The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-07 00:00:00

THE DANISH BLOCKADE,

The following letter has been addressed by Lord Ed.
disbury, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
to Mr. bandars, :

" Foreign-office, May 4.
" Sir,—l am directed by Viscount Palmerston to ac-
.snowledge the receipt of your letter of the Ist instant,
requesting his Lordship to take the opinion of her Ma-
jesty's Advocate-General upon certain points connected
with the Danish blockade of the German ports.
" The first question put by you is to this effect :
" Supposing an English or neutral ship laden with
grain at one of the blockaded ports (Stettin for in-
stance), finding no obstruction, leave that port, but on
arriving at the Sound it is discovered by ber papers she
has left one of the (nominally) blockaded ports after the
time she had a right to do so, according to the terms of
such blockade, then is it lawful for the blockading
country to seize such vessel and cargo, as if she had cap-
tured her in the very act of breaking the blockade?
" In reply, I am directed to inform you that the nature
of the answer to be given to that question would very
much depend upon the fact of the existence or non-
existence of a legal blockade of the port in question.
The formal notification by the Danish Government fur.
niches a strong presumption that an adequate force
would be applied for the maintenance of the blockade;
and if this were the case—that is to say, if an adequate
force was applied to that purpose—an English or other
neutral vessel coming out of a blockaded port with a
cargo after the end of the time during which she had a
right to do so would be liable to seizure at the Sound, or
anywhere else during her voyage, until her arrival at
her port of destination. The circumstance of her hav-
ing succeeded in leaving the port without obstruction is
no conclusive evidence of tho non-existence of a legal
blockade. It is not an accidental absence of the block-
ading furce, nor the circumstance of its being blown off
by stormy Rinds or unfavourable weather, that will be
es
theusCffi g lonnelaowr
mtoorreevmeosyseelsaowbiliocigktaodet,henodrarkwniellss the
have that effect.
acpnieien ohtft cr to a fog, or to other accidental circum-
stances,.4 Oa the other hand, if there was no legal blockade
existing—if there eas no Danish force sent to form and
maintain the blockade, or if the same, after having been
so sent, was driven off by a superior force of the enemy,
then an Eaglish or other neutral ship leaving a port that
was thus only nominally and not really blockaded, ought
not to be seized at the Sound or elsewhere; and if wrong-
fully so seized, the owners would be entitled to claim,
and it is to be presumed will receive restitution of their

property, and not improbably with costs and damages.
"I am further directed to inform you that her
Majesty's Minister at Copenhagen has already been in-
structed to demand expltnations from the Danish
Government with respect to the alleged ineffickncy of
the Danish blockade of the Baltic ports, and that her
Majesty's Government will take other measures for
ascertaining the accuracy or inaccuracy of the state-
ments made by the Stettin merchants.
" Your second question is to the following effect :
"If it be not according to international law that a
ration proclaiming any port or ports blockaded is bound,
as far as weather will permit, to keep an efficient power
at all times present to enforce the observance of such
blockade?
"In reply, I am to inform you that, subject to the
observation before made, it is undoubtedly the duty of
a blockading power so to do. A declaration of blockade
unsupported by fact will not be sufficient to constitute a
legal and valid blockade; and any person whose vessel
or cargo has been seized for a breach of blockade when
in fact there was no blockade, would be entitled to a
decree of restitution.—l am, Sir, your most obedient
humble servant, " EDDISBUAY.
" George Sanders, Esq., M.P., &c."

ELECTION OF VESTRYMEN FOR ST. PANCRAS.—
Oo Saturday night a crowded meeting of the ratepayers
91 St. Pancras was held at the Victoria Tavern, Morn-
ington-road, for the purpose of adopting measures to se-
cure the return of a list of vestrvmen proposed by the
Colville-place Parochial Committee. Donald Frazer,
Esq., churchwarden, presided, and having explained the
objects of the meeting, observed that they were all agreed
upon cue point, namely, that the infliction of church-
rates was an injustice upon all men who conscientiously
difftred from the doctrines of the Church. The next
point was, that there ought to be a more equal assess-
ment made for the benefit of the ratepayers generally;
and that the strictest economy ought to be enforced in
every department. The gentlemen selected by this Com-
mittee to be the vestrymen were actuated by. the same
motives as Mr. Brettingham, and were determined to in-
treduce and maintain the strictest economy, and were
well deserving of the support of the ratepayeFs.
meet-
Dyke proposed the first resolution—" That ibis
ing most cordially approves of the fair and open measures
taken to secure good and proper
.133MCS from every
.l lo-
cality in this rnrish; and, believing that theyrfair y
present the feelings of the r.atepayers at laybe, ple.dge
themselves to support such list not only at the nomina-
tion on Monday, but at the poll." Batterbury se-
conded the resolution, ehich was carried.
Lay P.RPOOL, SAIL/MAY.-- The steam ship
,Canada,
ir no the Nttr:,ey this a,,teru,,,,n,
stir i;ai►iva old NUS Yolk, tukitig (JUL the usual
23,0001. specie on freight, and about 90 passengers. The
mails and dispatches are in charge of Lieutenant Ray-
mond, &DT., Admiralty agent.