722589-1859-GOVERNMENT-NOTIFICATION-NO-99 — Page 1

THE

Goverment

GAZETTE.

NEW SERIES.

VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 22D OCTOBER, 1859.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

VOL. V. No. 231.

The Contract for publishing this Guzette, entered into on the 24th September, 1853, was terminated on the 30th ultimo; and notice is hereby ven that a NEW SERIES of this Gazette will be published hereafter, to commence from the 7th instant, under a New Contract, and that

"THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE”

sill, as before, be the only Official Organ for PROCLAMATIONS, NOTIFICATIONS, and PUBLIC PAPERS, of this Government.

iz. 99.

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 2d July, 1855.

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

His Excellency the Governor is pleased to direct the publication of the following Despatch from His Graco the E OF NEWCASTLE, relating to the landing of Coloured Seamen belonging to British Ships in the Southern Ports the United States of America.

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 18th October, 1859.

CIRCULAR.

W. T. MERCER,

Colonial Secretary.

DOWNING STREET, 23d July, 1859. SIR-I transmit herewith for your information and guidance, the Copy of a Letter which I have received from the Lords of the ittee of Privy Council for Trade, with the Copy of a Circular which their Lordships have issued to the Shipping Masters at the various of the United Kingdom, instructing them to warn Coloured Seamen, and the Masters who may engage them, of the state of the Law th respect to free Negroes who may land in the Southern States of America, and of the necessity of such Coloured Seamen being prepared a evidence of their place of Birth and Nationality; and I have to request that you will cause similar instructions to be issued to Shipping ters and others in the Ports of the Colony under your government.-I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient humble servant,

Governor Sm II. ROBINSON, &c., &c., &c., Hongkong.

NEWCASTLE.

OFFICE OF COMMITTEE OF PRIVY COUNCIL FOR TRADE,

WHITEHALL, 23d June, 1859.

SIR-I am directed by the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Sth at, with its inclosures, relative to the difficulties which occur in ascertaining and proving the nationality of British Coloured Seamen

in the Southern Ports of the United States.

I am to acquaint you, for the information of his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, that copies of the papers forwarded in your letter have dy been subinitted to my Lords by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to whom my Lords have stated their opinion that it would te possible in this country to furnish Colou el Seamen with certificates of nativity as proposed by Mr Barclay, as the Shipping Masters

whom they are engaged could have no means of ascertaining their nationality.

I would be practicable in cases where Coloured Seamen are shipped'in a British ship for any voyage from a port in the United Kingdom Surrt in the United States, to furnish certificates that they have been so shipped, but it is doubtful whether any advantage would be deriv-

on granting such cert ficatus.

It has appeared to my Lords that the only remedy for the evil complained of would be to instruct all Shipping Masters before whom ured Seiten are engaged for voyages to the Southern Ports of the United States to warn such Seamen, and the Masters who engage of the ine venivance and risk they run from the operation of the laws concerning the admission of Free Negroes into the Slave States

Republic, and to point out the precautions which it is desirable that Masters who determine to ship Free Negroes should take. With this view, my Lords have issued a Cireular (a copy of which is inclosed) to the Shipping Masters in the various ports of the United on, and they desire me to suggest for the consideration of the Duke of Newcastle, whether a Circular to the same efect might not with page be issued to Shipping Masters or Officers of Customs in those Colonies from which Coloured Scamen are in the habit of shipping to United States.--I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,

H. MERIVALE, Esq. C.B., &c., &c., Colonial Ofice,

Circular No. 114.

Instructions to Shipping Masters.

JAMES BOOTH.

BOARD OF TRADE, 14th June, 1859.

The attention of my Lords has Levu directed to the stringent laws in force, in the Southern States of Amicrist, with regard to the admis-

of Free Negroes.

Dis hapned that Coloured Searnen serving in British Merchant ships have suffered in Americau ports from the operation of these and when the British Consul hats on frocentred to protect them, he has been embarrassed by the difficulty of producing proof of their ality.