122] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



and whose paternal solicitude it has 

 constantly occupied since the year 

 1814. 



DECREE RELATIVE TO TOBACCO. 



The Madiid Gazette of July the 

 3d, contains a long decree respect- 

 ing the culture of tobacco at the 

 Havannah. This article has been 

 long subject to a monopoly exer- 

 cised in the name of the govern- 

 ment ; which at length proceeded 

 to such a degree of abuse, that the 

 whole manufacture of tobacco in 

 the island of Cuba, noted for pro- 

 ducing it in the greatest abun- 

 dance, and of the best quality, was 

 likely to become a mere object for 

 home consumption. The king, at 

 the instance of M. Garay, minister 

 of finance, has given almost full 

 liberty to every branch of agri- 

 culture and industry connected 

 with this product ; and the expor- 

 tation of the tobacco of the Ha- 

 vannah to all foreign countries 

 will be permitted, provided it be 

 in Spanish vessels. 



ABOLITION OF SLAVE TRADE. 



The king of Spain has at length 

 published an edict for the abolition 

 of the slave trade throughout his 

 dominions, to commence north of 

 the line immediately, and south of 

 the line on the 30th of May, 1820. 

 After an exculpatory report re- 

 specting all previous traffic of this 

 kind, which is said to have in- 

 creased prodigiously the number 

 of indigenous as well as of free 

 negroes, his Majesty proceeds to 

 say, that "Having collected all these 

 copious materials, ai,d having ex- 

 amined the proposition which the 

 proper supreme tribunal laid be- 

 fore me in its deliberation of the 

 15th of February, 1816, answer- 

 ing to the confidence which I re- 



pose in it, and coinciding with its 

 opinion respecting the abolition of 

 the traffic in slaves, and co-ope- 

 rating with the King of Great 

 Britain by a solemn treaty, em- 

 bracing all the points of reciprocal 

 interest involved in this important 

 transaction, and determining that 

 the time for the abolition was ar- 

 rived, the interests of my Ame- 

 rican States being duly reconciled 

 with the sentiments of my royal 

 mind, and the wishes of all the 

 Sovereigns, my friends and allies, 

 I have decreed as follows : — 



Art. 1. — From this day forward 

 I prohibit all my subjects, both in 

 the Peninsula and in America, from 

 going to buy negroes on the coasts 

 of Africa, north of the line. The 

 negroes who may be bought on the 

 said coasts shall be declared free 

 in the first port of my dominions, 

 at which the ship in A^hich they 

 are transported shall arrive. The 

 ship itself, together with the re- 

 mainder of its caigo, shall be confis- 

 cated to the Royal Treasury, and the 

 purchaser, the captain, the master, 

 and pilot shall be irrevocably con- 

 demned to 10 years' transportation 

 to the Philippines. 



Art. 2. — The above punishment 

 does not attach to the trader, the 

 captain, the master, and pilot of 

 the vessels, which may sail from 

 any port of my dominions, for the 

 coasts of Africa, north of the line, 

 before the 22d of November of the 

 present year ; to which I grant, 

 besides, anextension of six months, 

 counting from the above date, to 

 complete their expedition. 



Article 3. — From the 30th of 

 May, 1820, I equally prohibit all 

 my subjects, as well in the Penin- 

 sula as in America, from going tp. 

 purchase negroes along those parts 

 of the coast of Africa which are to 



the 



