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Settlement in which such Court shall sit, within the possession of His Britannick Majesty, to fill up every vacancy which shall arise in such Court, either of Judge, Arbiter, or any Officer thereof appointed by His Majesty as aforesaid, according to the Provisions contained in the before recited Regulations annexed to the said Treaty as afore, said, ad interim, until such vacancy or vacancies shall be thereafter filled by some Person or Persons appointed by His Majesty for that purpose.

VI. And be it further enacted, that every Judge and Arbiter appointed by His Majesty, or ad interim as aforesaid, shall, before he shall enter upon the execution of any of the duties of such his office, take an oath in the presence of the Principal Magistrate then residing and acting in the Colony, Settlement, or Place in which the Court shall be appointed to reside; which oath every Magistrate in any Colony, Settlement, or Place belonging to His Majesty, in which such Court shall be appointed, is hereby authorized to administer in the form following; (that is to say),

"I, A. B. do solemnly swear, that I will, according to the best of my skill and knowledge, act in the execution of my office as

faithfully, impartially, fairly, and without preference or favour, either for Claimants, or Captors, or any other person; and that I will, to the best of my judgment and power, act in pursuance of and according to the Stipulations, Regulations, and Instructions contained in the Treaty between His Majesty and His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, signed at Stockholm on the 6th day of November, in the Year of our Lord 1824. So help me God."

And every Secretary or Registrar appointed by His Majesty, or ad interim, as aforesaid, under the provisions of the said Treaty, Instructions, and Regulations, and of this Act, shall, before he enters on the duties of his said office, take an oath before the British Commissary Judge as aforesaid, who is hereby empowered to administer the same, in the form following; (that is to say),

"I, A. B. do solemnly swear, that I will, according to the best of my skill and knowledge, act in the execution of my office; and that I will conduct myself with due respect to the authority of the Judges and Arbiters of the Commission to which I am attached, and will act with fidelity in all the affairs which may belong to my charge, and without preference or favour, either for Claimants or Captors, or any other persons. So help me God."

VII. And be it further enacted, that it shall be lawful for the said Judges, or either of them, or for any such Secretary or Registrar, and they are hereby respectively empowered, to administer oaths, to take the depositions of all Parties, Witnesses, and other Persons who may come or be brought before them to be examined, or for the purpose of deposing in the course of any proceeding before the said Judges, or

before the said Judges and Arbiter, in the cases in which such Arbiter shall act with the said Judges under the said Treaty, Instructions, and Regulations, or this Act; and it shall also be lawful for the said Judges, or for the said Judges and Arbiter, in the cases aforesaid, to summon before them all persons whom they may deem it necessary or proper to examine in relation to any suit, proceeding, or matter or thing under their cognizance, and to send for and issue precepts for the producing of all such Papers as may relate to the matters in question before them, and to enforce all such summonses, orders, and precepts, by such and the like means, powers, and authorities, as any Court of Vice-Admiralty may do.

VIII. And be it further enacted, that every person who shall wilfully and corruptly give false evidence in any examination or deposition, or affidavit had or taken upon or in any proceeding before the said Judges, or Judge and Arbiter, under the said Treaty, Instructions, and Regulations, or this Act, shall be deemed guilty of perjury, and being thereof convicted, shall be subject and liable to all the punishments, pains, and penalties to which persons convicted of wilful and corrupt perjury are liable; and every such person may be tried for any such perjury, either in the place in which the offence was committed, or in any Colony or Settlement of His Majesty near thereto, in which there is a Court of competent jurisdiction to try any such offence, or in His Majesty's Court of King's Bench in England; and that in case of any prosecution for such offence in His Majesty's said Court of King's Bench, the venue may be laid in the County of Middlesex.

IX. And be it further enacted, that from and after the passing of this Act it shall not be lawful for any person to commence, prosecute, or proceed in any Claim, Action, or Suit whatever in the High Court of Admiralty, or in any other Court, or before any Judges or Persons whomsoever, other than the several Mixed Courts of Justice appointed under and by virtue of the said Treaty and this Act, for the condemnation or restitution of any Ship or Cargo or Slaves, or for any compensation or indemnification, or for any loss or damage, or for any injury sustained by such Ship, Cargo, or Slaves, or by any Persons on board any such Ship, in consequence of any capture, seizure, or detention under the authority or in pursuance of the provisions of the said Treaty, or of the Instructions and Regulations thereto annexed, or of this Act; and that the pendency of any claim, suit, or proceeding instituted or which may be instituted before any of the said Mixed Courts so to be appointed under the authority of the said Treaty and this Act, for the condemnation or restitution of any Ship or Cargo or Slaves taken, seized, or detained by virtue of the said Treaty, or of the Instructions and Regulations thereto annexed, or for any compensation or indemnification for any loss or damage in consequence of the taking, seizing, or detaining any such Ship, or the final adjudication, condem

nation, judgment, or determination of any such Mixed Court, as the case shall require, may be pleaded in bar or given in evidence under the general issue; or in case no such claim, suit, or proceeding shall have been instituted before any such Mixed Court, then the said Treaty, Instructions, and Regulations, and this Act, may in like manner be pleaded in bar, or given in evidence under the general issue: and every such plea in bar, or evidence so given under the general issue, shall be deemed and adjudged to be a good and complete bar to any such claim, action, suit, or proceeding in the said High Court of Admiralty, or in any Court or Place other than such Mixed Courts; any thing in any Act or Acts, or Law or Laws, to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.

X. And be it further enacted, that nothing in this Act contained shall be deemed or construed in anywise to alter, suspend, affect, relax, or repeal any of the clauses, penalties, forfeitures, or punishments contained and enacted in any Act or Acts made for the suppression or prevention of the Slave Trade; but that all such Acts, and all clauses, regulations, penalties, forfeitures, and punishments therein respectively contained, shall remain in full force and virtue, anything in this Act contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

XI. And be it further enacted, that if any action or suit shall be commenced, either in Great Britain or elsewhere, against any Person or Persons, for anything done in pursuance of the said Treaty, or the Instructions or Regulations thereto annexed, or of this Act, the Defendant or Defendants in such action or suit may plead the general issue, and give this Act and the special matter in evidence at any trial to be had thereupon, and that the same was done in pursuance and by the authority of the said Treaty, Instructions, or Regulations, or of this Act; and if it shall appear so to have been done, the Jury shall find for the Defendant or Defendants; and if the Plaintiff shall be nonsuited, or discontinue his Action after the Defendant or Defendants shall have appeared, or if judgment shall be given upon any verdict or demurrer against the Plaintiffs, the Defendant or Defendants shall recover treble costs, and have the like remedy for the same as Defendants have in other cases by Law.

ORDINANCE of the King of Sweden, promulgating the
Treaty with Great Britain for the suppression of the
Slave Trade.-21st July, 1825.
(Translation.)

WE, Charles John, King of Sweden, of Norway, of the Goths and Vandals, make known, that a Treaty for the suppression of the Slave Trade having been concluded, on the 6th of November of last year, between us and His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great

Britain and Ireland; We, according to the engagements which we have contracted by the same Treaty, and conformably to what We have already ordained by our gracious Proclamation of 7th February, 1823, do hereby, in the most express manner, renew to all our Subjects the prohibition already issued, in the above-mentioned Ordinance, to partake in any way whatever in the Slave Trade:

Wherefore, We graciously ordain and command, that those concerned do conform exactly, both to the above-mentioned Ordinance and to the contents of the before-mentioned Treaty, for the suppression of a traffick so disgraceful to humanity.

Let all those concerned obediently conform to these presents, for the further confirmation of which we have signed them with our own hand, and affixed thereto our Royal Seal.

Palace of Stockholm, 21st July, 1825. (L.S.) C. D. SKOGMAN.

CARL JOHAN.

ACT of Congress "to provide for the adjustment of Claims of Persons entitled to indemnification, under the 1st Article of the Treaty of Ghent, and for the distribution, among such Claimants, of the sum paid, and to be paid, by the Government of Great Britain, under a Convention between The United States and His Britannick Majesty, concluded at London, on the 13th of November, 1826."-Approved, 2d March, 1827.

SECT. I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the President of The United States shall be, and he is hereby authorized, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint three Commissioners, and one Clerk, who shall constitute a Commission, to carry into effect the purposes of this Act.

II. And be it further enacted, that all records, documents, and other papers, which were in possession of the Commissioners, constituting the Mixed Commission under the Treaty of Ghent, so far as the same are under the control of the Government of The United States, shall be delivered to the Commissioners under this Act.

III. And be it further enacted, that the said Commissioners, or a majority of them, with their Clerk, shall convene in the City of Washington, on the 10th day of July next, and shall proceed to execute the duties of their Commission, and the Secretary of State shall be, and he is hereby, authorized and required, forthwith, after the passing of this Act, to give a notice of the said intended meeting, to be published

in one or more Publick Gazettes in the City of Washington, and in the States from which the property of Claimants who have heretofore registered their Claims, shall have been taken.

IV. And be it further enacted, that the said Commissioners shall proceed, immediately after their meeting in the City of Washington, with all convenient despatch, to arrange and docket the several Claims, and to consider the evidence which shall have been or which may be offered by the respective Claimants, allowing such further time for the production of such further evidence as they may require, as they shall think reasonable and just; and they shall thereupon proceed to determine such Claims, and to award distribution of the said fund among the several Claimants, according to their respective rights.

V. And be it further enacted, that the said Commissioners shall be, and they are hereby, authorized and empowered, to make all needful rules and regulations, not contravening the laws of the land, the provisions of this Act, or the provisions of the said Treaty and Convention for carrying their said Commission into full and complete effect.

VI. And be it further enacted, that the said Commissioners shall be entitled to, and allowed, the sum of 3000 dollars per annum, each; and the Clerk of the said Commission shall be entitled to, and allowed the sum of 1500 dollars per annum, during the continuance of the said Commission; and the President of The United States shall be, and he is hereby, authorized to make such provision for the incidental expenses of the said Commission as shall appear to him reasonable and proper; and the said salaries and expences shall be paid out of any money in the Treasury, not otherwise appropriated.

VII. And be it further enacted, that the said Commissioners and Clerk, shall severally take an oath for the faithful performance of the duties of their respective offices.

VIII. And be it further enacted, that the Commission hereby created shall not continue after the end of the next Session of Congress.

IX. And be it further enacted, that the payment of such Claims as may be admitted and adjusted by the said Commissioners, or the major part of them, to an amount not exceeding 1,204,960 dollars, shall be made out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated: that is to say, so soon, and as often, as any of the said Claims shall be adjudged to be valid, and the principal amount shall be ascertained, there shall be paid on such Claims, respectively, a sum equal to 75 per centum of the principal sums thereof, so ascertained; and at the termination of the time hereby fixed for the dissolution of the Board, or such earlier dissolution thereof as may be determined upon by the Board itself, after it shall have examined and decided upon all the Claims aforesaid, the balance of all such sums as shall be adjudged to

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