naptu2: [size=14pt]Lagos Treaty of Cessation (1861)[/size]



TREATY WITH LAGOS 1861

Treaty between Norman B. Bedingfield, commander of Her Majesty’s ship “PROMETHEUS” and Senior Officer of the Bights division and William M’coskry esquire, her Britannic Majesty’s acting consul on the part of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Dosunmu, Oba of Lagos on the part of himself and chiefs.

ARTICLE I

In order that the Queen of England may be the better enabled to assist, defend and protect the inhabitants of Lagos and to put an end to slave trade in this land and the neighbouring countries and to prevent the destructive wars so frequently undertaken by Dahomey and others for the capture of slaves, I, Dosunmu, do with the consent and advice of my council, give, transfer and by this presents grants and confirm into the Queen of Britain, her heirs and successors for ever, the port and Island of Lagos, with all the rights, profits, territories and appurtenances whatsoever, thereto belonging and as well the profits and revenues as the direct, full and absolute dominion and sovereignity of the said port, Island and premises, with all the royalties thereof, freely, fully, entirely and absolutely.


I do also covenant and grant that the quiet and peaceable possession thereof shall, with all possible speed, be freely and effectually delivered to the Queen of Great Britain or such person as her Majesty shall there unto appoint for her use in the performance of this grant, the inhabitants of the said Island and territories, as the Queen’s subjects and under her sovereignty, Crown jurisdiction and government being still suffered to live there.



Signed: Dosunmu – His X Mark
Talabi – His X Mark
Apena – His X Mark
Obanikoro – His X Mark
Ashogbon – His X Mark

Norman B. Bedingfield
Her Majesty’s Ship PROMETHEUS
Senior Officer, Bights Division

W. McCoskry
Acting Consul



Dosunmu was first requested to sign the treaty of cessation aboard the PROMETHEUS. He refused to do so because his chiefs were not with him. the treaty was then presented to him @ his palace on 1st August 1861. Dosunmu refused to sign any paper "giving up his country". He was then threatened by Commander Bedingfield with the bombardment of the town.


Again on the 5th of August, the Acting Consul, William McCoskry and Commander Bedingfield went to Dosunmu at the palace, this time with a guard of marines, who were landed and drawn up alongside the Oba's Palace. the draft treaty containing only Article I was read over and translated into the Yoruba and Portuguese languages. At this point the White Cap (Idejo) Chiefs protested, because they feared that they were about to be deprived of their rights to the land of Lagos, which they've had from time immemorial (traditionally, the Oba owns no land apart from his palace. The land of Lagos is vested in the Idejo: land owning white cap chiefs). They solemnly declared that the Oba had no power to give away their lands (indeed, there were threats of an uprising in Lagos, but the presence of the marines kept things quiet).



At this point Dosunmu desired the Commander and Acting Consul to insert such clauses that would satisfy the Idejo that their rights to private ownership of land was not being abrogated, since the Idejo depended on the land for their livelihood and it belongs to them. It was at this point that articles II and III were inserted into the treaty, but the Idejo refused to ratify the treaty.
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Governor Freeman arrived on 22nd January 1862, as the first governor and found that the matter of the treaty was still unsettled. after holding several long "palavers" with the Oba and his Chiefs at Government House, he discovered that the real problem lay with the fear of the Idejo that they would lose their land. He also said that the Oba claimed that he was forced to sign the treaty without knowing its contents. the governor claimed that the Oba's assertion was false, since the treaty was translated into Yoruba and Portuguese. He also claimed that he had succeeded in getting the chiefs to ratify the treaty.

The treaty was signed by "Telake", i.e. Talabi (Talabi was a relative of Dosunmu and a prince of royal blood), "Rocamena", i.e Apena (Apena was a magistrate in Lagos at that time), Obalekoro, i.e Obanikoro (Obanikoro was the Archbishop of Lagos) and Achebong, i.e Ashogbon (Ashogbon was the commander in chief of the Oba's bodyguards).

None of the Idejo signed the treaty.

The Idejo families include

Oniru - they owned Iru (present day Victoria Island & Maroko)

Onikoyi - they owned Ikoyi

Ojora - they owned Ijora

Oluwa - they owned Oluwa (present day Apapa)

Oloto - they owned Oto

Onitolo & Aromire families - together they owned Idumota

Onisiwo _ they owned Tarkwa Bay & Ogogoro village

joeyfire: I've never seen a man so dedicated to spinning cheap pulp ethnic conspiracy theories and farting them into cyberspace for consumption by an anaemic mob of shallow unemployed bigots. Ride on!

ndu_chucks: ^^^^ Authenticated Source

I, Dosunmu, do with the consent and advice of my council, give, transfer and by this presents grants and confirm into the Queen of Britain, her heirs and successors for ever, the port and Island of Lagos, with all the rights, profits, territories and appurtenances whatsoever, thereto belonging and as well the profits and revenues as the direct, full and absolute dominion and sovereignity of the said port, Island and premises, with all the royalties thereof, freely, fully, entirely and absolutely.