Year: 1862

n IhoC1IAM lON.


WHEREAS a Treaty between the Uni
ted States of America and her Maj
csty the Queen of the United King


dom of Great Britain and Ireland


was concluded and signed by thei


respective Plenipotentiarics, at the
City of Washington, on the seven


tecnth day of April last, which trca


ty is word for word as follows


Treaty betueen The United States of Amer.
Tea and her Majesty The Queen of tn
United KiagdOm of Great Britain and


Ireland for The suppression Of The AZ
ricaa Stare trade.


The United States Of America and
her Majesty the Queen of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and
ireland, being desirous to render
more effcctual the means hitherto
adopted for the suppression of the
slave trade carried on upon the coast
of Africa, have deemed it cxpedeut
to conclude treaty for that purpose,
and have named as their Plcnipoten.
tiaries, that is to say: The President
.of the United States of America,
William ii. Seward, Secretary of
State; and her Majesty the Queen
Of the United Kingdom OF Great Brit
ain and Ireland, the right honorable
Richard Bickcrton Pencil, Lord Ly-
ons, a peer Of her United Kingdom, "A
knight grand cross of her most hon.
orable order of the bath, and her En-
voy Extraordinary and Minister Plcni-
potcntiary to the United States of
America, who, after having commun-
Gated with each other their respective
full powers, found in good aud due
form, have agreed upon and conclu-
ded the following articles


ARTICLE l.


The two high contracting parties
mutually consent that those ships Of
their respective navics which shall be
provided with special instructions for
that purpose, as hereinafter mention
ed, may visit such merchant vessels
OF the two nations as may, upon rea-
sonablc grounds, be suspected of be-
ing engaged in the African slave
trade, or Of having been fitted out for
that purpose or of having, during
the voyage on which they are met by
the said cruisers, been engaged in
the African slave trade, contrary to
the provisions of this treaty and
that such cruisers may detain, and
send or carry away such vessels, in
order that they may be brought to tri-
al in the manner hereinafter agreed
upon.


In order TO fix the reciprocal right
of search in such a manner as shall
be adapted to the attainment of the
object of this treaty, and at tue same
time avoid doubts, disputes and com
plants, the said right Of search shall
be understood in the manner and &C
cording to the rules following:


First. 1t shall never be exercised
except by vessels of war, authorized
for that object, according
TO the stipulations Of this treaty.


Secondly. The right of search shall
in no case be exercised with respect
TO vessel of the navy of either of
the two Powers, but shall be cxercis-
cd only as regards merchant vessels !;
and it shall not be exercised by u
vessel of war of either contracting
party within the limits of settle
ment or port, nor within the terrific
rial waters Of the other party.


Thirdly. Whenever a merchant YES.
sci is searched by ship of war, the
commander of the said ship shall, in
the act of so doing, exhibit to the
commander of tho merchant vessel
the special instructions 10y which he
is authorized to search, aud shall de-
liver TO such commander a certificate,
signed by himself, stating his rank in
the naval service of his country, and
the name of the vessel he commands,
and also declaring that the only object
of the search is TO ascertain whether
the vessel is employed in the African
slave trade, or is fitted up for the said
trade. When the search is made by
an officer Of the cruiser who is not the
commander, such officer shall exhibit
to the captain Of the merchant vessel
q copy of the aforementioned special
instructions. signed by the command
cr Of the cruiser and he shall in like
manner deliver a certificate signed by
himself, stating his rank in the navy
the name Of the commander By whose
orders he proceeds to make the search
that of the cruiser in which he sails
and the object of the search, as above
described. If it appears from the
search that the papers OF the vcsse
are in regular order, and that it is en-
pioyed on lawful objects. the officer
shall enter in the log book of the YES
sci that the search has been made il
pursuance Of the aforesaid special in
structions and the vessel shall b.
left at liberty to pursue its voyage
The rank of the officer who makes tht
search must not be less than that o
lienteuant in the navy, unless the com
mand, either by reason Of death o
other cause, is at the time bel,
by an officer of inferior rank.


Fourthly. The reciprocal right o
search aud detention shall be exerci
scd only within the distance of tw,
hundred miles from the coast Of Airi
ca, and to the southwark of the thir
ty-second parallel of north latitude
and within thirty leagues from th
coast of the island Of Cuba.


In order to regulate the mode of car
rying the provisions Of the preceding
article into execution, ii is agreed
First. That all the ships Of the ma
vics of the two nations which sha


be hereafter employed to prevent tn
African slave trade shall be furnis!,c
10y their respective Governments wit