the territories of Cabinda and Molembo, six months after what is termed the re-establishment, by the Government, of administrative and military authorities in each of them. Your Lordship will perceive that the limits assigned by this Bill to the district of Ambriz are, the Rivers Lifune to the south, and Zaire, or Congo, to the north. The Earl of Clarendon. (Translation.) GENTLEMEN, HENRY F. HOWARD. (Inclosure.)—Project of Law. Secretary of State's Office for Marine and THE territory of Ambriz, in the Province of Angola, was recently organized as a district of that province, principally with a view to the suppression of the Slave Trade, which has, notwithstanding all the measures taken for preventing it, been constantly carried on there. In order, then, to put a stop to this inhuman traffic in that district, and in the territories of Cabinda and Molembo, I have the honour to submit for your consideration, after having consulted the Ultramarine Council, the following project of law: ART. I. The state of slavery is hereby abolished in the following territories of the Province of Angola: 1. In the district of Ambriz from the River Lifune to the River Zaire. 2. In the territories of Cabinda and of Molembo. II. This law shall come into force in the district of Ambriz six months after its publication in the "Boletim Official" of Angola, and in the other territories mentioned in the preceding Article, six months subsequent to the re-establishment by the Government of administrative and military authorities in each of them. III. All legislative enactments to the contrary are hereby revoked. VISCOUNT D'ATHOGUIA. No. 347.-The Earl of Clarendon to Count Lavradio. M. LE COMTE, Foreign Office, July 7, 1856. WITH reference to the letter which I had the honour to address to you on the 12th of March last, acquainting you that no information had been received at this office with regard to certain orders which the Government of His Most Faithful Majesty was under the impression that Commodore Adams, the Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's naval forces on the west coast of Africa, had given for the detention of all Portuguese vessels employed in carrying slaves the property of any Portuguese colonist who may be proceeding from one port to another of the Portuguese possessions on the coast of Africa, I now beg leave to acquaint you that I have received a com munication from the Board of Admiralty, stating that Commodore Adams denies having given any such orders as those imputed to him, and disclaims any intention to act otherwise than in strict accordance with the stipulations of Article V of the Treaty of the 3rd of July, 1842, between this country and Portugal, for the suppression of the Slave Trade. I am, &c. Count Lavradio. CLARENDON. No. 353.-Mr. Howard to the Earl of Clarendon.-(Rec. July 14.) In my despatch of the 16th of February last, I reported that the Chamber of Deputies, in sanctioning the Royal Decree of the 14th of December, 1854, for the registration and partial emancipation of slaves in the Portuguese Colonial possessions (a translation of which was inclosed in Sir Richard Pakenham's despatch of the 8th of January, 1855), had passed a resolution extending to the slaves belonging to the Municipal Chambers, and charitable institutions called "misericordias," the freedom stipulated by the single paragraph in Article 6 of that Decree for all slaves belonging to the State. The Chamber of Peers having approved of this resolution, it has been converted into the law of which I have the honour to transmit herewith a translation, signed by His Most Faithful Majesty, under date of the 30th ultimo, and published in the official Gazette yesterday. I have, &c. The Earl of Clarendon. HENRY F. HOWARD. (Inclosure.)—Law liberating Slaves belonging to the State and to (Translation.) certain Corporations, DOM PEDRO, by the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarves, &c. We hereby make known to all our subjects that the General Cortes have decreed, and we confirm, the following law : ART. I. The Decree of 14th December, 1854, containing measures for effecting the liberation of slaves in the transmarine provinces, and for affording protection to these and to the liberated negroes, is hereby confirmed with the alterations set down in the following Articles. II. Besides the slaves belonging to the State, to whom liberty was granted by virtue of the section of Article 6 of the said Decree, those belonging to the Municipal Chambers and to charitable institutions ("misericordias ") are also free from the date of the official publication of this law in the respective provinces. III. Such slaves as may obtain their liberty by virtue of the provisions of the preceding Article, and of the section of Article 6 of the above-mentioned Decree, are bound to serve the State or the corporation to which they lately belonged, in the manner and for tho period stipulated by the Regulations of 25th October, 1853. IV. The stipulutions contained in the sections of Articles 6 and 29 of the said Decree of the 14th December, 1854, are by the present law specified and extended, and all legislative enactments to the contrary are by the same revoked. We therefore order all the authorities whom the knowledge and execution of the said law may concern, to carry it out and cause it to be carried out and observed fully as therein expressed. The Minister and Secretary of State for Marine and Colonial Affairs shall cause it to be printed, published, and made public. Given at the Palace of the Necessidades, 30th of June, 1856. VISCOUNT SA DA BANDIERA. (Signed with the Great Seal.) KING. No. 356.-Mr. Howard to the Earl of Clarendon.-(Rec. July 24.) WITH reference to my despatch of the 28th ultimo, I have the honour of transmitting herewith a translation of the law as promulgated by the King in an Ordinance dated the 5th instant, and published in the official Gazette of the 15th instant, for the eventual abolition of slavery in the district of Ambriz, and in the territories of Cabinda and Molembo, on the west coast of Africa. Your Lordship will perceive from this law, that Viscount d'Athoguia's Bill, of which I had the honour of inclosing a translation in my despatch of the 18th of April last, has passed without alteration. I have, &c. HENRY F. HOWARD. The Earl of Clarendon. (Inclosure.)—Law abolishing Slavery in certain Territories of the Province of Angola.—July 5, 1856. (Translation.) DOM PEDRO, by the grace of God King of Portugal and the Algarves, &c. We hereby make known to all our subjects that the General Cortes have decreed, and we confirm the following law: ART. I. The condition of slavery is hereby abolished in the following territories of the province of Angola 1. In the district of Ambriz, from the River Lifune to the River Zaire. 2. In the territories of Cabinda and Molembo. II. This law shall come into execution, in the district of Ambriz, at the expiration of six months from the date of its publication in the "Boletim Official" of Angola; and in the other territories mentioned in the preceding Article, six months from the establishment in each, by the Government, of administrative and military authorities. III. All legislative enactments to the contrary are hereby revoked. We therefore command all the authorities to whom the knowledge and execution of the above law appertains, to carry it out, and cause it to be carried out and observed fully, as therein contained. The Minister and Secretary of State for Marine and Colonial Affairs shall cause it to be printed, published, and circulated. Given at the Palace of Necessidades, on 5th July, 1856. VISCOUNT SA DA BANDEIRA. (Sealed with the Royal Arms.) KING. No. 357.-Mr. Howard to the Earl of Clarendon.-(Rec. July 24.) WITH reference to my despatch of the 8th of March last, I have the honour of inclosing the translation of a Bill which was introduced into the Chamber of Peers by Viscount de Sá da Bandeira in order to guard against cases similar to that of the fugitive slave José Maria from the Brazilian brig Iris, at Oporto, and which, after having been passed by that Chamber, was yesterday adopted by the Chamber of Deputies. This Bill provides, by Article I, for the freedom of slaves entering any port or anchorage of the Kingdom of Portugal, or of the Archipelagoes of Madeira and the Azores; and by Article II, for that of all slaves belonging to foreigners on their landing in any of the above-mentioned territories, the stipulations, however, of existing Treaties with foreign Powers being observed in respect to such liberated slaves, who will have to be given up to the Commanders of the vessels to which they may belong. Article IV secures the freedom of slaves entering the Kingdom of Portugal by the frontier. Article V extends the provisions of Articles I and II, with a distinction as to the period of their coming into execution, to the territories of the States of India, and to the city of Macao and its dependencies. Article VI repeals the Alvará of the 10th of March, 1800, and other legislative enactments to the contrary under which the slave José Maria was claimed. I reserve to myself to transmit a copy of this law when officially promulgated. I have, &c. The Earl of Clarendon. HENRY F. HOWARD. (Inclosure.)—Law liberating Slaves upon entering the Kingdom of (Translation.) Portugal. ART. I. ALL slaves embarked on board of Portuguese vessels become free on entering any port or anchorage of the Kingdom of Portugal, or of the Archipelagoes of Madeira and the Azores. 11. All slaves belonging to foreigners shall become equally free on landing in any of the Portuguese territories above mentioned. §. With regard to such slaves as, although they have become free by virtue of the provisions of the preceding Articles, will have to be given up to the Commanders of the vessels to which they belong, the provisions of Treaties entered into with foreign nations shall be observed. III. The provisions of the preceding Articles are applicable to slaves entering the Kingdom of Portugal by the frontier. IV. The stipulations contained in the two first Articles shall come into execution six months from the date of the publication of this law in the "Diario do Governo." V. The stipulations of Articles I and II of this law shall be observed in the territories forming the States of India, and in the city of Macao and its dependencies. The period treated of in Article IV shall be extended to one year for these territories. VI The Alvará of the 10th March, 1800, and all other legislative enactments to the contrary, are hereby revoked. No. 359.-Mr. Howard to the Earl of Clarendon.-(Rec. August 3.) I HAVE the honour to inclose a translation of a State Paper signed on the 25th instant, by the Viscount de Sá da Bandeira, as Minister of the Marine and Colonies, and published in yesterday's official" Gazette," directing the Governor of Macao, by order of the King of Portugal, to report whether and on what terms slavery, which is stated to be happily extinct de facto in that city, can be proclaimed to be likewise extinct de jure. The Earl of Clarendon. I have, &c. HENRY F. HOWARD. (Inclosure.)-Instruction to the Governor of Macao respecting the Extinction of Slavery. Palace, July 25, 1856. His Majesty the King having been made acquainted with the despatch from the Governor of the province of Macao, Timor, and Solor, dated 7th May last, which inclosed a copy of the despatch addressed to him by the Board of Guardians of Slaves and Liberated Negroes, representing the impossibility, or rather the uselessness, |