such States," it was, among other things, enacted, that, from and after the passing of the said Act, notwithstanding any thing contained in an Act, passed in the session of Parliament of the 3rd and 4th years of His late Majesty King William the Fourth, intituled "An Act for the encouragement of British shipping and navigation," it should be lawful for Her Majesty, from time to time, to declare, by Her Order in Council, to be published in the London Gazette, "that any port or ports to be named in such Order, being the most convenient port or ports for shipping the produce of any State, to be also named in such Order, shall, although not situated within the dominions of such State, be port or ports for the use of the ships of such State in the trade of such ships with all parts of the British dominions, or with any part or parts of the same named and limited in such Order, in as full and ample a manner as if such port or ports were within the dominions of such State; and, thereupon, and for so long a time as such Order shall be declared to be in force, or shall remain unrevoked, it shall be lawful to import into the British dominions, or into such parts of the same as shall be named and limited in such Order, from such port or ports in the ships of such State, any goods which, by the laws in force at the time of such importation, might then be imported in such ships from a port of the country to which they belonged, and so to import such goods upon the like terms as the same could there be imported from the national ports of such ships :"

And whereas, in consequence of there being no adequate Fort at the mouth of the river Dniester, the produce of the countries watered by that river is ordinarily shipped at the port of Odessa, which, although not within the dominions of Austrz, is, nevertheless, the most convenient port for shipping the produce of Galicia, being a portion of the Austrian dominions :

Now, therefore, Her Majesty by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, is pleased, in pursuance of the power and authority in her vested by the hereinbefore-recited Act, and of every other power and authority in anywise enabling her in that half, to order and declare, and it is hereby ordered and declare that Austrian vessels and their cargoes, consisting of

See Vol. 5. Page 16

such of the produce of Galicia as can be legally imported into the United Kingdom and the British possessions abroad, from the ports of Austria, by the said vessels, shall, when coming from Odessa, be admitted into the ports of the United Kingdom, and of the British possessions abroad, in as full and ample a manner as if the port of Odessa were within the dominions of Austria; and such vessels shall be permitted to import the produce above mentioned upon the same terms on which the said produce might be imported if coming from Austrian ports; it being understood, that these privileges are to extend to the vessels of Austria and their cargoes, only so long as British vessels and their cargoes shall, upon their arrival at, and departure from, the port of Odessa, continue to be placed upon the same footing as the vessels of Austria and their cargoes, and so long as the cargoes, which may be legally imported into the Austrian dominions though the port of Odessa in British vessels, shall continue to be placed in the Austrian dominions upon the same footing as the like cargoes so imported in Austrian vessels:

And the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury are to give the necessary directions herein accordingly. C. C. GREVILLE.

ACT of the British Parliament," for carrying into execution a Treaty signed at London for the Suppression of the Slave Trade*, so far as the same relates to Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia."

[Cap. 50.]

[10th August, 1843.]

WHEREAS on the 20th day of December, in the year of our Lord 1841, a Treaty was signed at London, between Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia, and Russia, for the Suppression of the African Slave Trade, whereby it was agreed as follows:

[Here follow, in the English language, the Articles of the Treaty, and the Annexes thereto, A and B.]

And whereas the said Treaty was ratified between

* See Page 2.

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Emperor of Austria, the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of all the Russias, and such Ratifications were exchanged on the 19th day of February in the year 1842; but the same has not been ratified by the King of the French: And whereas it is expedient and necessary that effectual provision should be made for carrying into execution the provisions of the said Treaty, and the Annexes thereto, so far as the same relate to Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia; be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that it shall be lawful for any officer commanding any ship of war of Her Majesty, or of their Majesties the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia, the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of all the Russias, who shall have such rank as by the 2nd Article of the said Treaty is agreed, and who shall be duly instructed, and authorized, and furnished, according to the several provisions of the said Treaty, and within the waters described, and according to the provisions and exceptions contained in the said 2nd Article of the said Treaty, to exercise the right of visiting and searching any British, Austrian, Prussian, or Russian merchant vessels liable to suspicion, and suspected of having been engaged in the Traffic in Slaves, or of having been fitted out for that purpose, or of having been engaged in the traffic during the voyage in which she shall have been met with by the said cruizers of Her Majesty the Queen, or by the cruizers of Austria, Prussia, or Russia, except vessels of the Russian-American Company, commanded by Officers of the Imperial Navy, as mentioned in the 8th Article of the Instructions to Cruizers in Annex (B.), forming an integral part of the said Treaty, and upon sufficient grounds of detaining, sending, carrying in, and delivering over, without delay, any such vessel, together with its masters, sailors, passengers, slaves, and cargo, to the authorities appointed for the purpose of the said Treaty, by the respective Governments of Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia, and to one of the jurisdictions in the said instructions mentioned, in order that pro

ceedings may be instituted conformably to the respective laws of the said countries; and all commanders of Her Majesty's ships in the exercise of such rights as aforesaid shall comply with the several provisions and instructions of the said Treaty which apply thereto respectively.

II. And be it enacted, that all ships and vessels belonging wholly or in part to Her Majesty's subjects, which shall be suspected upon reasonable grounds of being engaged in the traffic in slaves, or of having been fitted out for that purpose, or of having been engaged in such traffic during the voyage in which such vessel is met, and all boats, apparel, and cargoes therein, shall be subject to search and detention by British, Austrian, Prussian, or Russian vessels of war duly authorized for that purpose, according to the stipulations of the said Treaty, and subject to condemnation or other judgment by the Courts of Admiralty in Her Majesty's dominions.

III. And be it enacted, that where any such officer of their Majesties the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia, the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of all the Russias, shall send, carry, or deliver over as aforesaid any such merchant vessel, wholly or in part owned by any subject or subjects of Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, every proceeding instituted in the tribunals hereinafter mentioned in regard to such merchant vessel, and its crew, cargo, and slaves, and in respect to the cause, shall be conducted in the name of Her Majesty by some person duly thereunto authorized; (that is to say), all ships, cargoes, and slaves, which shall be detained by the cruizers of their said Majesties the Emperor of Austria, King of Prussia, and Emperor of all the Russias, and delivered up to the jurisdiction of Her Majesty at Bathurst, on the river Gambia, shall be proceeded against and adjudicated in the Vice-Admiralty Court of Sierra Leone; and that all other ships, cargoes, and slaves, which may in like manner be detained by the cruizers of their said Majesties, and delivered up to the jurisdiction of Her Majesty, either at Jamaica, Cape of Good Hope, or Demerara, shall be proceeded against and adjudicated in the Vice-Admiralty Court established in the said colonies respectively, and the judges and other officers of the said Vice-Admiralty Courts

respectively, shall be authorized to take cognizance thereof accordingly.

IV. And be it declared and enacted, that if any of the particulars specified in the IXth Article of the said Treaty, shall be found in her outfit or equipment, or on board of any such merchant vessel, wholly or in part owned by any subject or subjects of Her Majesty, and visited and detained in pursuance of the said Treaty, such vessel, unless proof be given to the contrary, shall be taken to have been engaged in the Slave Trade, or to have been fitted out for the purposes of such traffic, and to be equipped and employed for the purposes declared unlawful by an Act of Parliament passed in the 5th year of the reign of His Majesty King George the Fourth, intituled, An Act to amend and consolidate the Laws relating to the Abolition of the Slave Trade".

V. And be it enacted, that in case any such merchant vessel, wholly or in part owned as last aforesaid, shall be seized by any officer of their Majesties the Emperor of Austria, King of Prussia, or Emperor of all the Russias, duly authorized, and shall, with the goods, wares, and merchandize laden therein, be confiscated according to the laws of this country, and the provisions of the said Treaty, the proceeds arising from the sale thereof shall be paid to such person or persons as the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury may appoint to receive the same.

VI. And be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for the High Court of Admiralty of England, and for all Courts of ViceAdmiralty in any dominions of Her Majesty beyond the seas, to take cognizance of and try any such British vessel which shall be detained or captured within the limits aforesaid, under any such order or authority, and to condemn any such vessel and adjudge as to the slaves found therein, in like manner and under such and the like rules and regulations as are contained in any Act or Acts of Parliament in force in relation to the suppression of the Slave Trade by British-owned ships, as fully as if all the powers and provisions contained in such Acts were re-enacted in this Act as to such High Court of Admiralty, or Courts of Vice-Admiralty.

* See Vol. 3. Page 152.