the Union, vessels are built for slave trade in the ports of the United States, and United States citizens engage more and more in that traffic. Her Majesty's government, therefore, earnestly hope that the President will take effective means for putting down this evil, by enforcing, in the ports of the Union, the law against slave trade, and by sending an adequate number of cruisers to the coast of Africa to prevent the abuse which is now made of the flag of the Union. The undersigned, &c. PALMERSTON. [Enclosure.] Mr. Stevenson to Lord Palmerston. 32 UPPER GROSVENOR STREET, February 17, 1840. The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary from the United States, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of Lord Palmerston, her Majesty's principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, under date of the 15th instant, in answer to that of the undersigned of the 5th, in relation to the conduct of Lieutenant Elliot, of her Majesty's navy, towards the brig "Edwin," of New York, on the coast of Africa. The undersigned will take the earliest opportunity of transmitting a copy of Lord Palmerston's note for the information of his government, from whom it will doubtless receive the consideration it merits. In the mean time, it may be proper to correct a misapprehension into which his lordship appears to have fallen as to the character of this proceeding. The complaint which the undersigned had the honor of submitting to her Majesty's government was not, as Lord Palmerston states, in consequence of Lieutenant Elliot's examination of the papers of the American brig, but for an outrage of a marked character upon the flag of the United States and the rights of its citizens. By reference to the note of the undersigned, and the papers which accompanied it, his lordship will perceive that Lieutenant Elliot was charged with having not only boarded and searched the "Edwin," and forcibly taken possession of her log-book and papers, but with having, in a very insulting manner, forced the captain on board the British ship, and there detained him as a prisoner under guard, until the hatches of his vessel were opened, the cargo removed, and strict search made in every part of it for slaves. It was for such conduct that the government of the United States directed the case to be brought to the notice of her Majesty's government, as one which must strike with peculiar force, and offer a favorable opportunity of marking with disapprobation and punishment such unwarrantable proceedings on the part of her Majesty's naval officers towards the vessels and citizens of a friendly nation. Of the extent to which the citizens and vessels of the United States are now engaged in the slave trade, the undersigned is wholly uninformed. Upon that subject he can only repeat the assurances which he has already had the honor of giving Lord Palmerston, that nothing has been omitted on the part of the government of the United States, within its constitutional powers, to enforce its laws and regulations for the suppression of the slave trade, and the solicitude which it feels for its entire abolition. Indeed, the same just and benevolent motives which produced the interdiction now in force against this odious traffic will no doubt continue to be felt by the American government in giving the fullest efficacy to their own laws and regulations for the suppression of this great evil. This, however, can give no right to the naval officers of those countries who have treaties on the subject of the slave trade, to board and search the vessels of the United States, and harass their commerce, however qualified or restricted the right claimed may be, or under whatever pretence done; and that, consequently, the conduct of Lieutenant Elliot in the present instance can be regarded in no other light than as an insult to the flag of ⚫ the United States, and an outrage upon the rights of its citizens. The undersigned, &c. A. STEVENSON. Mr. Stevenson to Mr. Forsyth. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, I have the honor to transmit, enclosed, copies of a note received yesterday from Lord Palmerston, with the paper which accompanied it, in relation to three vessels lately captured on the coast of Africa by one of her Majesty's naval officers, and engaged in the slave trade under cover of the American flag. One of these vessels appears to have been the "Constituçao," referred to by Mr. Trist in the extract from his letter of the 7th September last, which accompanied your despatch No. 65, received yesterday by the "South America," and to which my earliest attention shall be given. As Lord Palmerston's note required only the common answer, I gave the reply of which a copy is now transmitted. I am, &c., A. STEVENSON. [Enclosure.] Lord Palmerston to Mr. Stevenson. FOREIGN OFFICE, February 24, 1840. The undersigned, her Majesty's principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with reference to recent communications between Mr. Stevenson, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary from the government of the United States, and himself, upon the subject of slave trade attempted to be carried on in vessels which profess to belong to citizens of the United States of America, and which bear the flag of the Union, begs to transmit to Mr. Stevenson the accompanying extract of a letter, just received from Lieutenant Matson, commanding her Majesty's brig Waterwitch, reporting the proceeding of that vessel while employed, under treaties between Great Britain and foreign powers, for the prevention of illegal traffic in slaves. The paper in question contains an account of three vessels which Lieutenant Matson had recently met with, carrying on the slave trade on the coast of Africa under cover of the United States flag. The undersigned requests that Mr. Stevenson will have the goodness to transmit to the United States government he information contained in that paper. The undersigned, &c. PALMERSTON. [Sub-enclosure.] Extract of a letter from Lieutenant Matson, of her Majesty's brig "Waterwitch," dated off Prince's Island, "OCTOBER 9, 1839. "On the 8th of July, after a chase of five hours, I captured the Portuguese schooner Constituçao,' (which vessel I had seen on the evening of the 6th, standing out from Lagos, and followed in her supposed tack,) having on board 344 slaves. This vessel was sailing under American colors, and by the name of Dolphin, until the day she embarked her slaves. She arrived at Sierra Leone, under the charge of Mr. Clarence Taylor, mate, on the 20th July, with the loss of two slaves on the passage. "On the 3d August, I boarded the American schooner Hound,' completely equipped for the slave trade; she was direct from Havana, where she was fitted so as to enable her to take slaves on board at an hour's notice. Her master, two mates, and one seaman were Americans-the rest Spaniards and Portuguese; this vessel sailed shortly after with slaves, under Portuguese colors, at which time I was absent from Lagos in search of the 'Lynx' and ' Dolphin,' and to meet the senior officer. "On the 27th September, I captured, after a chase of four hours and a half, the Portuguese schooner Sette de Abril,' having on board 427 slaves, and despatched her to Sierra Leone, under the charge of Mr. Wilcox, mate. I had several times boarded this vessel during the last three months, at which times she was sailing under American colors, and by the name of Mary Cushing;' was not then equipped for slave trade, though with every appearance of being intended for it. It is quite evident that this, as well as all slavers hoisting the American flag, are sailing with false colors and papers; the papers of the 'Sette de Abril' are dated in October, 1838, whereas she was sailing so late as the 15th September, 1839, with American colors and papers. The American who formerly acted as master being on board at the time of capture, I have considered it my duty to detain him for the disposition of the senior naval officer, to whom I have specially reported the case. "Rear Admiral the Hon. G. ELLIOT, C. B., [Enclosure.] Mr. Stevenson to Lord Palmerston. 32 UPPER GROSVENOR STREET, February 25, 1840. MY LORD: I beg to acknowledge the receipt of the note which your lordship did me the honor to address to me yesterday, communicating extracts from a letter of Lieutenant Matson, commanding her Majesty's brig "Waterwitch," in relation to the capture of three vessels on the coast of Africa engaged in the slave trade under cover of the flag of the United States. I will take great pleasure in transmitting, by the earliest opportunity, copies of these papers for the information of my government; and have the honor, &c., A. STEVENSON. Mr. Stevenson to Mr. Forsyth. [Extract.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, London, March 6, 1840. I have now the honor to transmit to you the enclosed copy of Lord Palmerston's answer to my note of the 17th ult. in the case of the brig "Edwin," of New York, received since the date of my last despatch. [Enclosure.] Lord Palmerston to Mr. Stevenson. FOREIGN OFFICE, March 2, 1840. The undersigned, her Majesty's principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with reference to previous correspondence with Mr. Stevenson, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, respecting the conduct of Commander Elliot, of her Majesty's brig "Columbine," towards the United States vessel "Edwin," has to acquaint Mr. Stevenson that no report has yet been received at the admiralty upon this case, but that directions have been given by the board of admiralty for instituting an immediate inquiry into the facts stated in the communication from Mr. Stevenson. The undersigned, &c. PALMERSTON. Mr. Forsyth to Mr. Stevenson. Department of State, Washington, March 18, 1840. SIR: I transmit to you, enclosed, the copy of a despatch addressed to this department by the consul of the United States at Havana, on the 29th of February last, together with the original documents therein referred to, in which he communicates intelligence of several recent cases of outrage committed by British armed cruisers upon American merchant vessels on the western coast of Africa. These papers are forwarded with a view to enable you again to point the attention of the British government to the extraordinary and most unjustifiable proceedings of some of her Majesty's naval officers on the African station towards our citizens engaged in law. ful commerce on that coast, and to invite such measures on the part of her Britannic Majesty's government as shall effectually prevent such excesses in future. The case of the brig "Mary," of New Orleans, Tomlinson, master, captured on the 18th of August last, when within a short distance of the Gallinas, (her destination,) and subsequently taken to Sierra Leone by the commander of her Britannic Majesty's brig "Forester," will attract your especial attention, and may properly form the subject of a particular representation, in which you will set forth all the circumstances attending this impudent violation of our flag, as disclosed in the accompanying papers. Prefer a claim for indemnification in behalf of the owners of the "Mary;" denounce the conduct of Commander Bond of the "Forester," on the occasion referred to; and demand the exemplary punishment of all concerned in this piratical outrage. I shall lose no time in examining the documents transmitted in relation to the brig "Mary," and other vessels on the African coast, and fulfilling your instructions. This, I believe, will be the third or fourth case in which complaints have been preferred to this government for violations of our flag by British cruisers; in none of which, however, have satisfactory explanations or redress been given. If I am not greatly mistaken, the present proceeding, marked as it is by insult and outrage, will share the same fate. This, I think, is to be inferred from the recent decision in the case of the "Susan," of Boston, which has just been communicated to me in a note from Lord Palmerston, a copy of which, with the enclosures, I have now the honor herewith to transmit. You will see that, so far from giving the explanations and redress which I was instructed to ask for, and which we had a right to expect, the conduct of the |