Government at home, and they pay the money, or set it off against any claim they may have against the foreign government; but the foreign government has a claim to one-half the proceeds of the vessels and cargoes. 5015. Is there any large proportion of cases in which condemnation does not follow, and under what circumstances principally has condemnation not been the consequence?--There have been vessels restored for being seized, for instance, Portuguese vessels from the southward of the Line, contrary to treaty. In two cases there were vessels restored with upwards of 8,000_l._ damages against the captors in each case, making 16,000_l._; and there was again one case of the Pepita, which I remember, when it was proved that the slaves had been embarked under circumstances that would not justify condemnation under the treaty; she was restored with damages. There have been several cases under the equipment article since the new slave treaty came into force, where vessels have been restored because the equipment was not deemed sufficient to warrant condemnation. There have been also vessels taken on the suspicion that black persons on board were slaves, who have been proved to be domestics, and not bought for the purpose of the traffic. There have been a variety of condemnations; but in any case where the treaty would not warrant condemnation, the vessel has been restored; and where the treaty required it, restored with damages. 5016. Have there been a considerable number of restorations; can you state, from statistics, the number?--I have statistics for two years; from the 1st of January to the 31st of December 1838, one vessel only was liberated. 5017. What number were condemned?--Forty-one; during the year 1839 there were two liberated, and 45 condemned; and in addition to those, there was a very large number of American vessels which were seized, with American papers on board, and which I refused to receive into court at all; there were some in 1838, and there was a large number in 1839. 5018. Can you state the number?--I think the number was 13; but the reports of the whole of those cases are in the Parliamentary Papers. 5019. Were they _bonâ fide_ American?--I believe not American, in any one case, but sailing under the American flag, and with American papers, supplied to them by American authority. 5020. Where?--Almost entirely, I think, without one exception, at Havannah. 5021. Supplied by the American consul?--Yes; but I considered that as they sailed with those American papers, however wrongfully they might have been given by the American authority, we had no right to interfere with them. 5022. Mr. _Forster_.] Have not some vessels belonging to the States been condemned?--Yes; since my time. 5023. You were not a party to the condemnation?--I was not.