The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-11-26
MR. PINXNEy TO LORD WELLESLEY.
GREAT CUMBERLAND PLACE,
January IS, 1911

my lord have the honor to inform
you, that is has been represented to me tha
two American vessels (the schooner Polly 6
the schooner Mary,) laden with Goldfish, and
bound from Marblehead to Bordeaux, in
France, have since the LIST inst. been captu.
red & brought into Plymouth asprize, for an
imputed breach of the British Orders in
Council
1t is my duty to demand the restoration of
these vessels and their cargocs 70 the Amc-
rIcan owners. together with com cnsation for
their unjust detention, .a,ii liberty to resume
the voyages which THAI dctentiSn has inter-
rupted
have the honor to be, &c.
-, (Signed) VIM. PEKNEY.
1he most no5ie tie Marquis
WeHesiey, sc. sc.
Erfract Of a iettes- from, Nj. f'nkney 70
the Secretary Of STATE Of The UiStates.
!" LONDON, February u, 1911.
received a few hours since a letter
from Lord Wellesley "a copy Of which is en-
ciosed,) in answer to mine of the 18th ult.
respecting the British Orders in Council &
Blockades.''
MARQUIS WELLESLEY ToyMR. PINSNEY.
FOREIGN OFFICE,
Februart 18th, 1911.
SlR-The letter which had the honor
to receive from you, under date thd 18th of
January, 1911, has been submitted to His
Royal Highness the Prince Regent.
In communicating to you the ordeis which
L have received from His Royal Highness
on the subject of your letter, am omman-
ded to abstain from any course f argu-
ment, and from any expression. with Chow
ever justified by the general tenor of your
observations) might tend to interrupt the
good understanding which it is TIKI wish of
His Royal Highness on behalf of his majesty
to maintain with the government If the u.
States.
No statement contained in ybur letter
appears to affect the general principles
which had the honor to communicate to
you in my letter of the 2eth of December.
1910.
Great Britain has always insisted UPON her
Fight OF seif-defence against the system of
commercial warfare pursued by France Sc
the British Orders of Council were founded
upon just principle of retaliation agAinst the
French Decrees.-The incidental operation
OF the Orders of Council upon the commerce
OF the United States (although deeply to be
lamentcd,) must be ascribed exclusively to
the violence and injustice Of the enemy.
which compelled this country to resort to
adequate means of defence. 1t cannot now
be admitted that the foundation of the ORR
ginal question should be ch,nged, and that
the measure of retaliation ALLOTTED against
France should now be relin1uished at the
desire OF the government of The us. without
any reference to the actual cyntluct Of the
enemy.
The intention has been repeatedly dccla-
red ofrepealing the Orders of Council, when.
ever France shall actually have revoked the
DEGREES OF Berlin & Milan. and shall have
restored thetrade of neutral nations to the
conditions in which it stood prelimsly to the
of those Decrees.--Even ad-
hitting that France has suspended the ope-
ration of those DEGREES, or hasrercaledthe
with reference to the United STATES, It's e.
vident that she has not relimquisled the con-
ditions expressly declared in tie letter OF
the French minister, under dac the 5th of
August, 1910. France therefre requires
that Great-Britain shall not cnly repeal the
orders OF Council, but renounce those priii-
ciples OF blockade which arc alledged in
the same letters to be new, an allegation
which must be understood to ,efer to the
introductory part of the Berlin Decree. If
Great Britain shall not submit to these
terms, IT IS plainly intimated in he same let
ter that France requires Amerca TO enforce
them.
To these conditions His Ro,al Highness
On oSutu VI Ills 1SlaJCSty, CannOtiCCeQe.--N Q
OF blockade have beea promulga-
ted or acted upon by Great-Bitain, previ-
ously to the Berlin Decree, witch are not
strictly conformablc to the righs of civilized
war, and to the approved usages and law of
natlons.--Ihe blockades established by the
Orders OF Council rest on sepa.ate grounds,
and are justified by the prin;iples of ne
cessary retaliation, in whic'l they originated.
he conditions exacted by france would
require Great-BIitain to surrender to the e.
nemy tile most important mafitime rights &c
interests of the United Kingdom.
am commanded to Inform you, that His
Royal Highness canrot consent to blend the
question which has arisen npon the Orders
ofCouncilwith any discussion Of the general
principles of blockade.
his declaration does not preclude any ..
micable discussion upon the subject of any
particular blockade, of which the circum.
stances may appear to the governmental ths
y. 5. to be exceptionable, or to require ex.
PLANTATION.
Ihave tho honof TO- be, with great respect
and consideration, sir, your most faithfu
and humble servant,
(Signed) WELLESLEY.
Mr.. P!NKEET TO LORD WELLESLEY.
BoNDoE, February Is, 1911.
MY LoRD---I have had the honor TO re.
oeiye your letter Of the 18th inst. and will
transmit copy Of It TO my government.
can have no indictment To trouble youy
Lordship any farther upon the subject which
it relates.
have the honor, &c. &C.
(Sigred) WV. PINKNEY.