The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-05-14
GCOPY.1

=. LONDON, August 20, 1906.
| The undersigned commissioners extraordinary
and plenipotentiary of the United States of Anne
rica, think 1t necessary to give to lord Holland
nary and plenipotentiary of his majesty, a brief
explanation in writing of the claims, which they
have already had the honor to mention to their
| lordships i'll recent conference of sundry Anne
rcan citizens, for suitable compensation for loss
| es and damages sustained i'll the course of the
present war, by reason Of irregular or Illegal cap
lures or COMBINATIONS of their vessels and other
property, and at the same time to call the atten
ton OF their fordshps to the situation of certain
prize Causes, arising out of some of these cap.
lures, now depending in the tribunals of this
country
The Undersigned are happy in having it in their
po"erto state That. according to the information
they have been able to obtain, such of these
CLAIMS as relate to captures, wl,ish, from causes
peculiar to themselves, have excited in America
more than ordinary degree of sensibilitv. are
not so considerable III number as at first was SUD-
posed.
The complaints of this description, to which
the Undersigned would particularly invite the at
tchtion OF their iordships, have been produced
by seizures as prize, made in direct violation of
rules OF maritime practice, previously declared
by ms miJcstyS government ts the government
OF the United States, and in no degree revoled
or affected by any arrangement between them.
OF even ny any notlhcatic., that they were about
to be abandoned.
OF these seizures the most important, and in
every view the most interesting were made in the
year 1905, and in the early part of the wear 1906
ot the ships and merchandise Of American cit
Zcns, upon the pretension, that the VOYAGES in
which they were engaged were direct or cont
nuous between the colonies of his maicsty's enc
mes and some port i'll Europe
Although II IS certain that the government of
the United States has never admitted that ile
g;hity can be imputed to such a trade even when
coniesscdiy cotlnu0us or direct, and had conclt,d
ed that ,hesqnestion had been otherwise formally
settled IN its favor; the undersigned believe il Ia
be unnecessary to bring that point into view with
any reference to the cases now under considera-
tioh IL IS sufficient to state that, at tie date of
these selzuresth the merchants ofthe United States
did explicitly understand, and were justified in n
confident beiiei, founded not only upon antece-
dent practice, but upon formal comnun;cat;on
in the year 1901, to the American minister in on
don rom his majcstys principal secretary of state
for the department Of foreign affairs that the CIR.
cumstances, by which these VOYAGES were accom-.
Complained, had been, and were distinctly admit.
ted by the British government and by British
courts OF prize, TO break their continuity. and
render them unqnestionably lawful
The following detail will shey more prec;seIv
tine nature and effect of the comn,yn;eo,;or -,
which the undersigned alule.
The public ana private armed Sims Of tb;s
country having seized American vessels. hound
from the United States to tic Snanisb IVest.In.
dies, on the pretcxt that their cargocs consisted
Of aruciesof the growth of Spain, then nj war
VIII Crest Britain, and the vice admiralty cour,
OF Nassau havlf condemned the cargo ofore of
'"eSS 'essels'upon thst pretext, Mr.. Kirg, in