Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-02-18

| free ship, unless they are soldiers and 10
ac.ual service Of the euemy."
/ Two important considerations attract
! our attention 10 these articles, the first 's,
,ha, that the ships Of one parry shall sail
I freely 10 the ports Of az enemy Of the O.
ther parry, such ports not being actually
invested or bloekaded: We cannot lnsult
| ,hc undertaking Of osrroaders BY ss o..
tempt to shew fhae port cannot be 0sf1a alF
III Invested or blockated, wi:hous sos.e
| force being stationed near such pors and
| itis equally uapecessaryfor as TO shew shEt
France is NOT able 70 blockade or iavess
the ports Of Great Britain. The second
! considerations b thas free ships are to aaake
| fres goods, 10 other words 40 applcable 20
the presens slbjeci, shas Briash property
inAmerican vessels is 20 be protected from
French seizure or capture. It the pro.
perty Of British subjects is to pc pforr,ed
| IN our vessels. ! fsstiori, that which Was
British properly, but is now American,
must be protected. 10 defence of these
rights, we 6nd BY ehe representa- ion Of our
consul q. Hambsg MIR. Forbes, ,hss the
| French agents hive seised property oo
board of an American vessel, 10 a neutral
port, because she american owSer was not
prepared 20 shewthas the goods were not
OF British manufacture or origin 10 Bre
mes. another neutrA state, the French SO
verEmcns has gone pe step further, for it
declares by its consl Lagau, tha, any
goods of whatever kind, thss Euglsnd can
furnish che same shall he seqpestered, &c
These are some of ,hoe circumstances Of
aggrays.ion aud injustice. TO which We
have alluded already, ard thas did DO, APP
pear in the original deere. Alter this dl
preston, we return to o exasainasion OF
the conduct Of The American government
upon this occasion. Tbs only public no
lice which this government has taken OF
This decree will be found the correspen
deuce of Mr.. Armstrong. The answer ct
The French minister of maIine (who declar.
ed himself not au,horised) is the only eg.
PLANTATION which Gas fsr shpublic is inf5m
edo the French governmn, has given ct
this decree. This answer We now fepubllsh
and which is as follows
LTRANSLATION.]
(" PARIS, 9th Dec. 1906.
:" Mr.. Minister Pienihotentiary,
IS hasten to answer the note which you did
me the honor to address to me on the Goth of
this month.
" consider the imperial deuce OF the Sist
of November last, as, thus far, conveying no
modification OF the regulations at present OBJ
served in France with regard to neutral navi-
gators, nor consequently of the convention of
the 3oth of September, 1900, 18th Vcnde-
miaire, 9th yearj with the United States of
America,
g But although, by this answer, the four
questions upon which your excellency has de-
sired to know my opinion, have been impli-
city resolved, think can add, lst. That
the declaration expressed by the first article
OF the decree of the 2lst November, not at
all changes the present French laws concern
ing maritime captures, there is no reason for
enquiring what interpretation, or restriction,
or extension may be given 10 this article.
GO, That seizures contrary to the present
regulations concerning cruizing, shall not,be
allowed to the captures.
g Sd. That an Americas vessel cannot be
taken at sea for the mere reason that she is
going for a Fotof England, or is returning
from one, because consormably with the 7th
article Of the said decree, weeare limited in
France not to admit vessels coming from Eng
iand or the English colonies.
6 4th. That the provisions of article ID and
sth of the sad decree, naturally apply TO fo-s
reign citizens domiciliated in France or in the
countries occupied by the troops CT his majes
~ and king, inasmEch as they have the cha
racter Of a general law: but that it VIII be
proper that your excellency should communi.
cate with the minister Of exterior relations as
to what concerns the correspondence of the
citizens of the United States Of America with
En- -