Washington sentinel., 1854-06-29


the bill appropriating ten millions Of dollars to
carry into effect the Gadsden treaty.
THE SUPPRESSION OF THE SLAVE
TRADE.
We publish below bill prepared by the
Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations, and
introduced by Hon. John M. Clayton. This
billproposes to put an end to the wrongful use
Of the flag of the United States by important
notifications Of the existing law regulating
the sale and transfer Of American vessels to
American citizens in foreign ports. As the
law now stands, a vessel may take ont a regis
ter which proves her nationality, and sets forth
the name and residence Of her owners, and the
name and residence of her master. She can
then proceed to foreign port, and be trans.
ferred: by sea-letter, which is bill Of sale,
reciting the terms Of the original register. This
having been done she may go to the coast Of
Africa to engage.in the slave trade without fear
of anything but an American cruizer. @
There is no limit to the time in which the
vessel thus sold and transferred in q foreign
port shall return to the United States in order
TO take out new register, showing her nation
ality and ownership or the citizenship Of her
master or commander. Thus it is, that after
the sale and transfer, whether in good faith or
not, the vessel may engage in foreign COM
merce for an unlimited period without return
ing to the United States. Under this system
the flag the United States has been used ex-
tensively to protect the slave trade in defiance
of our treaty stipulations and ac;s Of Congress.
The bill introduced into the Senate by Mr..
Clayton, from the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions, proposes remedy for this abuse. 1t
requires that sea letters shall be attested by
minister or consul of the United States, and
that when sales and transfers are made in the
foreign ports Of North or South America, Cuba,
or the Cape de Verde islands, the vessel sold
and transferred shall not make or attempt to
make a voyage to the coast of Africa without
first returning to the United States for q new
register. It also requires that the party selling
and the party purchasing shall make oath or
affirmation that the vessel is not intended for
the slave trade, and it denounces all the pains
and penalties Of perjury against those who
swear falsely in this particular. Means are
also provided for bringing the guilty to pun
derstood and comprehended by reading the bill
itself.
We do not undertake to say what degree Of
efficiency this bill may have if it should become
law. We are convinced, however, that what
ever, effect it may exert will be wholesome and
salutary. No matter what its practical opera
ton may be, however, it does not touch the
reasons we urged yesterday in favor Of with
drawing our squadron from the coast Of Africa
Indeed Mr.. Clayton, in his remarks introducing
the bill, took the same view Of the question
which we have taken. He urged that the slave
trade could not be checked by the means pro-
rided by the Ashburton treaty, and he con-
tended that our African squadron should be
Withdrawn and stationed near the slave marts
if stationed anywhere, with a view to put stop
to the. slave traffic. These are the words of
the distinguished senator from Delaware:
In this connection suffer me to say that the
committee do not believe that the African
slave trade will ever be arrested by the opera
tion of the 9Th article of the treaty of the 9th
Of August, 1912, called the Webster and Ash
burton treaty, by which about one-eighth of our
whole naval force ahoat has been employed on
the African coast, at an annual cost OF about
SsO0,O00, having captured only twelve slavers
in twelve years. A portion of that squadron
might always be advantageously kept on that
coast to protect our commerce and put down
piracy. But the greater part of all our dis
possible force for the suppression of the slave
trade should be employed in the Spanish West
Indies, and it should not consist merely of ole
or two heavy frigates or sloops-ofwar, but
chiefly of small steam propellers Of light draft,
mounting a heavy gun on pivot, and with
men enough to enable them to carry any pirate
by boarding. We should faithfully fulfil the
stipulation in the treaty of Ghent by always
using our best endeavors to promote the desir-
able object of the entire abolition Of this bar
barous traffic; and, as q suitable measure to
effect this great object, the committee now
report this "bill for the effectual suppression
of the African slave trade in American-built
vessels
These remarks fully sustain the position we
have assumed and the arguments we have
advanced on this subject. Therefore, without
continuing the discussion at present, we will
content ourselves with presenting the bill
reported by Mr.. Clayton, as follows:
BILL for the more effectual suppression OF the
slave trade in American built vessels.
BE "a enacted by the Senate and House Of Repr,.
scntafives of hc United States Of Ame,ioa u, Con-
gross assembled, That whenever any American
registered ship vessel shall in whole or in part,
be sold or transferred to citizen or citizens of
the United States at any foreign port or place in
North or South America. or in any Of the West
India Islands, or in the Cape de Verde Islands, or
any island Or near the coast of Africa, the in
strun,cnt OF writing in the nature Of bill Of sale
reciting at length her certificate OF registry, 10
pursuance Of the fourteenth section Of the act OF
Congress Of thiriy-frst OF December, seventeen
hundred and nnetyiwo, concerning the reeistor-
ing and recording of ships vessels, shal be