Déclaration

The Undersigned , George Hngh Wyndham, Esquire, a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Her Britannic Majesty's Chargé d^Affaires to the Sublime Porte, and the Undersigned, Ahmed Aarifi Pasha Minister for Foreign Affairs of His Impérial Majesty the Sultan, Senator, decorated with the Impérial Orders of the Osmanié set in diamonds, with the First class of the Medjldié, and with several foreign Orders, having concurrently recognized a material error in the French text of Article V of the Slave Trade Convention of the 25th Jannary, 1880, between Great Britain and Turkey, consisting of the insertion of the Word »même« at line 6, paragraph 2, of the said Article, hereby déclare that they hâve this day, with the authority of their respective Governments, struck oat the said word »même« from the said Convention, 80 that the French text of the said paragraph and Articles shall run as follows: » Ainsi que dans toutes les eaux maritimes Ottomanes en Tabsence d*autorité constituée.*

The Undersigned likewise déclare that they hâve this day, with the consent of their respective Governments, struck ont from the 5th paragraph of Article V of the above-mentioned Convention the words »or in the inland waters of the Ottoman Empire and

Le Soussigné, George Hngh Wyndham, Membre du Très Honorable Ordre du Bain, Chargé d'Affaires de Sa Majesté Britannique près la Sublime Porte, et le Soussigné, Ahmed Aaxifi Pacha, Ministre des Affaires Etrangères de Sa Majesté Impériale le Sultan, Sénateur, décoré des Ordres Impériaux de TOsmanié en brillants, du Medjidié de première classe, et de plusieurs Ordres étrangers, ayant constaté une erreur dans le texte Français de l'Article V de la Convention pour la cessation du Trafic des Esclaves d'Afrique conclue le 25 janvier, 1880, entre la Grande-Bretagne et la Turquie, qui consiste en Tinsertion du mot >meme« à la 6* ligne du 2® paragraphe du dit Article, déclarent qu'ils ont, ce jour, avec Tautorisation de leurs Genvemements respectifs, effacé le dit mot »même« de la dite Convention, et que le texte Français du dit paragraphe et Article doit être ainsi que suit: » Ainsi que dans toutes les eaux maritimes Ottomanes en Tabsence d'autorité constituée. «

Les Soussignés déclarent également qu'ils ont ce jour, avec Tassentiment de leurs Gouvernements respectifs, effacé dn 5* paragraphe de l'Article V de la susdite Convention les mots »or in the inland waters of the Ottoi man Empire and its dependendes*

Suppretsion du tretUc des esclaves.

its depeodencies* in the English version of the said paragraph and Article; that the Ëoglish text shall run as follows: —

>Her Majestj the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland agrées, on her part, that ail vessels navigating under the British flag in the Red Sea, in the Gulf of Aden, on the ooast of Arabia, in the Persian Gulf, and on the east coast of Africa, which may be found engaged in the TrafBc;« And the French text as follows: —

>Sa Majesté la Reine de la Grande- Bretagne et d'Irlande consent, de son c6té, à ce que tous les navires naviguant sons pavillon Anglais dans la Mer Rouge, le Golfe d*Aden, sur la c6te Arabique, dans le Golfe Persiqne» et sur la côte orientale d'Afrique, qui se trouveraient môles dans le Trafic, « etc.

In witness whereof, the Undersigned hâve signed the présent Déclaration and hâve applied thereto their seals.

Done in dnplicate at Constantinople, this third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.

Hugh Wyndham.

qui se trouvent dans le texte Anglais du dit paragraphe et Article, que le texte Anglais sera ainsi que suit: —

»Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland agrées, on her part, that ail vessels navigating under the British flag in the Red Sea, in the Gulf of Aden, on the coast of Arabia, in the Persian Gulf, and on the east coast of Africa, which may be found engaged in the Traffic;« Et que, par conséquent, le texte Français sera ainsi que suit: —

»Sa Majesté la Reine de la Grande- Bretagne et d'Irlande consent, de son côté , à ce que tous les navires naviguant sous pavillon Anglais dans la Mer Rouge, le Golfe d'Aden, sur la côte Arabique, dans le Golfe Persique, et sur la côte orientale d* Afrique, qui se trouveraient môles dans le Trafic, « &c.

En foi de quoi, les Soussignés ont signé la présente Déclaration et y ont apposé le sceau de leurs armes.

Fait à Constantinople en double expédition ce jourd'hui trois mars, mil huit cent quatre-vingt-trois.

A, Aarifi,

GRANDE - BRETAGNE , PERSE

Convention pour la suppression du commerce des esclaves;

signée à Téhéran, le 2 mars 1882*).

Pari Paper [33U\ 1882.

Texte anglais.

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Eingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, and His Mi^esty the Shah of Persia, being mutually animated by a sincère désire to co-operate for the extinction of

*) L'échange des ratifications a eu lieu à Téhéran, le 14 juin 1882.

730 Grande - Bretagne , Perse.

ihe barbaroas Traffic in Slaves, hâve resolved to conclade a Convention for the pnrpose of attaining this object, and bave named as their Pienipotentiaries, that is to say: —

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, Ronald Ferguson Thomson, Ësquire, Her Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Persia;

And Mis Majesty the Shah of Persia, bis Excellency Mirza Saeed Khan, bis Minister for Foreign Affairs;

Who, after having communicated to each other their fall powers , fonnd in good and due form, bave agreed upon and concluded the following Articles : —

Art. I. In order to prevent the chance of negro slaves, maie and female, being imported into Persia, British cruizers shall be permitted to visit and detain mercbant-vessels under the Persian flag, or belonging to Persian subjects, which may be engaged in, or which there may be reasonable grounds for suspecting to be or to bave been engaged during the voyage on which they are met, in carrying slaves; and if any such slaves are fonnd on board such mercbant-vessels, the vessel, with ail on board, shall be taken before the nearest Persian anthorities for trial. But no person wbetsoever who, being fumished with a Government passport, countersigned by a British Résident or Consul, may bave gone from Persia to visit the places of pilgrimage, shall, when retnrning, be interfered with, provided such person be not accompanied by more negroes, either maie or female, than the number mentioned in his original pass. The présence of any such additional negro or negroes shall be prima fade évidence of an attempted Traffic in Slaves.

Art. II. Jî any merchant- vessel under the Persian flag be captured by a British cruizer and taken into a Persian port for adjudication, it shaU be the officer of the British cruizer making the capture, or some duly authorized officer of the British Government who shall be présent at such adjudication.

In the event of the captured merchant-vessel being condemned and sold the proceeds of such sale shall go to the Persian Government, and ail slaves fonnd on board such vessel shall be banded over to tha British anthorities.

Art. m. His Majesty the Shah of Persia agrées to punish severely ail Persian subjects or foreigners amenable to Persian jurisdiction who may be found engaging in Slave Traffic by sea, and to manumit and guarantee the safety and proper treatment of ail slaves illegally imported, that is to say, imported by sea into His Majesty*s dominions after the signature of the présent Convention.

Art. IV. The présent Convention shall come into opération on the first of May, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-two. After the Convention shall so bave been brought into opération Article XIII of the Treaty between Great Britain and Persia, signed at Paris on the fonrth of March, one thousand eight hundred and fifby-seven *), by which the agree-

•) V. N. B. Q. XVL 2* Partie, p. 114.

Grande - Bretagne , Sahador. 731

ment entered into by Great Britain and Persia in Augnst, one thonsand eight hnndred and fifby-one*), was renewed, shall be considered as cancelled except as to any proceeding that may bave already been taken or commenced in virtue tbereof.

Art. V. Tbe ratifications of tbe présent Convention sball be excbanged at Tebran witbin five montbs or sooner, if practicable.

Done at Tebran in qnadruplicate , tbis second day of tbe montb of Marcb, in tbe year of our Lord one tboasand eigbt buiidred and eigbty-two.

Ronald F. Thomson. Mirza Saeed Khan,