which had been sent to the u 5 by The COM
manding officer, with view to assist the American
Government in preventing the abuse OF the national
flag Of the Union.
But Lieut. Seagram, not having received any infor-
nation on this point at the end of eight days after the
detention of the "Douglas, thought it his duty then
10 release the "Douglas instead ofdetainng her long
err or sending her TO the U. States.
From the facts above stated there appears little doubt
that if the douglas" had been sent to the u States,
she would have been condemned for trading IN slaves
under the flag of the Union. And had she been tried
by the mixed commission at Sierra Leone, the proofs
that the slave trading voyage which she was engaged
was in fact Spanish enterprise were strong enough to
have warranted her condemnation in the British and
Spanish Courts Spanish SLAYER.
With respect to the assertion that three men died
from the effects of exposure to the sum- consequence
Of the detention Of the vessel, the undersigned has to
state that appears that the vessel renamed on her
own account in the African seas two months alter her
detention by Lieut. Seagram: and, none OF her men
died until after those two months, there seems no reason
suppose that the death of the two men IN question was
occasoned by the detention of the vessel by Lieut. Sea
gram.
With respect 10 the statement that Lieut. Seagram
ordered the American flag to be hauled down, is to
be observed that the master of the "Dougas, in his
protest. declares that he HIMSELF and not Lieutenant
seagam, ordered the United States] flag to be hauled
down.
As to any loss of provisions or stores, is stated by
the American master that the English prize crew
brought their provisions with them to the douglas,
and he does not assert that they consumed any
provisions belonging to the douglas or that any of
the stores of that vessel were lost
With respect to the allegation Of the American mas
Ter that the prize crew had secreed demiJohn OF
rum forming part of the cargo of the vessel IT seems
probable that there is error in that allegation, because
the matches Of the vessel opened and closed
IN the presence of Lieutenant Seagram, and no com.
plant made to that officer, either by the master or
The consgnee that any loss damage had been done
10 the cargo
Indeed the master, on resumng the charge of his
vessel declared to Lieut. Seagram that he had no COM
plant TO make.
From the foregoing statement, it will appear, that the
VISIT the search, and the detention of the "Douglas
BY Lieutenant Seagram took place under full be!ief
on The part OF that officer that he was pursuing course
winch would be approved by the Government OF the
u s. and in his conduct towards the crew of the ves
sci he appears scrupulously to have avoided any act
which would Justly give cause of offence to friendly
Power.
The undersigned has therefore to express the conf
dent hope of Her Majestys Government that, upon a
consideration OF the whole case, the Government oil
The T. S. will be Of opinion that although the act of
Lieutenant Seagram in OBTAINING U. S. suvetrading
vessel was the abstract irregular, yet the impression
under which he did it, and the motives which prompted
HIM to do it, exempt him from any just blame.
But the undersigned cannot refrain from requesting
Mr. Stevenson to draw the serious attention of the Co
Sernment of the u s. to this case, which affords asrk
ING example of the manner in which the vessels and
flag Of the u s. are employed by Spanish Portuguese,
and Brazilian criminals TO protect their pIraca under
akngs utter contempt Of the laws of the Union, and
IN open defiance OF the Federal Government.
The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to re-
new to Mr.. Stevenson the Of his distinguish
ed consideration PALMERSTON.