The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-12-20

DEGREES and orders, which for the last for
years, have nearly obliterased every trace
OF the public law of the world. and discou.
ragged by menaces of hostile interruption,
and pursued with seizure and confiscation,
the fairest and most innocent trade of neutral
merchants.
1t may now be hoped that those DEGREES
ana orcers are about to disappear forever :.
aud think may presume that as my gov,
ernment expects, no blockade. like that os
May, 1906, will survive them
Your lordship has informed me, in a re-.
cent note, that 1t is "his majesty's earnest
desire to see the commerce of the world re-
stored to that freedom which is necessar.
Tor its prosperity" And canuos SUPPOSE
that this freedom is understood to he consis.
tent with vast constructive blockatles. winch
may be SO expanded az pleasure as. witHour.
inc and oiany new devise. to cypress and an
hin',ate every trade but that which England
thinks lit 10 lcence. 1t is not, am sur. to
such freedom that your lordship can be tho'e
to alnde
am the more inclined to be confitlen, an
TINS point, because have now before me
well known official exposition. conceived in
terms the most exact, of the British doc
trlne or blockade, as II stood IN 1904, COM
tanned in the reply Of Mr.. Merry, his maies.-
tvs minister in America. TO the very able.
Madison TO Mr.. Thornton.
In that reply, (of the 18th of April, 18O4.t
is formall sahnounced to the government OF
The u "by his rnaiesty's command, SIG.
mined to Mf Merry, by the principal Secre-
tary ofStaie for foreign affairs, that for
,edressing the grievance, complained of
oy the American government, orders had
been sent TO commodore Hood (and the ne
Cessary directions given to the vice admiral
he \
TO consider any blockade of the Islands of
martinique add Gaudaloupe as existing, un-
less IN respect OF particular ports which
might be actually invested and then not
tocapture vessels bound to such ports, unless.
they should previously have been warned
not to enter them"
II IS natural 10 conclude that though the
grievance, which this frank con,Inunica-
ton condemns, has been since SO often re-
peated. as almos to make US lose sight Of
the rule in the multitude of its violations :.
your lordshiP could not speak of the resta-
ration OF the just freedom, of commerce as
an event desired by Great Britain. withouc
some reference 10 the neglected doctrine Of,
this paper, and without some idea of revivinr,
1t.
With regard to the blockade of May
1906, regret that l have failed to obtain AN
admission, apparently warranted by facts,
and invited by circumstances, that it is no, irr
force.
Your lordShip'S answer to my letters of.
the 18th February aud 9TH of March iasr.
appeared to justify the opinion, thar mis-
blockade sunk into the orders in council Of
loO7, with which it was perfectly ccneenI-
al. 1t can scarcely be said that since the
PRONUNCIATION of these orders, there has
been even shew OF maintaining it. as an
actual blockade, by stationary force ade-
quate or inadequate, distributed with thai
view along the immense line of coast which.
1t affected TO embrace and if il has nor
been constantly so maintained, nor even ar
tempted to be maintained, as an actual.
blockade. but has yielded its functions sincA
1907, to orders in council, neither being nor
professingto be, actual blockades. it NAV. r
Imagine, be very safely asserted, that il ex.
lists no longer.
But as this conclusion has not been a,,ont-S
ed, but has raih been resisted nv your
lordship, 1t is my duIy in transmitting he,
enclosed copy Of an act of the CONGRESS of
the y. 3. passed on the lst or Nav 1910 emit.
tied " An act concerning the comn,crci,r
intercourse between the u s and @ r
and France, md their ependencies, and for.
other purposes" to state 30 your lord hin
that an ahnumenI OF the blockade of Nav
1906 is Considered by the President. tn
be as indispensable, in the view of tha, act.
as The revocation of the British orders II,
council.
have the honor ODE.
Win high considerations
t' NJ " lord, your lordsb;n,s