The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-03-01
mo. 3
FOREIGN OFFICE, Dec. s, 1910
SIR,

VIII nave tne RoouneSS 10 COMMIT the SUBSTANCE
Of it to writing, at the earliest time which may
suit your convenience.
AS soon as l shall have received such writ.
ten statement from you, shall be anxious to re-
turn an official reply in the same form.
Under these circumstances il may perhaps be
unnecessary that you should take the trouble of
calling at this Office tomorrow.
If, however, you should be DESTROYS of seeing
me, shall be ready to have the honor of receiv-
ing you between Two and three o'clock.
] have the honor to be,
(Signed)
WELLESLEY.
Wns. Pinkney, Esq. &c &c. &c.
(No.3 81
Mr.. Pnkney to Lord Wellesley.
GREAT CuMBKRLAND PLACE,
10th December, 1910.
MY LORD,
In compliance with the request con-
tanned in your note of the 9th inst. proceed to
recapituiste in this letter with some variations
however) the statements and remarks which l
had the honor to make in our conference of the
Sth respecting the revocation of THE French de-
crees, as come cted with change ofsystem here
on the subject of neutral rights.
Your lordshp need not be told that should
have been happy. to offer at much earlier mo-
ment every explanation in my power on matters
of my country and the future character of its To-
reign relations, if had been made to understand
that explanation was desired.
My writtea communications of August and
November were concise, but they were not in
tended TO be Insufficient. They furnished evi
dence which thought conclusive, and abstain
ed from labored commentary because deemed
it superhuous. had taken up an opinion, which
/ abandoned reluctantly and late, that the
British government would be eager to follow
the example Of France in recalling, as it had pro-
fessed to do in Promulgating that extraordinary
system OF maritime annoyance, which in 1907
presented to neutral trade in almost all its di.
rectons the hopeless alternative of inactivity or
con6scation which considered it as subject
to be regulated, like the trade of the United
Kingdoms, by the statutes of the British p rita
ment and undertook to bend and fashion it by
every variety Of expedent to all the purposes
and even the caprices of Great Britain ! had
no idea that the remnant of that system, produc-
tive of no conceivable advantage to England,
and deservedly odious, for its theory and deg
tructive effects to others, could survive the pub
lie declaration of France that the edicts of Ber-
lin and Milan were revoked. Instructed at
length, however, by your Lordship's continued
silence, and alarmed for the property of my fell
low citizens, now more than ever exposed, BY
an erroneous confidence, to the ruinous operati.
on of the British orders, was preparing to sup.
monstrance, wien received the honor of your
note of the 9TH inst In the conference which
ensued troubled your Lordship with a verbal
communication, of which the following is nearly
the substance.
The doubts which appear to stand in the way
of the recall of the British orders in council (un.
der which denomination include Gel tan orders
of blockade of kindred principle and spirit
must refer to the manner, or, the terms, or the
Practical efecf of the alledged repeal of the de-
cTceS 0f France.
That the manner of the proceeding is salts.
factory to the b. itish government cannot be Ques
toned since it is precisely that in Which it's
own numerous orders for es ablshIng modifying
or removing blockades and other maritime OBJ.
structions, are usually proclaimed TO neutral
states and merchants.
The French repeal was officially notified on
the 5th of August to the minister plenipotenta.
ry of the United States at Paris by the French
minister of Foreign Affairs as had the honor
to inform your lordship in my letter of the 25th
of the same month, which not only gave the i'm
port, but Gas the enclosed copy will shew) a.
dopted the words of general Armstrong; state
ment to me Of the tenor and effect Of that no.
tee.
On the 9th of August the notification of gen.
Armstrong was published in the Meniteur, the
official journal Of the French government, as the
act of that government, & thus became a formal
declaration and public pledge to all who bad
an interest in the matter of it.
1t would be waste of time to particularise
the numerous instances of analogous practices in
England, by which this course is countenanced
but recent example happens to be before me,
and may therefore be mentioned. The partial
REGAL, OF modification, of the English blockade of
the ports and places Of Spain from GijOn to the
French territory Itself known to my government
only through circular notification 10 me, reci-
q.
clared to the American and other governments
in exactly the same mode.
think it demonstrate that the terms in which
the French revocation was announced, are lust
as free from well founded objection as the man
Her.
Your Lordshp's view of them is entirely I'm.
known to me but am not ignorant that there
are those in this country, who, protesting to
nave examined them with care, and having GER
tainly examined them with jealousy, maintain
that the revocation, on the LIST Of November, was
made to depend, by the obvious meaning of those
terms, upon condition precedent which has
not been fulfilled, namely, the revocation by G
Britain of Ter orders in council, including such
biocksding orders as France complains of as il.
legal.
lfthis were even admitted 10 he so, am vet
TO learn upon what ground Of justice the Bri-
tsh government could dccEne TO meet, by a
similar oct on its part, an advance, thus made
to it BY rs adversary On the face oftbe world to-
wards a cooperation in the great work OF res
toring the liberty Of the ocean, so far at least as
respects the orders in couaci of 1907 and 1909