tions to Liverpool and other ports, and the interests of humanity and civilization require that the British Government should be advised of this fact, lest a profession which the law of nations has stamped as piracy should unwittingly be permitted to flourish in British ports.

The affidavits herewith submitted implicate certain residents of Liverpool in fitting out the Nightingale for a slave voyage. As the Government of Her Britannic Majesty will, no doubt, prosecute these parties as soon as these facts are laid before them, the witnesses now in my custody can be retained, subject to the order of the proper authorities, after Captain Bowen and his 3 mates have been brought to trial. Such a course would effectually prevent the fitting out of other slavers in British ports.

It will be perceived that the slave-traders endeavour to engage crews from among Germans and others ignorant of the English language, whose citizenship does not make them amenable to our Acts of Congress.

Believing that the Government of Her Britannic Majesty is earnestly desirous of co-operating with The United States in the effectual suppression of the African Slave Trade, I have the honour to submit respectfully these facts and suggestions for your consideration. Very respectfully yours,

W. H. Seward, Esq.

SIR,

ROBERT MURRAY.

(Inclosure 3.)-Earl Russell to Mr. Adams.

Foreign Office, November 11, 1861.

I HAVE read with great interest your letter of the 6th instant relating to the Slave Trade.

I am happy to hear that the proceedings taken by The United States' Government to put an end to slave-trading enterprises in New York have been successful.

It is not surprising that the slave-traders when driven from one haunt should seek others.

I shall direct the closest investigations into this nefarious transaction at Liverpool, and all the powers of the law shall be put in motion with a view to prosecute to conviction the perpetrators of this odious crime.

Her Majesty's Government will always be ready to co-operate with that of The United States in the prosecution of judicious measures, with a view to the extirpation of this odious traffic, the remains of which inflict so large a portion of calamity on Africa, and are a disgrace to the age.

C. F. Adams, Esq.

I am, &c.

RUSSELL.

UNITED STATES (CHARLESTON).

CONSULAR.

No. 229.-Consul Bunch to Lord J. Russell.—(Received March 25.)
MY LORD,
Charleston, March 8, 1861.

I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith to your Lordship two copies of an Act of the Southern Congress, entitled “a Bill in relation to the Slave Trade, and to punish persons offending therein."

This Act, which seems to be of a sufficiently stringent character, differs principally from the legislation of The United States on the same subject in abolishing the punishment of death for slave-trading, and substituting lengthened terms of imprisonment and heavy fines. It also provides that "negroes, coolies, mulattoes, or other persons of colour" who may be found on board of any vessel captured for violating this Act, shall, in certain cases, be sold at public auction for the benefit of the Confederate States and of the informer.

The new Act follows the course of The United States' Law, in throwing the burden of proof upon the possessor in the case of a newly imported African, &c., who shall be found within the territory of the Confederate States.

It has often been alleged that the capital punishment, by which alone the offence of slave-trading could be punished under the legislation of The United States, acted with the juries as a bar to the possibility of a conviction. This difficulty, if it ever existed, has now been removed, as has the stigma of "piracy" attached to the traffic, which was supposed to offend the susceptibilities of the Southern people. I have, &c. Lord J. Russell.

ROBERT BUNCH.

(Inclosure.)—A Bill in relation to the Slave Trade, and to punish persons offending therein.

SECTION 1. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, that no person shall directly or indirectly import, or bring in any manner whatsoever, into the Confederate States, or the territories thereof, from any foreign kingdom, place, or country (other than the slave-holding States of the United States of America), nor from the sea, any negro, mulatto, coolie, or person of colour, with intent to hold, sell, or dispose of any such negro, mulatto, or other person of colour, as a slave, or to be held to service or labour for any length of time whatever. And any ship, vessel, or other water craft employed in any importation as aforesaid, shall be liable to seizure, prosecution, and forfeiture, in any district in which she may be found; one-half thereof, after the payment of all expenses, to the use of the Confederate States, and the other half to the use of him or them who shall prosecute the same to effect.

Sect. 2. No citizen of the Confederate States, or any other person or persons, shall, for himself or other persons, either as master, factor, or owner, build, fit, equip, load, or otherwise prepare any ship or vessel, in any port or place within the jurisdiction of the Confederate States, nor cause any such ship or vessel to sail from any port or place whatsoever within the jurisdiction of the same, for the purpose of procuring any negro, mulatto, coolie, or person of colour from any foreign kingdom, place, or country (except as aforesaid), to be transported to any port or place whatsoever, to be held, sold, or otherwise disposed of as a slave, or to be held to service or labour. And if any ship or vessel shall be so built, fitted out, equipped, laden, or otherwise prepared for the purpose aforesaid, every such ship or vessel, her tackle, apparel, furniture, and lading, shall be forfeited: one moiety, after the payment of all expenses, to the use of the Confederate States, and the other to the use of such person as shall sue for said forfeiture, and prosecute the same to effect in any Court of the Confederate States.

Sect. 3. Any person violating the first section of this Act, or any provisions thereof, or aiding or abetting others in the violation thereof, on conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary, or common jail if there be no penitentiary, of the State where the conviction may be had, where by the laws of the State such penitentiary or jail may be used for that purpose, and if not, in such other place as may be provided by law, for a term not less than 10 nor longer than 20 years; and shall, moreover, be fined at the discretion of the Court, not less than 1,000 nor more than 5,000 dollars. And if any person within the Confederate States shall knowingly sell, purchase, receive, conceal, remove, or aid and assist in concealing or removing, any mulatto, coolie, or person of colour, so illegally imported as aforesaid, such person shall be guilty of a high misdemeanour, and on conviction shall be punished by a fine not less than 1,000 dollars and not exceeding 5,000 dollars. For all offences under this Act, each negro, mulatto, or person of colour illegally imported or sold, purchased, received, or removed knowingly as aforesaid, shall be held and considered as a separate offence.

Sect. 4. Every ship, vessel, boat, or other water craft, on which such negro, mulatto, coolie, or other person of colour shall have been taken on board, received or transported as aforesaid, her tackle, apparel, furniture, and lading, shall be forfeited-one moiety to the Confederate States and the other to the informer; and all negroes, mulattoes, coolies, or other persons of colour so illegally imported as aforesaid, shall be arrested and held by the officers of the Confederate States, to be disposed of as hereinafter directed.

Sect. 5. Every person violating the provisions, or any of them, of sect. 2 of this Act, shall be guilty of a high misdemeanor, and on conviction shall be punished by imprisonment, as before pro

vided, not exceeding 5 years, and a fine not less than 1,000 nor more than 5,000 dollars.

Sect. 6. Every negro illegally imported as aforesaid into the Confederate States shall be arrested by the Marshal or his deputies, or any officer of the said States charged in any manner with the execution of this Act, and shall be safely kept, subject to the disposition hereinafter provided. And the said officer shall immediately notify the President of the Confederacy of such arrest and confinement. The President shall, as soon as possible, communicate with the Governor of the State whence the vessel in which such negroes were imported cleared, if the same be one of the United States of America, and shall offer to deliver such negroes to the said State, on receiving a guarantee from such State that the said negroes shall enjoy the rights and privileges of freemen in such State, or in any other State of The United States, or that said negroes shall be transported to Africa, and there placed at liberty, free of expense to this Government. If such proposition be rejected, or if the contingency specified above shall not have occurred, the President shall receive any proposition which may be made by any responsible persons or society, who will furnish satisfactory guarantee to the President that such negroes will be transported to Africa, and there placed at liberty, free of expense to this Government; and if no such proposition shall be made within a reasonable time, the President shall cause said negroes to be sold at public outcry to the highest bidder in any one of the States where such sale shall not be inconsistent with the laws thereof, under such regulations as he may prescribe; the proceeds of which sale, after paying all the expenses incurred by the Government in the capture, detention, and sale of such negroes, and in the prosecution of the offenders, shall be paid, one-half to the informer (if he be bona fide such), and the other half into the Treasury of the Confederate States.

Sect. 7. All proceedings under this Act, and all offences against its provisions, shall be had and prosecuted in the District Court of the Confederate States held in the State in which, or upon the waters adjacent to which, the same may occur, or into whose port the vessel may be carried. And the writs, processes and other mandates issued from such Courts, shall run and be enforced in any State of this Confederacy, by the Marshal, or his Deputy, of the District which such State shall compose. And in the execution of this Act any Marshal or Deputy may summon as his posse any

citizen or citizens of the Confederate States.

Sect. 8. All proceedings for offences committed against the provisions of this Act, or forfeitures incurred by the same, shall be barred unless commenced within 5 years from the time the same were committed or incurred, or from the time of the discovery of the same.

Sect. 9. No transfers of title to an innocent purchaser, with or without notice, for or without value, shall interfere with such forfeiture, but the same shall be declared at the instance of any informer. On such trials the informer or prosecutor shall not be required to allege or prove the name of master, owner, or consignee, nor the person from whom the negro was purchased, but shall only be required to satisfy the jury that such negro has been illegally imported. And on all such trials the person having such negro in possession shall be compelled to produce such negro in open Court for the personal inspection of the jury. On failure to comply with the order of the Court for such production, judgment of forfeiture shall go as of course, unless satisfactory excuse for such failure be offered to the Court.

Sect. 10. All other laws on the same subject shall be and the same are hereby repealed.

ACT of the British Parliament, "to afford Facilities for the ascertainment of the Law of Foreign Countries when pleaded in Courts within Her Majesty's Dominions."

[24 Vict. cap. 11.]

[May 17, 1861.] WHEREAS an Act was passed in the 22nd and 23rd years of Her Majesty's reign [c. 63] intituled "An Act to afford Facilities for the more certain Ascertainment of the Law administered in one Part of Her Majesty's Dominions when pleaded in the Courts of another Part thereof:" and whereas it is expedient to afford the like facilities for the better ascertainment, in similar circumstances, of the law of any foreign country or State with the Government of which Her Majesty may be pleased to enter into a Convention for the purpose of mutually ascertaining the law of such foreign country or State when pleaded in actions depending in any courts within Her Majesty's dominions and the law as administered in any part of Her Majesty's dominions when pleaded in actions depending in the courts of such foreign country or State: 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, as follows, viz.:

I. If, in any action depending in any of the superior courts within Her Majesty's dominions it shall be the opinion of such court that it is necessary or expedient, for the disposal of such action, to ascertain the law applicable to the facts of the case as administered in any foreign State or country with the Government of which Her Majesty shall have entered into such Convention as aforesaid, it shall be competent to the court in which such action may depend to direct a case to be prepared setting forth the facts as