Your Excellency will doubtless know whether there be any law permitting the subjects of His Imperial Majesty to traffic in the lives of their fellow-men. I am credibly informed that there is not; but at all events, if such transactions be recognized as legal, or if not absolutely prohibited, I would proceed to ask your Excellency, whether the same rule may not equally apply to the person of the aforesaid Albanian himself, that is to say, whether the power of the Government may not with equal reason be exerted to convey him forcibly to some distant part of the empire, to be there sold as a slave, if in point of fact worth anything? If, indeed, the merits of the case depend upon differences of colour alone, your Excellency is aware that it is the custom of his countrymen to express an exalted notion of character, void of reproach, by the denomination of white face, which this individual certainly does not exhibit, while his heart is evidently of the darkest complexion. Moreover, as your Excellency is aware, from some late representations which I had occasion to make, there are others of his compatriots, and in particular a certain Tzaoo Bey (whom accident alone prevented from being sent into exile to Koniah), who not only keep white slaves, carried off from Greece during the war, and retained in contravention of the stipulations between the respective Governments, but even pretend to sell and inherit, as live-stock belonging to their estates, the children springing from marriages promoted by them for this purpose. Your Excellency has encouraged me to believe that this matter will secure your Excellency's earnest attention; and I trust that this affair of Ali Moutzo will also be taken into serious consideration. At all events, it would be desirable that this individual, together with the unfortunate Arab girls, were conveyed into your Excellency's presence, and detained until the intentions of the Government be made known to your Excellency in regard to their ultimate fate. I avail, &c. The Governor-General of Epirus. SIDNEY SMITH SAUNDERS. P.S.-I find there are 10 female slaves and 1 male, making 11 in all. • S. S S. No. 550.-Consul Saunders to Viscount Palmerston.-(Rec. Mar. 27.) MY LORD, Prevesa, February 26, 1851. WITH reference to my preceding despatch, upon the subject of the Arab slaves recently imported here from Candia, I have the honour to submit to your Lordship the copies of 2 despatches which I have addressed to Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople, reporting the further proceedings which have since taken place in the matter. I likewise transmit translated copy of the Pasha's reply to my original representation upon this head. Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B. I have, &c. SIDNEY SMITH SAUNDERS. (Inclosure 1.)-Consul Saunders to Sir Stratford Canning. SIB. Prevesa, February 15, 1851. WITH reference to the case of the Arab slaves recently imported here from Candia, I have the honour to acquaint your Excellency that the Pasha has placed certain indirect restrictions upon the sale, which may possibly have some effect in deterring purchasers for a time; that is to say, he has required that such parties should be presented to him previously to completing their purchase, for the purpose of warning them of their liability to carry into effect whatever the Government may determine in the matter; and, although opposed by the Council in all such impediments, promising to use his endeavours to prevent the transfer of the slaves to any other province with the view of effecting a sale elsewhere. In the meantime the Albanian, intimidated, has expressed his readiness to renounce the slaves at prime cost (said to be from 107. to 127. each); and inasmuch as their unrestricted sale, if permitted, would have a tendency on the one hand to encourage further speculations of this nature, so on the other, their ostensible manumission, although they should remain in the Turkish harems as free blacks, would serve in a corresponding ratio to discountenance such adventures. It is also worthy of observation that the treatment of slaves by their Turkish masters, more especially in the provinces, is frequently marked by extreme brutality; and that, however exceptional their condition may be considered in some respects, their acknowledged position and liabilities as such render them wholly dependent upon caprice, and place their wrongs always beyond the reach of legal redress; which evils might be essentially modified by some palliative restrictions in the absence of any more effectual remedy. I have, &c. H.E. Sir Stratford Canning. SIDNEY SMITH SAUNDERS. (Inclosure 2.)- Consul Saunders to Sir Stratford Canning. SIR, Prevesa, February 22, 1851. WITH reference to my preceding despatch, acquainting your Excellency with the steps taken by the Pasha in the affair of the Arab slaves, I have now the honour to submit to your Excellency copy and translation of the reply which I have received from Ismail Pasha, assuring me of his favourable disposition in the matter, but explaining at the same time the difficulties connected therewith; and in further illustration thereof, he has privately mentioned that, on some former occasion, when Governor of Trebizond, having offered some remarks respecting the continual traffic in slaves carried on there, he was rebuked for taking notice of this, and his attention called to the circumstance of their being transported 50 at a time by the steamers navigating under the flags of foreign Powers between that port and Constantinople. He has, however, engaged to take up the affair of the Greek slaves with energy and effect, without waiting for any orders upon the subject, and to report favourably in the other matter. I have, &c. H.E. Sir Stratford Canning SIDNEY SMITH SAUNDERS. (Inclosure 3.)—The Governor-General of Epirus to Consul Saunders. SIR, Yanina, February, 1851. (Translation.) I HAVE had the honour to receive your letter of the 4th instant, and have derived extreme satisfaction from the friendly sentiments therein expressed, while you also call my attention to the affair of certain female slaves and 1 male, all Arabs, which an Albanian of Tchamourià conveyed from Candia to Prevesa for sale in these parts, requesting me to prohibit such sale. Ever-most-illustrious friend! you cannot doubt that I have no kind of order from my much revered Government to prevent such a proceeding, nor have I seen any order upon this subject in any other part of the empire; it is, therefore, with the greatest regret that I am unable to take any step whatever in the matter without a direct order from my Government, and it is not, therefore, in my power to accede to your request, lest I should be inculpated by my Government. All that occurred at Constantinople upon this head was, that a locality which had been exclusively devoted to the sale of slaves, called "Yesir-bazaar," is no longer so used, slaves not being now sold there; but in the khans and houses at Constantinople, and in all parts of the empire, this commerce still continues free and unrestricted. Being bound to follow the orders of my Government, and at the same time extremely desirous to carry your wishes into effect, which I am unable to do without a positive order, I have referred to the Government and await instructions whether I should stop this traffic or not, and I must act according to the orders which I may receive. As regards the slaves being taken about in and out of the khans, this being irregular, I have put a stop to it; but as it is possible that the desired instructions may be delayed, while the Council trouble me, saying, "How can you interfere without orders in a No. 554.-Sir H. L. Bulwer to Viscount Palmerston.—(Rec. May 14.) MY LORD, Washington, April 28, 1850. WITH reference to my despatch of the 15th instant, inclosing a copy of a communication which I had received from Mr. Clayton, in reply to 2 notes which I had addressed to him, in conformity with the instructions contained in your Lordship's despatches on the subject of the Slave Trade carried on in American vessels in the Brazils, I now do myself the honour of inclosing herewith a copy of a further note, and of its inclosure, from Mr. Clayton, on the same subject. Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B. SIR, I have, &c. H. L. BULWER. (Inclosure 1.)-Mr. Clayton to Sir H. L. Bulwer. Washington, April 26, 1850. I HAD the honour to inform you, on the 4th instant, that a copy of your 2 notes, under date the 24th of March last, upon the subject of the Slave Trade carried on at Rio de Janeiro in United States' vessels, had been communicated to the Secretary of the Navy, I now do myself the honour to transmit to you herewith a copy of that officer's reply. 1 am, &c. Sir H. L. Bulwer. SIR, JOHN M. CLAYTON. (Inclosure 2.)--Mr. Ballard Preston to Mr. Clayton. Navy Department, April 16, 1850. I HAVE the honour to inform you that copies of the papers referred to in your letter of the 4th instant have been transmitted to the commanding officer of The United States' squadron on the coast of Brazil, with instructions to exert himself with the utmost activity and energy in the fulfilment of his orders for the suppression of the Slave Trade. I am, &c. J. M. Clayton, Esq. WILLIAM BALLARD PRESTON. No. 556.-Viscount Palmerston to Sir Henry Bulwer. SIR, Foreign Office, June 29, 1850. I TRANSMIT to you herewith copies of 2 despatches [March 20 and March 27, 1850] and of their inclosures, which have been received from Commodore Fanshawe, Commander-in-chief of Her Majesty's squadron on the west coast of Africa, reporting the circumstances under which 6 vessels sailing under The United States' flag, and furnished with forged ship's papers, purporting to have been legally issued by the competent authorities of The United States, have been captured by Her Majesty's cruizers for being engaged in the Slave Trade; and I have to desire that you will communicate these papers to The United States' Government. I am, &c. Sir H. L. Bulwer. PALMERSTON. |