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for the West Indies, will be furnished with a Copy of the Treaty of the 4th May, 1818, and the Documents annexed thereto, for the suppression of the Traffick in Slaves. His Majesty's Commissioners.

I am, &c.

GEORGE CANNING.

No. 107.-- His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. July 15.) SIR, Surinam, May 15, 1826. WE have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch, dated March 13, 1826, acquainting us, that the Instructions referred to in the Treaty with The Netherlands, for the prevention of the Slavetrade, have been issued to the following Ships and Vessels of His Majesty's Navy:

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And that the Instructions which had been issued to His Majesty's Ships Pyramus, Ariadne, Bann, Victor, Ringdove, and Grecian, have

been recalled and cancelled.

We have, &c.

The Right Hon. George Canning.

CHRIS. EDW. LEFROY.
J. H. LANCE.

No. 108.—Mr. Secretary Canning to His Majesty's Commissioners. GENTLEMEN, Foreign Office, December 5, 1826.

I HAVE to acquaint you, for your information, and that of the other Gentlemen composing the Mixed Board of Commission, of which you are Members, that it appears, by a Communication from the Admiralty, under date of the 25th ult. that the Instructions referred to in the Treaty between Great Britain and The Netherlands, for the suppression of the Slave-trade, have been issued to the following Ships and Vessels of His Majesty's Navy:

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And that those Instructions have been recalled and cancelled which

had been issued to His Majesty's Ships Hussar, Dartmouth, Dispatch,

Ferret, and Swinger.

His Majesty's Commissioners.

I am, &c.

GEORGE CANNING.

No.109.-His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. Dec. 18.) (Extract.) Surinam, September 22, 1826. We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch, dated May 6, 1826, accompanied by the Papers marked A and B, relative to the Slave-trade, which were presented to both Houses of Parliament by His Majesty's Command, in the course of the last Session. CHRIS. EDW. LEFROY. J. H. LANCE.

The Right Hon. George Canning.

No. 110. His Majesty's Comm". to Mr.Sec. Canning.-(Rec. Dec. 18.)
SIR,
Surinam, September 25, 1826.

WE beg leave to enclose, for your perusal, three Publick Documents, regarding the Registration of Slaves in this Colony, with which we have been favoured by His Excellency the Governor, Numbered 1, 2, and 3, with their respective Translations, of which the following is a summary:

No. 1, is a Publication of His Excellency, dated the 19th April, 1826, for the purpose of putting in force a Decree of His Majesty the King of The Netherlands, dated 4th January, 1826, whereby it is decreed:

Art. I. That the present Registers shall be enlarged by an additional column, in which the increase and decrease of all Slaves is to be noted.

Art. II. Every Proprietor to give in, upon oath, a written Declaration of every increase and decrease of his Slaves.

Art. III. The same to be given in within 3 days in Paramaribo, and within 14 days elsewhere, after they respectively happen.

Art. IV. In default of so doing a Penalty is incurred of from 100 to 500 guilders.

Art. V. In the increase or decrease of the Slaves of any Person, by sale or purchase, the Declaration to contain the names of both Vender and Purchaser.

Art. VI. A Receipt to be given by the Publick Officer on the fulfilling of Articles II. and IX.

Art. VII. The aforesaid Declarations, as soon as given in, to be noted in the additional column of the Yearly Registers, designated in Article I.

Art. VIII. In case of increase or decrease of hired Slaves, the Person hiring must give notice to the Owner, within 24 hours, if both reside in Paramaribo, and within 8 days, if both, or either of them, reside elsewhere, under a Penalty of 25 guilders for each day's neglect.

Art. IX. A written Declaration of all Bonds, or other Instruments affecting Slaves, to be given in at the Capitation Tax Office, under pain of being held void.

Art. X. No name not known at the Capitation Tax Office to be accepted without 2 known Securities, who shall be personally answerable for the contents of the Declaration, on neglect of which regulation the Registrar to be personally answerable.

Art. XI. No Publick Officer to pass or execute any Deed, without ascertaining that the Slaves thereby affected are registered, under pain of dismissal from his Office, and the Act being void.

Art. XII. and XIII. No Slaves to be sold or hired out at Publick Vendue without an extract from the Registers, under pain of the Vendue-Master being dismissed from his Office.

Art. XIV. No Slave to be freed, unless registered.

Art. XV. No Sentence to be passed, or Decision made, by any Publick Authority, without ascertaining that the Slaves thereby af fected are registered, under pain of such Decision being held void.

Art. XVI. The Fiscal to have the superintendence of the Registry Office.

Art. XVII. On discovery of any fraud, the offenders to be dealt with according to Article VI. of the Decree of 18th August, 1823.

Art. XVIII. When any thing appears unsatisfactory, the Owner to be summoned.

Art. XIX. If convicted, the Slaves are forfeited to the Government, and the Owner dealt with according to Article IV.

Art. XX. If not able to pay a fine, he is to be imprisoned from 1 to 6 months.

Art. XXI. These alterations not to affect the Publication of the 18th August, 1823, concerning the Capitation Tax.

Art. XXII. All Articles affecting Owners to be applicable to their Attornies.

Art. XXIII. Extracts from the Registers to be furnished to every Person requesting the same, on payment of the Stamp-duty, and f10. if the number of Slaves therein mentioned be under 20, and f20. if above 20; the said fees to be for the benefit of the Registrar.

Art. XXIV. A Registrar to be appointed.

Art. XXV. He can neither own nor administer Estates.

Art. XXVI. He is bound, under pain of dismissal, to give notice to the Fiscal of all frauds or neglects, or even suspicion thereof.

Art. XXVII. He must attend at his Office from 8 to 11 A. M., and from 2 to 4 P. M., every day, Sundays and Holydays excepted, and he must be under the controul of the Book-keeper-General.

Art. XXVIII. When the Registrar is by any cause detained from his Office, the Book-keeper-General, with the Governor's sanction, to appoint a Person to officiate.

Art. XXIX. The Book-keeper-General to examine, verify, sign, and close the Registers at the end of every Year.

Art. XXX. The Inhabitants of Nickerie to give in their Returns

within 3 days to the Landrost, or Drost of that District, who is to forward them by the first opportunity to the Book-keeper-General.

Art. XXXI. One third of all fines to go to the Colony Chest, one third to the Fiscal's Office, and one third to the Registrar.

Art. XXXII. This Decree to be in force from the 1st of this month, and Returns of every increase and decrease of Slaves, from that time to the day the Lists are given in, to be made within 14 days for Paramaribo, and within 1 month for the other parts of the Colony, to be reckoned from the Publication of the Decree.

Here follows a Description of the Forms.

No. 2, is a Publication of His Excellency the Governor, dated the 5th May, 1826, and made for the purpose of extending the Limitations of Articles III. XXX. and XXXII. of the above Decree, by,

1st. Allowing to the end of July to prepare the Registers.

2d. The 14 days and 1 month mentioned in Article XXXII. to be reckoned from the 1st of August, 1826.

3d. The 14 days mentioned in Article III. are extended to 1 month for giving in Returns for elsewhere than in Paramaribo.

4th. The 3 days mentioned in Article XXX. are extended to 14 days, for the Inhabitants of Nickerie to make their Returns.

5th. Certificates from the Capitation Tax Office to serve in place of extracts from the Registers, till the 31st July, 1826.

No. 3, is a Publication of His Excellency the Governor, dated the 19th April, 1826, whereby a Registrar is appointed with a fixed Salary of 12,000 guilders, Surinam Currency, in place of the fees mentioned in Article XXIII. which are to go into the Colonial Chest.

We hope and trust that these measures will at length put an end to that abominable Traffick against which they are directed, and which, notwithstanding all that has been done before, we have strong grounds for believing has been till very lately carried on, though on a limited scale; but the precautions taken by those interested have been so great, that we have not been able to procure evidence sufficient to justify an application on our parts to the Governor on the subject.

We have, &c.

The Right Hon. George Canning.

CHRIS. EDW. LEFROY.
J. H. LANCE.

(Enclosure 1.)-Publication of the Governor of Surinam, 19th April,

1826.

1826.-(Translation.).

OFFICIAL PAPER.

Publication.

No. 1.

Whereby is put into execution the King's Decree of the 4th January, 1826, No. 92, containing some further Limitations and Provisions to amplify the Registers of the Slave Population in this Colony, to serve as an efficacious curb to the Slave-trade.

We, Abraham de Veer, Knight of the Order of the Belgic Lion; Major-General in the Service of His Majesty the King of The Netherlands, Governor of the Colony of Surinam, and Commander-in-Chief over the Land and Sea Forces within the same, &c. &c. &c.

To all who shall see or hear read these Presents, greeting, be it known :

WHEREAS it has pleased His Majesty the King, by His Majesty's Decree of the 4th of January of this Year, 1826, No. 92, to make some further Limitations and Provisions to amplify the Registers of the Slave Population in this Colony, to serve as an efficacious curb to the Slave-trade.

And whereas His Excellency the Minister for the Navy and Colonies, entrusted with the execution of the said Decree, has sent us a Copy of the same in his Letter dated 24th January aforesaid, L'. I. No. 98 | 3, with orders to adopt the most proper measures for the speedy and due execution of the Limitations thereby made:

Having heard the deliberations and advice of our confidential Court;

We, therefore, insert the aforesaid Royal Decree in these Presents, as follows:

No. 92.-We, William, by the Grace of God, King of The Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, &c. &c. &c.

Considering that the Registers of the Slave Population, that are at present held in the Colony of Surinam, can be properly rendered serviceable to the efficaciously curbing of the Slave-trade, by the ordaining of some further Limitations and Provisions;

On the Report of our Minister for the Navy and Colonies, of the 16th December last, La. J. No. 68.

Having seen the Joint Report of our Minister of Justice, and of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the 28 | 31 of the said month No. 67 | 22.

Having renewed the Report of our Minister for the National Industry and Colonies, of the 4th December, 1824, No. 28 | 491; likewise that of our Minister of Justice and of Foreign Affairs of the 29 | 31 thereunto next ensuing, La. P. No. 5.

Have decreed and do decree:

ART. I. The Registers that are held at the Office of the Capitation Tax, according to the Lists which, as ordained by the Publication of the Governor and Court of the 18th August, 1823, are rendered in to the said Office, of the Families and Individuals who inhabit the said Colony, and also of their proper Slaves, shall be enlarged by a column of Mutations, in order therein successively to mark the increase or decrease that may take place in the number of the Slaves since the last

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