E JORGE III REI DA GRAN-BRETANHA, PARA TERMINAR AS CRETARIA D'ESTADO dos negocios ESTRANGEIROS.) His Royal Highness the Prince Regent of Portugal and His Britannic Majesty, being equally desirous to terminate amicably all the doubts which have arisen relative to the parts of the coast of Africa with which the subjects of the Crown of Portugal, under the Laws of that Kingdom and the Treaty subsisting with His Britannic Majesty, may lawfully carry on a trade in slaves; and whereas several ships, the property of the said subjects of Portugal, have been detained and condemned upon the alledged ground of being engaged in an illicit traffic in slaves; and whereas His Britannic Majesty, in order to give to His intimate and faithful ally the Prince Regent of Portugal, the most unequivocal proof of His friendship, and the regard He pays to His Royal Highness's reclamations, and in consideration of regulations to be made by the Prince Regent of Portugal for avoiding hereafter such doubts, is desirous to adopt the most speedy and effectual measures, and without the delays incident to the ordinary forms of law, to provide a liberal indemnity for the parties whose property may have been so detained under the doubts as aforesaid. In furtherance of the said object, the High Contracting Parties have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries, viz: His Royal Highness the Prince Regent of Portugal, the most Illustrious and most Excellent Dom Pedro de Sousa Holstein, Count of Palmella, a Member of His Royal Highness's Council, Commander of the Order of Christ, Captain of a Company of the Royal German Life Guard; the most Illustrious and most Excellent Anthony de Saldanha da Gama, a Member 1815 Janeiro 21 1815 Janeiro 21 de Saldanha da Gama, do Seu Conselho, e do da Sua Real Fazenda, Commendador da Ordem Militar de S. Bento de Aviz; e Dom Joaquim Lobo da Silveira, do Seu Conselho, Commendador da Ordem de Christo; todos tres Seus Plenipotenciarios ao Congresso de Vienna: e Sua Magestade El-Rei dos Reinos Unidos da Gran-Bretanha e Irlanda, o Muito Honrado Roberto Stewart, Visconde Castlereagh, Cavalleiro da Muito Nobre Ordem da Jarreteira, Membro do Honrosissimo Conselho Privado de Sua dita Magestade, Membro do Parlamento, Coronel do Regimento de Milicias de Londonderry, Principal Secretario d'Estado de Sua dita Magestade para os Negocios Estrangeiros, e Seu Plenipotenciario ao Congresso de Vienna; os quaes, havendo reciprocamente trocado os plenos poderes respectivos, que se acharam em boa e devida fórma, convieram nos Artigos seguintes: ART. 1. Que a somma de tresentas mil Libras esterlinas haja de se pagar em Londres aquella pessoa que o Principe Regente de Portugal nomear para recebe-la, a qual somma formará um fundo destinado debaixo d'aquelles regulamentos e pelo modo que Sua Alteza Real ordenar), a satisfazer as reclamações feitas dos navios Portuguezes apresados por cruzadores Britannicos antes do primeiro de Junho de mil oitocentos e quatorze, pelo motivo já allegado de fazerem um commercio illicito em escravos. ART. II. Que a referida somma se considerará como pagamento total de todas as pretenções provenientes das capturas feitas antes do primeiro de Junho de mil oitocentos e quatorze, renunciando Sua Magestade Britannica a entrevir por modo algum na disposição d'este dinheiro (1). ART. III. A presente Convenção será ratificada, e a troca das ratificações effectuada dentro do espaço de cinco mezes, ou antes se possivel for. (1) Vide Artigo 1 secreto do Tratado de 22 de Janeiro de 1815. 21 of His Royal Highness's Council, and of His Council of Fi- 4813 nance, Commander of the Military Order of Saint Benedict Janeiro of Aviz; and Dom Joaquim Lobo da Silveira, a Member of His Highness's Council, and Commander of the Order of Christ, His Royal Highness's Plenipotentiaries at the Cougress of Vienna: and His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter, a Member of His said Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council, a Member of Parliament, Colonel of the Regiment of Militia of Londonderry, His said Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and His Plenipotentiary at the Congress at Vienna; who, having mutually exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Ar ticles: ART. I. That the sum of three hundred thousand Pounds be paid in London to such person as the Prince Regent of Portugal may appoint to receive the same, which sum shall constitute a fund to be employed under such regulations and in such manner as the said Prince Regent of Portugal may direct, in discharge of claims for Portuguese ships, detained by British cruizers previous to the first day of June 1814, upon the alledged ground of carrying on an illicit trade in slaves. ART. II. That the said sum shall be considered to be in full discharge of all claims arising out of captures made previous the first day of June 1814; His Britannic Majesty renouncing any interference whatever in the disposal of this mo ney. ART. III. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged in the space of five months, or sooner if possible. 1815 Janeiro 21 Em fé e testemunho do que, os sobreditos Plenipotenciarios respectivos a assignaram e firmaram com o sello das suas armas. Feita em Vienna, aos 21 de Janeiro do anno do Nascimento de Nosso Senhor Jesus Christo de 1815. Conde de Palmella. Antonio de Saldanha da Gama. D. Joaquim Lobo da Silveira. |