Treaties with Great Britain: Commerce; Slave Trade & Relations with Mexico

[Republic of Texas] [Slavery] Texas. Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Great Britain and Texas. Signed at London, 13th November, 1840. [and] Convention between Great Britain and Texas, relative to the Public Debt of Mexico. Signed at London, 16th November, 1840. [and] Treaty between Great Britain and Texas for the suppression of the African slave trade. Signed at London, 16th November, 1840. Disbound section from Lewis Hertslet, A complete collection of the treaties and conventions, and reciprocal regulations, at present subsisting between Great Britain and foreign powers …. Vol. VI, London: Henry Butterworth. 1845?. Pp. 807-834. Very good.

The Hertslet book with these treaties is very scarce, especially in the US. There are separate printings of the three treaties done in London in 1842, which are also held in a few institutions. Texas sought recognition by Britain after it declared its independence from Mexico as early as 1837. The British were fearful that recognition would jeopardize their friendly standing with Mexico and declined to enter into formal relations. In 1840 James Hamilton, financial agent for the Republic of Texas, was finally able to negotiate that recognition, in the form of three signed treaties between the nations. Originally commissioned by Sam Houston to negotiate a five million dollar loan, Hamilton traveled abroad and began seeking financial backing for the Republic. In London he drew up three treaties: one providing for British mediation in the Texas-Mexico hostilities, one calling for the suppression of the slave trade, and one concerned with commerce and navigation. Hamilton negotiated the treaties with Viscount Palmerston, which when ratified by both countries, marked the formal recognition of Texas by England. Although signed in November 1840, these treaties did not go into effect until July 1842. – Handbook of Texas. A rare chance to acquire all three of these important documents published shortly after they were ratified