The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-06-28
REPORT OF tn HON. JOHN sLIDEIns

! -a.... .-.-s or LOUISIANA,
On the naval force the African coast reported to the
! . Senate Thursday, June 20, 1856. ..
Mr.. SLlDELL. Mr.. President yesterday, in executive
session. the injunction of secrecy removed from the
proceedings resolution which introduced in refef~
to the abrogaton of the eighth article Of the treaty
with Great Britain of l842, providing for the main
tenance OF naval force on the coast of Africa was
induced yesterday 10 make that motion in executive ses-
spn IN consequence of remarks which made by
the senator from Connecticut Mr. FosTER,l ntmating
that feeling prevailed among certain southern gentlemen
to revive the African slave trade Almost oil business in
executive session, by other reaches the
OF the public through the newspapers My resolution
and the action of the Committee Foreign Relations
recommending its adoption, offered no exception to this
general rule '~."a
My that subject has often been mlsrepresented
have been charged with having introduced resolution
for the purpose Of entering wedge for the re-establs
men of the African slave trade With the permission Of
the subject by the 18th Of June 1854 which COM
peey negatives any such intention my part that
of the Committee on Foreign Relations
The Uommittee Foreign Relations whom was referred
the resolution submitted by Mr. SLIpEl the 10th of May
1884, that in the opinion Of the Senate it sexpeden and
in conformity with the interests and sound policy of the Uni
government and Great Brar sf ie sh Of August 1912
sosd be arosstea that should the president of the
United States in this opinion be be requested Ia sig
nifty 70 the Of Great Britain II pormity with
the eleventh article of that e- tne wish Of this govern
ment terminate the sad eighth article" have had he
came under consideration and now respectfully report
That by the eighth article Of the treaty with Great Britain
made at , 0a the ssh o. Asgs ' eoo1
uste that each shall prepare eap and maintain in service
on the coast Of Ao. sufficient and adequate squadron
naval Tce, OF vessels Of suitable numbers and descriptions
to carry in all not less than eighty guns TO enforce
ratey and respectively The laws rights, and obligations of
each OF the countries the suppression Of the
rade the said squadrons be independent OF each other
but the two puatng nevertheless to give
such orders officers commanding their respective forces
shall enable them efectualy and
operation upon mutual consul ton exgencies arise
for the attainment of the true object Of this article copies
bv ment
By the eleventh article Of the Same treaty Il Is declared
that the eighth Article shall be in for FIVE years from
the date Of exchange Of the racaton and afterwards
I'll one or the other party shall signify wish to terminate IL
The policy Of stpuations Of this kind with any foreign
power well be questioned general grounds bat your
committee do not think necessary enter upon large
and debatabe field OF discussion, and will conne them
selves TO examnaon Of the question whether, admitting
the poPrety and exPedency Of the measure at the time Of
Its adoption with the imperfect information
then possessed II be not proper and erpeden to abro
gate H. then supposed that tho most efficient mode Of
suppresng the slave trade employ cruisers
the coast Of Africa and the very caption Of the treaty in
dcate the results that expected to be obtained by H.
between the Territories Of the United States posses
sions Of her Britannia Majesty in North America and for
the final suppression Of the African slave trade &c IL
believed that the best point for the employment Of naval
force for the attainment Of object which the people and
her Britannia Majesty and her subecs the Of
Africa An experiences of twelve years has demonstrated
Large quadrons have kept up during that period by
the two powers at an enormous expense IN money and with
amentabie OF destruction OF the health oil
officers and employed in that noxious climate And
what has been the reult7 Let the record show. The
British squadron comprises several steamers counting in
ALL twenty vessels carrying about three hundred
guns and three thousand The annual expense Of the
squadron fT0s t5about So 600 This the expense
proper Of the squadron That cf auxiliary establishments
the coasts connected with this service and which might
otherwise be dispensed with Is estimated at from goo 900 to
f500o0 Take the lowest figure and have 81 600 70
add to the direct cost OF the squadron, making total
nua expenditure OF IS 900 In Is45 alone the number
o deaths of officers and two hundred and
Of officers and nvaded two hundred and seventy
The United States have four vessels and eighty the
Of Africa being about one-eghh Of our whole naval
force aoa and the estimated expenditure OF tho
after deducng special Objects such transportation OF the
mail in steamships, improvement Of nayyyards, &c. is Ss
35lTl the annual OF this squadron be fairly cal
culaed at ss0o,000, $4,000 per gun This, II will be
observed considerably less than the gun Of the
I British squadron which is about Sll,70O.
IL subject Of cougratuaton, however, that for the last
four the mortality OF officers and employed
this service bears favorable comparison with that Of other
stations This the Navy Department attributes TO the
sodpsry sanitary adopted by the officers Of the
/ squadron.
France at one time obliged herself to keep up an equal
force with Great Britain the of Acasay twenty
elk vessels but finding the she ap
piled to the British government for modification of the
treaty, which conceded, and she has only twelve
vessels employed. There precise data which The
expenditure of France be estabished but estimating
by the proportion OF yees employ eday twelve
x would be about 81 600 600. The annual joint expendi
uro Of England France and the United States thus appears
4 to be g., 400 900.
Mr.. Hut the chairman Of the select committee OF The
House Of Commons appointed to investigate this question:
stated, the 10Th Of March, 1850, that the number OF
slaves exported from Aca had down 1sf2 the very
Of the negotiation Of the Ashburton treaty
nearly 10000 In lsi3 to $1,000 In 1896 7G
o00 IN 1si7 IL "a o00 and then in
activity. Sir Charles Hotham, who commanded for
years on the coast Of Africa and l. d the uo disu