Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-04-08
III 1.a Gents Singer

: tain MacCIure without detiuct;nty aiiy ,is
,hcr expenses but those relative 10 ,h6
saIe."
" And with regard 10 the other merchants
! { e OF the cargo which from The resuls
OF the said estimate shall be ackno@ledes
ed 10 come from manufactures or from
English territory BY virtue of the 5lh arr
tiele OF the decree of the 2lst Nov. 1906.
they shall be con6scated for The use OF
the state, the whole TO be sold by the forms
prescribed in the regulations andsthc app
piication OF the product to be made in con-
iormity to The arrangements of the said
decree, deduction being made FOR the ex.
pense OF saving the goods, and that of the
support OF the crew, until the day that tho
captain shall receive the notification of tho
present dsc.sion."
The reasons upon which this decision
| is founded, are at once So new and so az
farming to the present friendly rSla,ion
OF the two powers, that cannot but dis.
cuss tnsm with freedom in some degrees
propor:ioned 10 my sense cf their novelty
! and importance.
Considering" says,he council, "Thas
The neutrality of The snip and cargo were
sufficiently established, the whole ought
to be restored. tGgrseab.y 10 the provisi-
| ons ot 'he convention of The so;h of Sep.
TENDER, 1900 provided no merchandise os
English origin had been found in her, and
nt course That sIe had not been bro't With
in the limits Of the imperial decree of the
2lst of Nov. 1906 -
Here is an open and unqualified admis.
sion that the ship was found within the,
rules prescribed by he convention of 1900.
! that according to these rules, her cargo
and herself oneht to have been restored,
| and that such would have been the fact bus
OR the operation of the decree of the 2lse
of November, 1906.
In the letter your exceliency did me the
honor to write TO me on The 7th of Octo-
Der last, you ihough il " easy 10 recon.
ale the obligations of This decree, with this
presei Vision of those arising from tr=a-
les" Ii was not for me 10 eza:ni0e tbs
! means BY which this reconciliation was TO
DC effected, They no doub, fully existed,
and YET exist, in his Majssty's good plea-
sure, and taking for granted dis faci, Z
saw il the opinion nothing bat proofs Of
a friendly disposition, and pledges ihas
his was not TO be either wanicply destroy.
I'll OF diminished. How in3uspic ous how.
ser 10 its authority and the sconsola,ion
derived F0m it, is This r.cen act Of the
council OF prizes! An act = hich explicitly
acknowledges the opposite characters ard
cot q cling injunclions Of these two ins,ru-
| meutss and vi INCH of coursy draws after il
considerations the most Serious To he go.
yernment of the u. 6.
The Cd rea'on Of the Council IS THAT
he decree declaring British merchandizs
good prize, had principally in view cap
| lures uade on the high seas, but that tho
! question whether shipwrecked goods ought
o be restored or coHfi.cated having ale
ways been judged under The 18th article
OF the regulation Of the zeth of Jolly 1873.
AID according TO their character Chat
might have rendered lawful, or have even
commanded their seizure At seq there *
no room to introduce in this cese any new
| distinction which, however phiIsn;hropic
may appear, has not as yet been adopts
I'd as rale b. any maritime oation."
The doctrine resisted in this TsssaGe,
! and which IDcucates tbe duty of extend
ng protection to the unfortunate is rot
rev to IS majesty's couocil Of prizes
! They have themselves consecra Ell il by
| heir decision Of the 5lh of March, 1900.
! BY that decision they restored an euemy's
ship on the sipgle reason, that she had been
comfeiied 10 enter q Fl ench hori 6y stress
At sosather. 81 should equally fail" says
he attorney general, (" in respect 10 my
self and the council, before WHOM have
he honor 10 represent the government,
7Ccre NOT to maintain q fyireihke, conse-
cyated by CIR Lagv8 and By more Ct eli "a.
fions. In all circumstances let the loyalty
of the French government serve as The
basis Of your decisions. Prove yourselves
at once generous and Just, youf enemies
will know aud respect your magnaniiui.y."
such vas the principle adopted by the
council IN the year 1900, and in the case
Of an enemy's ship, yet we are now told,
that this very principle, so honorable 10
he court, 10 The nation and 10 hUmao ma
,ure, is utterly urkrown to al maritime
people. A0d OF What occasion do we hear
'his9 When an ensipy's ship is again
| brown on the French COST Mol X has
been reserved Tor the wreck Of neutral
and friendly vessel for 2 ship % The y.
States Il is not denied That had this ship
escaped the rocks aud made The Port IF
| Morlgix, The only inhOspitqE'y 10 which
she would have been exposed, (uFder the
most rigorous int probation o. The iew