The Duke of Wellington, while ambassador at Paris in 1814, used every effort to obtain from the restored Bourbon government a pro hibition of the traffic in slaves ; but the French West Indian interest and commercial jealousy of England frustrated all his attempts. The first French law abolishing the slave-trade -was a decree issued by Napoleon on the 29th of March, 1815, during the Hundred Days, after his return from Elba. It prohibited any vessel from fitting out for the trade, either in the ports of France or in those of her colonies; and the introduction or sale in the French colonies of any negro obtained by the trade. whether carried on by French subjects or foreigners. The influence of Great Britain was again strenuously exerted at the peace in 1815, to obtain the concurrence of foreign powers iu the abolition; and the object has been steadily kept in view by this country, and every opportunity of forwarding it taken advantage of, down to the present time. The consequence has been that now nearly all the powers in Europe and America have passed laws, or entered into treaties, pro hibiting the traffic, To the General Treaty signed by the representatives of Austria, France, Great Britain, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Spain. and Sweden, assembled in Congress at Vienna, on the 9th of June,1815, was anuexed, as having the same force as if textually inserted, a Declaration, signed at the same place by the Plenipotentiaries of certain of the powers, on thrs8th of February preceding, to the following effect :—that seeing several European governments had already, virtually, come to the resolution of putting a stop to the slave trade, and that, :successively, all tho powers possessing colonies in different parts of the world had acknowledged, either by legislative acts, or by treaties or other formal engagements, the duty and necessity of abolishing it ; and that by a separate article of the late treaty of Paris (30th May, 1814), Great Britain and France had engaged to unite their efforts at this Congress of Vienna to induce all the powers of Christendom to proclaim its universal and definitive abolition ; the members of the Congress now declared, in the face of Europe, that they were animated with the sincero desire of concurring in the most prompt and effectual execution of this measure by all the means at their disposal. And this Declara tion was renewed by the plenipotentiaries of Austria, France, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, assembled in Congress at Verona, in re solutions adopted in a conference held on the 28th of November, 1S22; in which, however, it is admitted that, "notwithstanding this declara tion, and in spite of the legislative measures which have in consequence been adopted in various countries, and of the several treaties con cluded since that period between the maritime powers, this commerce, solemnly prescribed, has continued to this very day ; that it has gained in activity what it may have lost in extent ; that it has even taken a still more odious character, and more dreadful from the nature of the means to which those who carry it on are compelled to have recourse." The following will be found, we believe, to be a correct and complete list of the treaties and conventions for the suppression of the slave trade that have been made by this country with other states since the general peace : In 1814, with France, by Additional Articles to the Definitive Treaty of Peace signed at Paris 30th May (engaging that the slave-trade should be abolished by the French government in the course of five years); and with the Netherlands, by treaty of London, 13th August Its abolition had also been stipulated in the Treaty of Kiel, concluded with Denmark on the 14th of January.
In 1815, with France, by Additional Article to Definitive Treaty signed at Paris 20th November (by which the two powers, having each already, in their respective dominions, prohibited, without restriction, their colonies and subjects front taking any part whatever in the slave-trade, engage to renew their efforts, through their ministers at the courts of London and Paris, for its entire and definitive abolition); and with Portugal, by Treaty signed at Vienna 22nd January (referring to Treaty of Alliance concluded at Rio de Janeiro 19th February;1810, in which the Prince Regent of Portugal had declared his deterinivation to adopt the most efficacious means for bringing about a gradual abolition of the slave-trade ; and making it now unlawful fur any of the subjects of the crown of Portugal to purchase slaves, or to carry on the slave trade, on any part of the coast of Africa to the northward of the equator).
In 1817, with Portugal, by Convention signed at London 28th July (prohibiting universally the carrying on of the slave-trade by Portu guese vessels bound for any port not in the dominions of his Most Faithful Majesty ; and restricting it in other circumstances); with Portugal, by Separate Article. signed at London 11th September (referring to arrangements to be adopted "as scam as the total aboli tion of the slave-trade, for the subjects of tho crown of Portugal, shall have taken place"); with Spain, by Treaty signed at Madrid 23rd September (by which his Catholic Majesty engages that the slave trade shall be abolished throughout the entire dominions of Spain on the 30th of !lay, 1820, and that in the mean time it shall not be lawful for any of the subjects of the crown of Spain to purchase slaves, or to carry on the slave-trade, on any part of the coast of Africa to the north of the equator, or in vessels bound for any port not in the dominions of his Catholic Majesty ; and by which the restrictions under which the trade may be carried on in other circumstances are specified); and with Itadama, king of Madagascar and its dependencies, by Treaty signed at Tamatave 23rd October.
In 1818, with the Netherlands, by Treaty signed at the Hague 4th May (specifying restrictions under which the reciprocal right of visitation and search is to be exercised).
In 1820, with Madagascar, by Additional Articles signed at Tanana rivet's 11th October.
In 1822, with the Imaum of Muscat, by Treaty signed at Muscat 10th September ; with Netherlands, by Explanatory and Additional Articles, signed at Brussels 31st December ; and with Spain, by Explanatory Article signed at Madrid 10th December.
In 1823, with Netherlands, by Additional Article signed at Brussels 25th January ; with Portugal, by Additional Articles signed at Lisbon 15th March ; and with 3Iadsgasear, by Additional Articles signed at Tainatave 31st May.
In 1824, with Sweden, by Treaty of Stockholm, Gth November (ar ranging reciprocal right of visitation by the ships of war of the two countries).
In 1826, with Brazil, by Treaty of Rio de Janeiro, 23rd November (renewing, on the separation of that empire from Portugal, the stipula tions of the treaties subsisting with the latter power).
In 1831, with France, by Convention of Paris, 30th November (stipu lating mutual right of search, within certain seas, by a number of ships of war to be fixed every year for each nation by special agreement).
In 1833, with France, by Supplementary Convention of Paris, 22nd March (further regulating the right of visitation by duly authorised cruisers).
In 1834, with Denmark, by Treaty of Copenhagen, 26th July (con taining the accession of his Danish Majesty to the Conventions between Great Britain and France of 1S31 and 1833); with Sardinia, by Treaty of Turin, 8th August (containing accession of that power to same con ventions); and with Sardinia, by Additional Article, signed at Turin, 8th December (respecting place of landing of negroes found in vessels with Sardinian flag).