TREATY of Peace between Great Britain and the King of Ro Woolah and Fouricaria, and the Kings of Macbatee and Kambia, and the Governor of Kambia. June 10, 1861. TREATY between John McCormack, Esquire, of the Civil Service, a Commissioner duly authorized and empowered by His Excellency Colonel Stephen John Hill, C.B., Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over the Colony of Sierra Leone and its dependencies, Vice-Admiral, Chancellor and Ordinary of the same, for and on behalf of Her Majesty Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, &c., &c., &c., and Alimamy Sattan Lahia, King of Ro Woolah in the Cassey Country. WHEREAS war has unhappily been carried on for a considerable time between Alimamy Sattan Lahia, King of Ro Woolah, and Alimamy Wise, King of Fouricaria, and Bey Farima, King of Mac-batee and Kambia, and Lamina Bamoi, Governor of Kambia, and the said Chiefs being desirous of putting an end to its calamities, have applied to the Governor of Sierra Leone to appoint an officer of this Government to assist in completing peace: ART. I. There shall be peace between the subjects of the Queen of England and the subjects of the said Alimamy Sattan Lahia, and of the several Chiefs, parties to this Treaty, and there shall also be peace between the subjects of the said several Chiefs respectively, and should any difference or dispute accidentally arise between the said Alimamy Sattan Lahia and any of the other Chiefs or their subjects, parties to this Treaty, it shall be referred to the Governor of Sierra Leone, and his decision thereon shall be final and binding upon all parties concerned. II. The persons and property of all British subjects shall be inviolate, and no semo, country law, or custom, shall be put in force against them; neither shall they, if aggrieved, have recourse to any semo, country law, or custom; they must lay their grievances before the Governor of Sierra Leone. III. British subjects are strictly prohibited from breaking the country laws, from interfering in any way with the disputes and quarrels of the native Chiefs or their subjects, and from aiding, assisting, countenancing, or supporting them directly or indirectly in their wars against each other, either by supplying them with arms, ammunition, or any warlike stores whatever, or with the means of procuring them. IV. The Slave Trade is for ever abolished within the territories of the said King, party hereto. And his subjects are hereby prohibited from being engaged in that traffic, either directly or indirectly. V. No persons whatever, Europeans or others, are to be permitted to establish themselves within the territories of the said King, party hereto, for the purpose of carrying on or engaging in the Slave Trade, and the said King hereby empowers the officers and forces of the Queen of England to expel all persons violating this clause from the territories of the said King by force, if need be, and to burn or otherwise destroy their barracoons and slave factories, and to seize all boats, canoes, or vessels of any description found engaged either directly in the Slave Trade, or in aiding and abetting that traffic within the waters belonging to the said King. VI. The subjects of the Queen of England are hereby guaranteed the right of free and unrestricted legitimate traffic within the territories of the said King, and all rights and privileges heretofore enjoyed by them are hereby recognized and confirmed; they may buy or rent lands and houses, which shall not be entered upon without their free will and consent. * See Page 13. VII. All privileges conferred upon the subjects of any foreign state or power shall be considered as being equally granted to British subjects. And no privileges or rights shall be secured to the subjects of a foreign state without being notified to the Governor of Sierra Leone, in order to such privilege or right being extended to the subjects of Her Majesty. VIII. Her Majesty may appoint an Agent to visit or reside in the territories of the said King for the protection of Her subjects, and for securing due adherence to the stipulations of this Treaty, and the person and property of such Agent shall be inviolate, and he shall receive all honour and protection. IX. All complaints against British subjects must be made to Her Majesty's Agent, if there be one; or to the Governor of Sierra Leone, in either case accompanied by sufficient proof, in order that justice may be impartially done between all parties. X. The ministers of the Christian religion shall be permitted to reside and exercise their calling within the territories of the said King, and to establish schools for the education and proper training up of the youths of both sexes, and they are to receive all honour and protection. XI. The roads throughout the territories of the said King shall they are not to be "semoed دو be kept open; whatever, or shut on any pretext er, and all others are to be allowed to travel thereon to and from the Colony parties, British subjects, native strangers, and of Sierra Leone, or elsewhere, free and unmolested. XII. The canoes and boats of the said King and of his subjects visiting the Colony of Sierra Leone for the purpose of trade, are placed upon the same footing as the boats of the Colony, and are of the said subjects or and King residing within the exempted from all taxes, and the their property, while peaceably trading to Colony, shall receive the fullest protection. XIII. The bodies of British seamen or other non-resident British subjects who may die within the territories of the said King C2 shall have the right of interment, on payment of 6 dollars to the said King, which sum shall be in full of all burial fees; and all resident British subjects dying within the territories of the said King, party to this Treaty, shall be interred on payment of the customary tribute or offering, the amount of which shall be arranged and determined between the friends of the deceased and the said King or his representatives. The graves of persons so interred shall be secure from violation. XIV. The Queen of England shall have the right to demand the surrender of criminals, or other persons being British subjects or liberated Africans, or others resident in Sierra Leone, accused of any crime or offence committed within the Colony of Sierra Leone or its dependencies, cognizable by the laws of England, for the purpose of being tried for such offence in Sierra Leone, or in such British Colony as Her Majesty the Queen of England may think fit to appoint; and the Kings and Chiefs, parties to this Treaty, do hereby bind themselves to secure and surrender all British subjects or liberated Africans or others resident in Sierra Leone, who may be charged with any crime or offence as aforesaid, upon demand being made for them by His Excellency the Governor of Sierra Leone, or by any other competent authority. XV. All merchandize imported in British vessels within the dominion of the King, party to this Treaty, shall be exempted from the payment of any duty whatever, and in like manner the productions of the territories of the said King, party to this Treaty, imported into the Colony of Sierra Leone shall be, (subject to the approval of the Governor and Council of the said Colony) exempted from all import or other duties. XVI. In consideration of the foregoing stipulations of this Treaty being agreed upon and strictly adhered to on the part of the King aforesaid, and his successors, His Excellency Colonel Stephen John Hill, C.B., Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of the Colony of Sierra Leone, agrees for himself and successors, on the part of Her Majesty the Queen of England, to pay or cause to be paid annually to the said King and his successors the customs hereinafter mentioned and set forth, viz., 200 bars. The above bars to be computed at and after the rate of 1 shilling each bar. XVII. The amount stipulated to be paid annually to the said King and to the said Governor of Kambia for the time being by this Treaty, shall be considered a full compensation for the fulfilment of the terms and conditions thereof by the King aforesaid, and shall be in full satisfaction for all charges on British merchant shipping resorting to the waters of the territories of the said King for the purposes of trade, with the free and unrestricted right to wood and water. XVIII. This Treaty shall revoke and annul all previous Treaties made between Her Majesty the Queen of England and Alimamy Sattan Lahia, as King of Ro Woolah, and as King of Kambia, and with Bey Farima as King of Macbatee*, and shall be proclaimed immediately on its being concluded and signed, and be made law throughout the territories of the said Alimamy Sattan Lahia, which for the better maintenance of peace and the avoidance of all causes of differences and disputes hereafter, are hereby fixed with the consent of said Alimamy Sattan Lahia and his Chiefs, and with the consent of the Kings and Chiefs, parties to this Treaty, to be as follows, viz.: On the west by Bongkome Creek running into the Kankana a few miles above Ro Singbwe, on the east by the Creek Koonkorah, emptying itself into the Small Scarcies at about 3 miles above Rochin, the late Kanloo Cappa's place, and on the south by the town Kayomboh. Signed and Sealed at Kambia, on the Great Scarcies River, this 10th day of June, in the year of our Lord, 1861, and of Her Majesty's reign the 24th. JOHN MC CORMACK, (L.S.) Commissioner. SATTAN LAHIA, (L.S.) King of Ro Woolah. For ALIMAMY WISE, ALIMAMY SAMBA, (L.S.) a Chief of Toweah. LAMINA BAMOI, (L.S.) Governor of Kambia. BEY FARIMA, (L.S.) King of Macbatee and Kambia. Witnesses: MAHAMADOO TURAY, (Signed in Arabic.) YALEY MALAGEH, a Chief of Ro Woolah. THOMAS C. SMART. W. S. MC CAULAY. ROBT. DAVIES. SAML. W. THORPE. PA SUGGOH, a Chief of Suffrakoh. ALIMAMY FENDA SANNASEE, (Signed in Arabic.) TREATY of Commerce between Great Britain and the King and Chiefs of Porto Novo. June 17, 1861. WHEREAS, there being at present no known and recognized regulations with special reference to trading transactions between British subjects, and others under British protection, and the subjects of the King of Porto Novo, William Mc Coskry, Her Britannic Majesty's Acting Consul, on behalf of British subjects, Africans under British protection, and all legal traders, subjects of countries in amity with Great Britain, and the King of Porto Novo on behalf of his subjects, have agreed to the following Articles : ART. I. British subjects and other legal traders shall be allowed to go and come freely to and from Porto Novo, and any town within the territories of the King of Porto Novo, and to erect houses or factories for the collection and purchase of palm oil and other produce. * See Pages 17, 19. II. Legal traders shall be allowed to acquire, either by grant or purchase, land in any part of the town or territory of Porto Novo, for the erection of houses or factories for the purpose of trade, or for the cultivation of cotton or any other produce, the said houses or factories to be of whatever construction may be considered best adapted to the business of the owner and the security of his property. III. All classes of the people, subjects of Porto Novo or residing therein, shall be allowed at all times to enter the houses of legal traders established in the territories of the King of Porto Novo, there to sell and barter the produce of the country; the natives so trading to be subject to no imposts more than when trading one with another. IV. The King of Porto Novo shall punish, upon conviction, any of his subjects who commit theft, robbery, or incendiarism, affecting the property of British subjects and any other legal trader, and will use every means to bring such offenders to speedy justice. V. The King of Porto Novo shall cause any of his subjects or other natives residing in his territories under his protection, who may be indebted to traders, to pay such debts within reasonable time, and if not paid within the time so fixed, the property belonging to such person so owing shall be sold, and applied to the liquidation of the claims against him. VI. British subjects and other legal traders shall be allowed to employ in their business, within the territories of Porto Novo, the natives of any other country, either on shore, in their houses and factories, or on the lagoon, in the transport of goods or produce. VII. Any quarrel or dispute that may arise between legal traders or their employés and natives of Porto Novo, shall be referred to the British Consular Agent, if there is one, or if not, to the British Consul at Lagos, who shall, in conjunction with the King of Porto Novo, decide the matter. In consideration of the due fulfilment of the foregoing Articles, a payment of 2 heads of cowries shall be paid by all legal traders on every cask containing 150 gallons of palm oil, and 2 strings of cowries for each pound of ivory exported from Porto Novo, it being understood that no other duty, direct or indirect, be levied on the same produce, and the King do no trade. It is further agreed that a payment of 15 head of cowries be paid for making public the readiness of any merchant to trade. Signed at Porto Novo this 17th day of June, 1861. WILLIAM MC COSKRY, Acting Consul. LOJEE, King. PROGAU, Second Chief. GOGAU, First Chief. Witnesses: THOMAS TICKEL, Acting Vice-Consul. THOS. MAGNE. CHAS. FORREST, Lieut. Commanding H.M. ship "Brune." |