§ MR. THORNELYwished to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any and what steps had been been taken since the arrival of the lately appointed English Minister at the Court of Rio de Janerio, for the negotiation of a new treaty of commerce between this country and the empire of Brazil; whether it be true, as had been publicly stated, that the Government of Brazilhad refused to enter on any such negotiation until the Slave Trade Act were repealed, which gives to British ships of war the power of seizing, and to British courts of Vice-Admiralty the power of condemning (without the sanction and authority of any treaty with Brazil to that effect) Brazilian vessels engaged, or suspected to be engaged in the slave trade; and if so, whether Her Majesty's Government intend to adopt any and what measures for removing the objection which exists on the part of Brazil to the opening of negotiations for the renewal of our commercial relations with that empire?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONstated that Lord Howden had received instructions from the British Government on the subject of a new treaty with the Government of Brazil; but the commencement of the negotiation for such treaty had not yet been made. If the Government of Brazil consented to the establishment of a treaty for the suppression of the slave trade, similar to that which had been entered into by Portugal with the British Government, there was no objection to placing the Brazilian Government in the same position which was occupied by Portugal as regards this country.
MR. BAILEYwould ask the noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs if the Government of Brazil had observed the last treaty; and if he were of opinion that it would observe the articles of a new treaty in case such a treaty was ratified?
§ VISCOCNT PALMERSTONsaid, that fact was one thing, and opinion was another; and the hon. Member was just as free to form an opinion as to the probable observance of a treaty by Brazil as he was. If, however, Brazil entered into the same 1233 treaty with respect to the slave trade as Portugal had entered into with us, and allowed the same right of search to British cruisers, the British Government did not anticipate any difficulty as to the fulfilment of the treaty.