CONVENTION BETWEEN HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY AND HIS MOST FAITHFUL MAJESTY. Signed at London the 28th of July 1817. Additional Convention to the Treaty of the 22d January 1815, between His Britannick Majesty and His Most Faithful Majesty, for the purpose of preventing their Subjects from engaging in any illicit Traffic in Slaves. Signed at London the 28th July 1817, in the English and Portuguese Languages. HIS Majesty the King of the United King dom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves, adhering to the principles which They have manifested in the Declaration of the Congress of Vienna, bearing date the 8th of February 1815, and being desirous to fulfil faithfully, and to Their utmost extent, the engagements which They mutually contracted by the Treaty of the 22d January 1815, and till the period shall arrive when, according to the tenor of the fourth Article of the said Treaty, His Most Faithful Majesty has reserved to fin concert with His Britannick Majesty, to fix the time when the Trade in Slaves shall cease entirely and be prohibited in His Dominions, and His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves, having bound Himself, by the second Article of the said Treaty, to adopt the measures necessary to prevent His Subjects from all illicit Traffic in Slaves, and His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland having, on His part, engaged, in conjunction with His Most Faithful Majesty, to employ effectual means to prevent Portuguese vessels trading in Slaves, in conformity with the Laws of Portugal and the existing Treaties, from suffering any loss or hindrance from British cruizers, their said Majesties have accordingly resolved to proceed to the arrangement of a Convention for the attainment of these objects, and have therefore named as Plenipotentiaries, ad hoc, viz: His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, a Member of His said Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, a Member of Parliament, Colonel of the Londonderry Regiment of Militia, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and His Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; and His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves, the Most Illustrious and Most Excellent Lord, Don Pedro de Souza Holstein, Count of Palmella, Councillor of His said Majesty, Captain of the German Company of His Royal Guards, Commander of the Order of Christ, Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III. of Spain, and His Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Britannick Majesty; who, after having exchanged their respective full powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles : Art. 1. The object of this Convention is, on the part of the two Governments, mutually to prevent their respective subjects from carrying on an illicit Slave Trade. The two High Contracting Powers declare, that they consider as illicit, any Traffic in Slaves carried on under the following circumstances: 1st. Either by British ships, and under the British flag, or for the account of British subjects, by any vessel or under any flag whatsoever. 2d. By Portuguese vessels in any of the harbours or roads of the coast of Africa, which are prohibited by the first Article of the Treaty of the 22d January 1815. 3d. Under the Portuguese or British flag for the account of the subjects of any other Go vernment.: 4th. By Portuguese vessels bound for any Port not in the Dominions of His Most Faithful Majesty. Art. 2. The Territories in which the Traffic in Slaves continues to be permitted, under the Treaty of the 22d of January 1815, to the subjects of His Most Faithful Majesty, are the following: 1st. The Territories possessed by the Crown of Portugal upon the coast of Africa to the south of the Equator, that is to say, upon the eastern coast of Africa, the Territory laying between Cape Delgado and the Bay of Lourenço Marand upon ques; the western coast, all that which is situated from the 8th to the 18th degree of south latitude. 2d. Those Territories on the coast of Africa to the south of the Equator, over which His Most Faithful Majesty has declared that he has retained his rights, namely, The Territories of Molembo and Cabinda |