been pursued, may undergo some reform, at least periodical investigation, or any other checks that can be devised to prevent a recurrence of the evils complained of, which, since a period has at length been happily fixed for the entire and complete abolition of the Traffick, it will, doubtless, tend greatly to enhance the value of those Slaves already imported, and, therefore, hold out greater temptation to the evildisposed of re-enslaving those who have received their Manumission. The system prescribed by the Alvarà of 26th January, 1818, would, we conceive, in a great measure, meet its object, provided a reliance could be placed on the probity of those employed under it; and, if we might be allowed the liberty of suggesting an Amendment thereto, it would be, that the Curador should be obliged to keep a regular and accurate Register of all the emancipated Negroes, together with the names and address of all those who have hired them, who should be made responsible for them under a penalty, and answer for their appearance before their Superintendent twice a Year; and to give proof of death, or absconding, if either should have happened since the last Inspection, and the Superintendent himself should be obliged, half-yearly, and always when called upon, to make his Report to the Juiz da Camarca, for the time being, or to some other Authority, in order to insure the fulfilment of his duty, and have a check upon his integrity; which, in our humble opinion, would greatly tend to prevent the abuses now said to be practised. We have the honour to be, &c. HENRY HAYNE, ALEX. CUNNINGHAM. The Right Hon. George Canning. SIR, (Enclosure.) The British Commissioners to Sir Charles Stuart. Rio de Janeiro, November 19, 1825. FINDING, by the Slave-trade Convention between His Britannick Majesty and His Majesty the Emperor of Brazil, signed by your Excellency on the 18th October last*, that the Stipulations relative to the treatment of emancipated Negroes are similar to those contained in the late Convention with Portugal, under which we have been acting, we feel it to be a duty incumbent upon us to state to your Excellency, that some abuses and malversations in that particular have, of late, come within our observation, to enable your Excellency, if you should think fit, to draw the attention of His Imperial Majesty's Government to the provisions contained in the 5th Article of the Alvarà of the 26th January, 1818, with a view of rectifying the existing perversion of them. Report says, that many of the emancipated Negroes have been sold as Slaves of this we have no proof; but, since those who hired them have never been called upon to produce them before any competent Authority, such abuse is practicable. *Not subsequently ratified. The majority of the Negroes who have been emancipated by the Mixed Commission were hired out to Individuals, who were to support, clothe, and instruct them, and pay a certain sum annually, which sum was to be deposited in a coffer with three keys, one to be kept by the Juiz da Camarca, another by the Curador, and a third by a Treasurer; and, at the expiration of the fixed term of the Free Negroes' servitude, the balance was to be distributed among them. It is in this department, Sir, that investigation is more especially necessary, as the Treasurer takes no steps to collect annually the amount due for the Negroes' services; and we have certain information that Manoel Joaqm. Gliz. de Magelloens, the Curador, has gone about with a List, as complete as he could make it, of those who are in possession of the Negroes hired out, whose interests and comforts he is especially appointed to watch, and has received the amount due, giving a receipt in his own name; which amount the Treasurer declares he has never received, and that the Curador had no authority from him to collect any money on account of the emancipated Negroes. This is an abuse which your Excellency will perceive requires to be checked, and investigation on the part of His Imperial Majesty's Government may possibly throw light upon others, which are not within our reach. We have the honour to be, &c. The Rt. Hon. Sir Ch. Stuart, G.C.B. HENRY HAYNE. No. 96.-His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec. Canning.--(Rec. April 10.) SIR, Rio de Janeiro, January 10, 1826. AGREEABLY to your Instructions, to forward to you Half-Yearly Reports of the Cases which are brought to us for Adjudication, we have the honour to inform you, that no Case has been laid before us since our Report of July last. We have the honour to be, &c. The Right Hon. George Canning. HENRY HAYNE. No. 97.-Mr. Sec". Canning to His Majesty's Commissioners. GENTLEMEN, Foreign Office, May 16, 1826. I HAVE received your Despatch of the 30th of December last, suggesting some Regulations for the amelioration of the treatment of emancipated Slaves. I cordially concur in the object of these suggestions. I beg that you will take an early opportunity of conferring upon the point with your Brazilian Colleagues, and of making a joint representation on the subject, through the proper Channel, to the Brazilian Government. You will press upon the Ministers of Brazil the adoption of Regulations better suited than the present appear to be, to their beneficent purpose; and, whenever such Regulations shall have been adopted, you will have the goodness to give to the due execution of the new System the benefit of your superintendence, reporting to me, from time to time, the result thereof. I am, &c. His Majesty's Commissioners. GEORGE CANNING. No. 98. His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. Nov. 28.) We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt, on the 20th ultimo, of two Copies of Papers, marked A and B, relative to the Slave-trade, which were presented to both Houses of Parliament in the course of the last Session. We have the honour to be, &c. The Right Hon. George Canning. HENRY HAYNE. No. 99.-His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec". Canning.—(Rec. Nov. 28.) SIR, Rio de Janeiro, August 1, 1826. WE have the honour to inform you, that, during the Half Year, ending on the 1st of July last, no Slave-vessel was brought in here for Adjudication. We were unable to forward this Report at the usual time, owing to Mr. Hayne's being, at that period, dangerously ill of an inflammatory bilious fever; and Mr. Cunningham laid up, in consequence of a severe fall from his horse; but we are happy to say that we are now both convalescent; and have the honour to be, &c. The Right Hon. George Canning. HENRY HAYNE. No. 100.-Henry Hayne, Esq. to Mr. Sec". Canning.—(Rec. Dec. 16.) It is with great regret that I feel myself under the necessity of earnestly soliciting your kind interposition, to obtain for me His Majesty's gracious permission to return to England, for the purpose of re-establishing my health, which has of late suffered materially from the effects of the Climate. I am at this moment in a great state of debility, the effects of a relapse, after only six weeks convalescence from my late serious illness. I had hoped that I should have been able to have remained at my Post until the final abolition of the Slave-trade in this Country, which I still do not altogether despair of accomplishing, provided the change of air to the neighbouring Mountains answers the desired end; and it is only on its failure, and its being deemed highly expedient by the Faculty for me to remove to another Climate, that I should think of availing myself of the leave of absence I now solicit. On this plea, Sir, may I entreat that such conditional leave may be forwarded to me, as will warrant my quitting my Post for the recovery of my health. I have the honour to be, &c. The Right Hon. George Canning. HENRY HAYNE. No. 101. Joseph Planta, Jun. Esq. to Henry Hayne, Esq. SIR, Foreign Office, December 16, 1826. MR. SECRETARY CANNING has received your Letter of the 26th of October, 1826, and I am directed by him to state to you, that under the circumstances which you mention, with respect to your health, Mr. Canning consents to your having a conditional leave to return to England for a period of 6 Months, if the state of your health should absolutely require it. You are aware that your Salary will be diminished by one half during your absence, and that the period of your absence cannot be counted as "actual service at your Post," in consideration of which a Pension may eventually be granted to you. I am, &c. Henry Hayne, Esq. JOSEPH PLANTA, JUN. No. 102.-Mr. Sec". Canning to His Majesty's Commissioners. GENTLEMEN, Foreign Office, December 30, 1826. YOUR several Despatches, to the 26th of October last inclusive, have been duly received. His Majesty's Commissioners. I am, &c. GEORGE CANNING. SURINAM. No. 103. Mr. Secretary Canning to His Majesty's Commissioners. GENTLEMEN, Foreign Office, March 13, 1826. WITH reference to the Treaty with The Netherlands, for the prevention of the Slave-trade, I have to acquaint you, that, by a Communication received this day from the Admiralty, it appears that the Instructions referred to in the said Treaty have been issued to the following Ships and Vessels of His Majesty's Navy: And that the Instructions which had been issued to His Majesty's Ships Pyramus, Ariadne, Bann, Victor, Ringdove, and Grecian, have been recalled and cancelled. His Majesty's Commissioners. I am, &c. GEORGE CANNING. No.104.-His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. April 21.) IN reference to the Correspondence reported in Class B. of the Papers laid before Parliament for the Year 1825, on the subject of the insufficiency of the Dutch Naval Force on this Station to prevent the fraudulent importation of Slaves, and the promise therein expressed by the Minister of His Netherlands Majesty, that measures should be adopted in order constantly to maintain at Surinam a Cruizer, in aid of one of the Dutch Ships-of-War stationed in the West Indies, we feel it our duty to acquaint you, that there has been no Dutch Vessel-of-War here of any description since the 3d of July last, when the Mercure Brig (Captain Muller) left this Port for Curaçoa, and that we still continue without one, notwithstanding the frequent prevalence of reports of Slave-ships being off the Coast, and effecting illicit debarkations, but of which it is almost impossible to obtain any conclusive evidence. We have, &c. The Right Hon. George Canning. CHRIS. EDW. LEFROY. No. 105.-Mr. Secretary Canning to His Majesty's Commissioners. GENTLEMEN, Foreign Office, June 28, 1826. I TRANSMITTED your Despatch of the 18th of January last, on the want of Dutch Cruizers at Surinam, to His Majesty's Ambassador in The Netherlands, with Instructions to represent to The Netherlands Government the circumstances stated in your Communication, and I now send to you the Copy of the Answer from The Netherlands Minister*, by which it appears that, since the month of February last, the Dutch Brig-of-War De Valk has been cruizing upon that Station; and that measures have been taken to ensure in future the regular performance of this Service. I am, &c. His Majesty's Commissioners. GEORGE CANNING. No. 106. Mr. Secretary Canning to His Majesty's Commissioners. GENTLEMEN, Foreign Office, July 8, 1826. I SEND to you, for the information of yourselves, and of the other Gentlemen composing the Board of Commission whereof you are Members, the accompanying Copy of a Note which I have received from His Netherlands Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at this Court, by which it appears that The Netherlands Brig-of-War Panther, destined * See Class B. |
