commanders both of the British and of the French squadrons. And if it should be deemed necessary for the attainment of the objects of this Convention, that posts should be occupied on that part of the coast of Africa before described, this shall be done only with the consent of the 2 High Contracting Parties. VII. As soon as the squadron to be sent by His Majesty the King of the French to the coast of Africa shall be ready to commence operations on the coast of Africa, His Majesty the King of the French shall cause notification thereof to be made to Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; and the 2 High Contracting Parties shall, by a joint declaration, make known that the measures to be adopted in virtue of this Convention are about to be carried into execution; and the aforesaid declaration shall be published wherever it may be deemed ne cessary. Within 3 months after the date of the said declaration, the warrants that have been issued in pursuance of the Conventions of 1831 and 1833, to the cruizers of the 2 nations, for the mutual exercise of the right of search, shall be respectively delivered up. VIII. Whereas experience has shewn that the traffic in slaves in those parts of the world where it is habitually carried on, is often accompanied by acts of piracy, dangerous to the tranquillity of par mer, que du commun consentement des officiers commandant les escadres Anglaises et Françaises. Et s'il était jugé nécessaire pour atteindre le but de la présente Convention, d'occuper quelques points de la côte d'Afrique ci-dessus indiquée, cette occupation ne pourrait avoir lieu que du commun consentement des 2 Hautes Parties Contractantes. VII. Dès l'instant où l'escadre que Sa Majesté le Roi des Français doit envoyer à la côte d'Afrique sera prête à commencer ses opérations sur la dite côte, Sa Majesté le Roi des Français le notifiera à Sa Majesté la Reine du Royaume Uni de la Grande Bretagne et d'Irlande; et les 2 Hautes Parties Contractantes feront connaître par une déclaration commune, que les mesures stipulées dans la présente Convention sont sur le point d'entrer en cours d'exécution; et la dite déclaration sera publiée partout où besoin sera. Dans les 3 mois qui suivront la publication de la dite déclaration, les mandats délivrés aux croiseurs des 2 nations en vertu des Conventions de 1831 et 1833, pour l'exercice du droit de visite réciproque, seront respectivement restitués. VIII. Attendu que l'expérience a fait voir que la Traite des Noirs dans les parages où elle est habituellement exercée, est souvent accompagnée de faits de piraterie, dangereux pour la tranquillité des the seas and to the safety of all flags; and considering at the same time, that if the flag carried by a vessel be prima facie evidence of the national character of such vessel, this presumption cannot be considered as sufficient to forbid in all cases the proceeding to the verification thereof, since otherwise all flags might be exposed to abuse, by their serving to cover piracy, the Slave Trade, or any other illegal traffic; it is agreed, in order to prevent any difficulty in the execution of the present Convention, that instructions, founded on the law of nations and on the constant usage of Maritime Powers shall be addressed to the commanding officers of the British and French squadrons and stations on the coast of Africa. The 2 Governments have accordingly communicated to each other their respective Instructions, which are annexed to this Convention. IX. Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the King of the French, mutually engage to continue the prohibition for ever of all Slave Trade in the colonies which they now possess or may hereafter possess; and also to prevent, as far as the laws of each country shall permit, their respective subjects from being engaged, directly or indirectly, in this traffic. X. Three months after the declaration mentioned in Article mers et la sécurité de tous les pavillons; considérant en même temps que si le pavillon porté par un navire est prima facie le signe de la nationalité de ce navire, cette présomption ne saurait être considérée comme suffisante pour interdire, dans tous les cas, de procéder à sa vérification,―puisque, s'il en êtait autrement, tous les pavillons pourraient être exposés à des abus en servant à couvrir la piraterie, la Traite des Noirs, ou tout autre commerce illicite; afin de prévenir toute difficulté dans l'exercice de la présente Convention, il est convenu que des instructions fondées sur les principes du droit des gens, et sur la pratique constante des Nations Maritimes, seront adressées aux commandants des escadres et stations Anglaises et Françaises sur la côte d'Afrique. En conséquence les 2 Gouvernements se sont communiqués leurs Instructions respectives, dont le texte se trouve annexé à la présente Convention. IX. Sa Majesté la Reine du Royaume Uni de la Grande Bretagne et d'Irlande, et Sa Majesté le Roi des Français, s'engagent réciproquement à continuer d'interdire, tant à présent qu'à l'avenir, toute Traite des Noirs dans les colonies qu'elles possèdent ou pourront posséder par la suite; et à empêcher, autant que les lois de chaque pays le permettront, leurs sujets respectifs de prendre dans ce commerce une part directe ou indirecte. X. Trois mois après la déclaration mentionnée en l'Article VII, VII, the present Convention shall come into execution. The duration of it is fixed at 10 years. The previous Conventions shall be suspended. In the course of the 5th year the 2 High Contracting Parties will concert together anew, and will decide according to circumstances, whether it is fitting either to put again in force the whole or part of the said Conventions, or to modify or to abrogate the whole or part of the present Convention. At the end of the 10th year, unless the previous Conventions shall have been put again in force, they shall be considered as definitively abrogated. And the High Contracting Parties further engage to continue to concert together for ensuring the suppression of the Slave Trade by all the means which may appear to them most useful and most efficacious, until the time when this traffic shall be completely abolished. XI. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the Ratifications shall be exchanged at London at the expiration of 10 days from this date, or sooner if possible. In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms. Done at London, the 29th day of May, 1845. (L.S.) ABERDEEN. (L.S.) STEPHEN LUSHING TON. (L.S.) STE. AULAIRE. (L.S.) V. BROGLIE. la présente Convention entrera en cours d'exécution. La durée en est fixée à 10 ans. Les Conventions antérieures seront suspendues. Dans le cours de la 5mc année les 2 Hautes Parties Contractantes se concerteront de nouveau, et décideront, selon les circonstances, s'il convient, soit de remettre en vigueur tout ou partie des dites Conventions, soit de modifier ou d'abroger tout ou partie de la Convention actuelle. A la fin de la 10me année, si les Conventions antérieures n'ont pas été remises en vigueur, elles seront considérées comme définitivement abrogées. abrogées. Les Hautes Parties Contractantes s'engagent en outre à continuer de s'entendre pour assurer la suppression de la Traite des Noirs, par tous les moyens qui leur paraîtront les plus utiles et les plus efficaces jusqu'au moment où ce trafic aura été complètement aboli. XI. La Convention sera ratifiée, et les Ratifications en seront échangées à Londres à l'expiration de 10 jours à compter de ce jour, ou plus tôt si faire se peut. En foi de quoi, les Plénipotentiaires respectits l'ont siguée, et y ont apposé le sceau de leurs armes. Fait à Londres, le 29 Mai, 1845. (L.S.) ABERDEEN. (L.S.) STEPHEN LUSHINGTON. (L.S) STE. AULAIRE. (L.S.) V. BROGLIE. ANNEX referred to in Article VIII. Instructions for the Senior Officer of Her Majesty's Ships and Vessels on the West Coast of Africa, with respect to the Convention with France, signed at London on the 29th day of May, 1845. By the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c. WE transmit to you herewith a copy of a Convention between Her Majesty and the King of the French, dated the 29th day of May, 1845, by which it is stipulated that the Contracting Parties shall each maintain on the West Coast of Africa a naval force of not less than 26 vessels, to be employed for the prevention of the Slave Trade, by closely watching all the parts of the West Coast where the Slave Trade is carried on, from Cape de Verd to 16° 30′ south latitude, and by exercising all the powers vested in the Crowns of France and Great Britain for such purpose; and we desire that you will take every opportunity and use your utmost efforts to effect the objects of this Convention. You are to take the earliest opportunity of putting yourself in communication with the senior officer of the French squadron, for the purpose of co-operating with him in the execution of this Convention, and of concerting with him as to the best means of closely watching the parts of the African coast before described, by selecting and defining the stations to be established, and by taking the charge thereof either conjointly with the French cruizers, or separately with the force under your command, or by leaving the same to the French naval force, as may be deemed most expedient. You will understand, however, that in the case of a station being especially committed to the charge of cruizers of either nation, the cruizer of the other nation may at any time enter the same for the purpose of exercising the rights respectively belonging to them for the suppression of the Slave Trade. You will in concert with the commander of the French squadron, determine with what native Princes and Chiefs it may be necessary to negotiate Treaties for the suppression of the Slave Trade. And you are authorized to negotiate such Treaties, either personally or by an officer specially instructed for such purpose; such Treaties to be framed in accordance with the draft of engagement forming Appendix to Section VII of the Instructions issued on the 12th of June, 1844, to Her Majesty's naval officers employed in the suppression of the Slave Trade. Whenever it may be necessary to employ force to compel the due execution of any Treaty contracted with any native Chief in virtue of this Convention, and to which both Her Majesty and the King of the French are parties, you will concert with the commander of the French squadron as to the employment of force for such purpose, and arrange, in concert with him, to act conjointly with the French force, or separately, as may be deemed most advisable; but with respect to these conjoint Treaties, you will not employ force without the consent of the commander of the French squadron. It will be the duty of yourself and of the commanding officers of Her Majesty's ships under your orders, upon all occasions to communicate to the officers of the French squadron any information which may be of service in detecting the frauds of the slave traders, and especially to give notice of any vessel supposed to belong to France, and suspected of being engaged in the Slave Trade, which may be met with or heard of in the course of a cruize; and you will give directions to the officers under your orders to pay strict attention to this duty. With respect to the visit, search, and detention of vessels belonging to nations between whom and Great Britain there are existing Treaties relating thereto and for the suppression of the Slave Trade, and also with respect to vessels not entitled to claim the flag of any nation, you will be guided by the instructions founded upon the statute passed in the 2nd and 3rd year of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, chapter 73,* and upon the Treaties in force with foreign States, and the Acts of Parliament made in furtherance thereof, which have been delivered to you for your government; the present instructions in no respect interfering therewith. You are not to capture, visit, or in any way interfere with vessels of France; and you will give strict instructions to the commanding officers of cruizers under your orders to abstain therefrom. At the same time you will remember that the King of the French is far from claiming that the flag of France should give immunity to those who have no right to bear it; and that Great Britain will not allow vessels of other nations to escape visit and examination by merely hoisting a French flag, or the flag of any other nation with which Great Britain has not, by existing Treaty, the right of search. Accordingly, when from intelligence which the officer commanding Her Majesty's cruizer may have received, or from the manœuvres of the vessel, or other sufficient cause, he may have reason to believe that the vessel does not belong to the nation indicated by her colours, he is, if the state of the weather will admit of it, to go a-head of the suspected vessel, after communicating his intention by hailing, and to drop a boat on board of her to ascertain her nationality, without causing her detention, in the event of her really proving to be a vessel of the nation the colours of which she has displayed, and, therefore, one which he is * August 24, 1839. Vol. XXVII. Page 849. |