The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-09
The slave Trade Treaty.

II il well known that the suppression OF
the African slave trade, by this country and
England, has not been carried on so success
fully as il might have been, owing to the
fact that the right of each party to search
the vessels Of the other ON the coast OF AT
RIGA has never been properly defined. The
treaty lately entered into ON the part OF the
United States and England is intended to OBJ
,ia.e this difsculty. 1t provides that cruis-
ers Of .he respective nayies OF both countries
being provided with special instructions Tor
that purpose, may visit such merchant vessels
of the two nations as may. upon reasonable
grounds, be suspected Of being engaged in
the African slave trade. and may detain and
send or carry away such vessels in order that
they may DO brought to trial according to the
provisions of the treaty.
In order to Fix the reciprocal right OF search
in such manner US to avoid injuries, and at
the same time secure the object of the trea-
ty. il provides that this right of search shall
never DO exercised except by yessels-ot-war
expressly authorized for the purpose and
then il shall not be exercised with respect to
vessel Of the navy Of either Of the two
Powers, but only as regards merchant vessels;
and over these the right Of search shall not
extend within the limits of settlement or
mort. nor within the territorial waters OF
either patty. The reciprocal right of search
and detention shall be exercised only within
the distance Of two hundred miles from the
coast of Africa, and to the southwark OF the
thirty-second degree Of North latitude, and
within thirty leagues OF the coast OF Cuba
After providing that cruisers OF either ma
ton employed in the suppression OF the
slave trade shall be furnished with copy ct
this treaty, and specifying the form oil the
instructions given to officers in command OF
such cruisers, the treaty provides that each
of the high contracting parties shall, IRON
time to time, communicate to the other the
names of the several ships furnished with
such instructions. the force of each, and the
names of the commanders.
Provision is also made for indemniiyinG
such vessels as may suffer by arbitrary or IL
legal deteutiOn-the party whose cruiser
caused the damage to make full reparation,
When vessels suspected Of being engaged in
the slave trade are detained, they are to be
brought before one of three mixed courts OF
Justice. which are to Do established rs soon as
practicable, and formed of an equal number
of individuals Of both nations, named Tor
this purpose by their respective Governments,
These conrts shall reside, one at Sierra Leone
one at the Cape Of Good Hope, aud one at
New York. These courts are to decide ac-
cording to the treaty and regulations an
nexed, and there is no appeal from this decis-
ion. The treaty then specifies the usual
equipments Of slave traders, and provides
that vessels thus equipped may be detained
Whenever vessel. detained US SLAYER,
shall DO adjudged and condemned as such by
either of the mixed courts OF justice estab-
lished under this treaty, she shall be broken
up and sold in different parts, unless either
of the two Governments should wish to pur-
chase her for the use Of its navy. In this
c,se the Government whose cruiser shall have
detained the vessel, shall have the first OPP
ton of purchase. The officers and crew OF
any vessel condemned by the mixed courts OF
justice, shall DO punished according to the
laws Of the country to which such vessel be-
longs, as shall also the owner and the persons
interested in the equipment or cargo, unless
they prove that they had no participation in
the enterprise. Negroes found on board OF
vessel condemned, shall be placed at the
disposal of the Government whose cruiser
made the capture. They are to be set at
liberty and remain free, the Government to
whom they are delivered guaranteeing their
freedom.
The present treaty shall be ratified, and
the notifications thereof shall be exchanged
at London, in six months from its date, and
sooner IL possible. II is to continue in force
ten years from its ratification, and, further,
until alter the end Of one year alter either
party shall give notice to the other Of its in
tention TO terminate the same.
The treaty is dated at Washington, the
seventh day Of April, and signed by Secre-
tary Seward and Lord Lyons.
We have thus given briet abstract Of the
Seward-Lyons treaty for the suppression Of
the African slave trade. Ii Is cheering
thought that the present Administrator, not
withstanding all the difficulties surrounding
10, should find time to attend to this long
neglected matter. The treaty is very impOr-
tant, and mcdifes many Of the usual pro
ceedings upon the subject in reference to
which IL is made,
We can sec no reason why its operation
should, in the least, infringe upon the rights
Of innocent parties. The result must be to
greatly diminish this unholy traffic.
EsrrRrRrsTo.-rhe prOprietors Of Union
Block have commenced operations to repair