that in consequence of the want of labourers in Réunion, the Government of the Emperor has been constrained again to permit the purchase of slaves on the east coast of Africa, to be introduced into that island as free labourers. I have in reply to instruct your Excellency to express to the Imperial Government the regret and disappointment of Her Majesty's Government at the revival of a measure which Her Majesty's Government had hoped had been for ever abandoned on the eastern shores of Africa. Earl Cowley. I am, &c. J. RUSSELL. No. 57.-Lord J. Russell to Earl Cowley.* MY LORD, Foreign Office, July 11, 1860. I TRANSMIT to your Excellency herewith copies of a correspondence relating to the emigration of Chinese coolies, which has been presented to both Houses of Parliament, by command of Her Majesty, and I have to desire that you will call the attention of the French Government to these papers, as bearing upon the important question of the suppression of the Slave Trade, and the supply of labour to those parts of the world the climate of which is unsuited to white labour. Great Britain has, for more than 50 years, made unremitting efforts to put down the Slave Trade, and Her Majesty's Government rejoice to think that those efforts have not been without their fruit. The number of slaves exported from Africa has fallen from 135,000, the average number exported annually from 1835 to 1840, to 25,000 or 30,000 the number estimated to have been exported during the past year; and in proportion as the Slave Trade has diminished lawful commerce with Africa has increased, until the value of the exports from the West Coast of Africa now amounts to nearly 3,000,000l. sterling annually. From the Bight of Benin alone, where, 20 years ago, not a single puncheon of palm-oil was exported, during the past year the exportation of oil was estimated at nearly 17,000 tons, and the value at between 700,000l. and 800,000l.; and this, it should be stated, owing to the disturbed state of the country caused by slave hunts, is a diminution as compared with the exports of the two previous years; and from Lagos, which, until the Slave Trade there was destroyed by the operations of the British squadron, was one of the greatest slave markets on the West Coast of Africa, the exportation during last year of palm-oil, ivory, and cotton amounted in value to about 220,0007. * A similar despatch was addressed to Lord Lyons, Sir A. Magenis, and Mr. Edwardes. In short, whenever the Slave Trade has been put down honest trade has sprung up, and Christianity and civilization and peace have begun to produce their natural effects; on the other hand, where the King of Dahomey and other Chiefs continue to gain an unrighteous profit by selling men, wars and misery and heathen darkness prevail. But it is a lamentable fact that during the last two years the Slave Trade has again increased. At the present moment it is actively carried on for supplying slaves to the island of Cuba, and recent intelligence which has reached Her Majesty's Government proves that preparations are being made for prosecuting the trade on a most extensive scale by means of an association. Under these circumstances, Her Majesty's Government appeal to the nations of Christendom to endeavour, in obedience to the dictates of humanity and religion, to efface by a final effort the stain which the Slave Trade inflicts on the Christian name. Brazil has set a noble example of perseverance in the suppres sion of the Slave Trade, once so vigorously carried on to her shores; and what the Brazilian Government in the face of great difficulties has successfully accomplished may be equally accomplished elsewhere. The island of Cuba is now almost the only place in the globe by which and for which the Slave Trade is maintained. Her Majesty's Government have a Treaty with Spain of the year 1835, by which the Spanish Crown undertook to abolish the Slave Trade, and accepted a sum of 400,000l. to enable it the more easily to do so. Her Majesty's Government are well aware that the price of sugar and the demand for labour afford the slave-trader profits which enable him to corrupt the authorities, whose duty it is to thwart and defeat his criminal enterprises. It must be painful to the Spanish Government to find their good name stained, and their efforts to comply with the obligations. of Treaties, and to put down this wicked traffic frustrated by worthless and unprincipled men who speculate in the lives and bodies of human beings. It appears to Her Majesty's Government that some remedy for this state of things might be found in an improvement of the laws of The United States respecting the equipment of slave ships, in the increased employment of cruizers in the waters surrounding Cuba by Spain, Great Britain, and The United States, and in the enactment by Spain of a law enforcing the registration of slaves in Cuba, and inflicting severe penalties upon the proprietors of estates within which newly imported slaves are found. But no doubt the difficulties of suppressing the Slave Trade [1860-61. LI.] 3 U arise mainly from the demand which exists in Cuba and similar countries for labourers suited to a hot climate, and if this demand could be lawfully supplied, the incentives to engage in an illegal traffic in African labourers would be greatly diminished, and the price of a slave might be enhanced far beyond that of a free labourer. This supply, Her Majesty's Government confidently believe, may be obtained from China. The state of society in that vast empire, where the population is superabundant, and at the same time civilized, where regular laws can be enforced, and the hiring of labourers for the purposes of emigration may be reduced to method, affords peculiar opportunities for organizing a system of emigration by which the wants of those countries which have heretofore looked to Africa for labourers may be fully supplied. Great abuses have unfortunately prevailed in the Chinese ports where the emigration of coolies has been carried on. Men have been kidnapped by unscrupulous agents employed by European contractors to collect coolies, and the scenes of oppression and misery which have taken place in the barracoons, where the coolies have been assembled, and on board the ships in which they have been conveyed across the sea, have borne only too close a resemblance to the corresponding circumstances, connected with the African Slave Trade. If such abuses were suffered to continue unchecked, the exasperation created thereby amongst the Chinese population would seriously endanger the safety of the lives and property of the whole European community in China. But happily it has been proved by recent experience at Canton that Chinese emigration may, under proper regulations and superintendence, be conducted in such a manner as to prevent the occurrence of the evils complained of. The Chinese authorities who had hitherto been most averse to the emigration, have at Canton recognized the advantages which may be derived from it under a proper system, and I have to direct your particular attention to the proclamation of the GovernorGeneral Laon on this subject, which you will find at p. 134 of the papers herewith sent. Moreover, under the regulations which have been introduced by the agent in China of Her Majesty's Government, in conjunction with the Chinese and the allied authorities at Canton, it has been found practicable to induce whole families of Chinese to emigrate. A considerable number of such families have emigrated to Demerara, and there is every reason to hope that with time and care the prejudices which have hitherto prevented Chinese women from emigrating may be entirely overcome. It is scarcely necessary to say anything as to the efficiency of the Chinese coolies as labourers, as that is admitted by all who have had experience of them; indeed, the impossibility of inducing the Chinese women to emigrate has been the only serious obstacle to Chinese colonization on an extensive scale. These fair prospects will, however, be marred, if the various European and American Governments interested in Chinese emigration do not combine to enforce stringent regulations upon those who are engaged in conducting it; and Her Majesty's Government earnestly hope that the Government will take the necessary measures for this purpose. By judiciously promoting the emigration from China, and at the same time vigorously repressing the infamous traffic in African slaves, the Christian Governments of Europe and America may confer benefits upon a large portion of the human race, the effects of which it would be difficult to exaggerate. Her Majesty's Government therefore propose, with a view to the final extinction of Slave Trade, 1st. A systematic plan of cruising on the Coast of Cuba by the vessels of Great Britain, Spain, and The United States. 2nd. Laws of registration and inspection in the Island of Cuba, by which the employment of slaves, imported contrary to law, might be detected by Spanish authorities. 3rd. A plan of emigration from China, regulated by the agents of European nations in conjunction with the Chinese authorities. Lastly. I have to call your attention to the following passage in the message of the President of The United States, of May. "It is truly lamentable, that Great Britain and The United States should be obliged to expend such a vast amount of blood and treasure for the suppression of the African Slave Trade, and this, when the only portions of the civilized world where it is tolerated and encouraged, are the Spanish Islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico." I have to instruct you to communicate to M. Thouvenel copies of this despatch and of the papers by which it is accompanied. Earl Cowley. I am, J. RUSSELL. No. 58.-Earl Cowley to Lord J. Russell.—(Received August 11.) ON my remarking to M. Thouvenel that he had returned no answer to a note which I had addressed to his Excellency after receiving your Lordship's despatch of the 11th ultimo, in which certain proposals were made with a view to the final extinction of the Slave Trade, his Excellency replied, that he had already replied through M. de Persigny, affirmatively on the part of the French Government, but he had since heard that other Governments to whom the same proposals had been made (his Excellency named The United States and Spain) would not consent to them. Lord J. Russell. I have, &c. COWLEY. FRANCE (MARTINIQUE). CONSULAR. No. 60.-Consul Lawless to Lord J. Russell.-(Received May 28.) I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship of the arrival at the port of Fort de France, in this island, of the French ship Fille d'Aigues-Mortes, with African immigrants from the West Coast of Africa, in fulfilment of the Regis contract. The Ville d'Aigues-Mortes, which is a ship of 637 tons French measurement, sailed from Congo on the 4th of March last, after having received on board 610 persons, viz., 397 male adults of from 18 to 35 years, 210 female adults from 13 to 25, 30 non-adults from 10 to 14 years old, 9 children; and, after 40 days' passage, she reached this island on the 21st ultimo, and shortly afterwards landed her living freight as follows:-312 men, 189 women, 30 nonadults of both sexes, and 4 children. It appears, therefore, that the deaths on board during that comparatively short period amounted to 81 souls, namely; 55 men, 21 women, 5 children, being a ratio of almost 8 per cent. This heavy mortality was caused principally by typhus fever, which was said to be epidemic at Congo when the vessel sailed from that port, and by dysentery; there occurred 41 fatal cases of the former, and 10 of the latter malady. The immigrants were in charge of a surgeon of the first class of the Imperial" Marine," or Navy, and the survivors look as if they had received proper care during the voyage; but there have been many cases of sickness among them, and 3 deaths since their arrival. This class of immigrants is generally preferred by the planters of this colony; and the labourers by the Ville d'Aigues-Mortes were immediately taken up, while a considerable number of the coolie and China immigrants by the last vessels arrived from India and Hong Kong are still on the hands of the local Administration. I have, &c. Lord J. Russell. WM. LAWLESS. |