Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-07-18

+ 'liC eu".~ - ASss' 4nipiES vac Jaw, an1dH
intcrcoursc OF nations, when power !.
decided questions Of right, and when !.
noranfe and the want of concet. Ann,
!. other maritime countries facilitated su,h
usurpstion; the progress OF civiiiz,6a
and Information has produced chan,
10 all those respects, and no Priaein,.
the 'csde Of public law, is at prssra, be-, j
established than the comnon irssdon
the seas beyond q very limited dl,,aosl
from territories washed BY them !. IT,
distance is no. Indeed Gxsd with ab,ol
precision. Il is varied in u small .ds,'
by written authorities. aud perhaps i, S .
BE- reasonably varied in some degre.
local peculiari,irs. But the greatest W
farce which would now be lis.enea.o :.
where, would make q small proportion N
the narrowssi part Of the narrowest s..
10 question.
VIVA. are, 10 fact, the preroea,;v.
claimed and exercised by Great Br;,,'
over these seas! 1t they arr re ally pm
Of her domain, her authority wosld be 4.
same there az within her o'her dem,s
Foreign vessels would be subj. 81 Ia oil Il
laws aadregulatons framed for them n
much As if they were within The harl'sn
and rivers Of the country. No,hiop Nj
this sort is pretended. Notaiog Of ii,
sort will be tolerated. Tho only instance,
in which these seas are distinguished 6on
otber seas, OF. ia which Grea, Bfi,a;u ,n
jsys wjlhin.hs m any distinction over o,n.,
cations. are first ,te complimer, pad. b.
other aags to hers. Secondly, the e,teu.
sion of her ,errisaiialju jurisdiction 10 esr,ai,
cases to The distance Of four leagues from
tic coast. The fysti is relique Of asti.
eDt ususpation. which has thus long {.
capped The correction which uodera and
more enlightened times have applied to Q,
Their usurpa.;ons. The prtrogaiise ha
been ofien contested, however. even all
expence OF bloody wars, and is sill borae
with Ill will and Impotence by her neigh
bors.
At the last treaty Of peace at Anliens, IL.
abolition and repeal Of this law was strongly
pressed by France and it is not improbable
that at no remote day it will follow the fate d
the title of " King of France" so long wora
by the British rnonarchs, and at length 81
properly sacrificed to the lessons of magma.
nimous wisdom. AS faras this honlage4otb .
British flag has any foundation at present. Il
rests merely on long usa3e and long acquiss.
csnce, which are construed, as in few othg
cases Of maritime claims, into the effect d
. general though tacit convention, The Sc.
cond instance is the extension of the terliton.
al jurisdiction to four leagues from the shore,
This too, as far as the distan.ye may exceed
that which is generally allowed, rests en- a
like foundation, strengthened, perhaps, by
the local facility Of smuggling, and tie .pecu.
liar interest which Great Britain has: in pre-.
venting practice affecting so deeply her
whole system of revenue, commerce, and ma
nufac1urcs whilst the limitation itself to
four leagues nece ssarily implies that beyond
thy,t distance no territorial jurisdiction is as
sumed.
But whatever may be the origin or value OF
these prerogatives over foreign flags, in one
case, and within a limited portion Of thes
seas in another, 1t is obvious that neither o.
them will be violated by the exemption Of A.
mefican vessels from impressments, which
are no wise, connected with either; having me-
yer been made on TIE pretext either Of with.
holding the wonted homage to the British
flag, Or of smuggling in defiance Of British
laws.
Tk;s extension of tile British Law to four
leagues from the shore is inferred from an act
Of parliament passed in the year i7ss, y t.
G.. 55) the terins Of which comprehended all
vessels, foreign as well as British. 1t IS pos
sibie, however, that the former are consruc'
lively excepted. Should your inquiries ascer.
tain this to be the case, you will find yourssa
on better ground titan the concession here
made.
With respect to he,oompliment paid to the
British Hap II ;S alSn p0ccihIe that n, ore ID