The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-04-30

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the total would be more astonishing than
they are in our calculation of the cotton
and tobacco crops.
We have touched this novel and rather
curious point Of commercial and agricultu-
raj investigation, with the hope of eliciting
as we'll as contributing information concern
ing the resources Of that vast empire, to
which public attention is now more than
ever directed.
IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN MARITIME LAW
In several instances where merchant vessels
supposed to belong to Russian owners, were
seized by the English fleet during the war,
condemned as legal prizes by the Courts Of
Admiralty, and sold for the benefit of the
captors. appeals have heen made to tho
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council,
and that Court has recently pronounced
judgment. reversing the decisions of the
Court below, and declaring that the vessels
in question have been illegally seized and
sold. The tenor and tendency of this de-
cisi"n being to extend the liberty of the
trader, and increase tie protection If neu-
trail commerce, brief sketch of the facts
may not prove uninteresting.
In one case. that Of the Ariel, the ship
was Russian, and was owned by Russians
at Lihau, who. when the war broke out,
disposed Of her to the son Of the D"nish
Consul at Libau at reduced price, part
of which. 1t was agreed, should he paid out
of the future earnings of the ship. The
vessel thus sold made voyage to this coun-
try. and on her way back put into Belfast
Creland.) where she was seized us Russian
ship under Danish colors. She was con.
demned and sold, on the ground that the
sale by the Russian owners to neutral
just as war was breaking ont (inaminete
dcllo0 was not sufficient to protect her
against seizure by the British vessels, and
because, from the circumstances of the sale
there was reason to believe that it was not
bona file, The Privy Council have deci
ded that not only is bona .fde sale by an
enemy to neutral on the eve of war per.
frctly legal and to be respected, hut even a
sale while war is going on (qoyrnnte Jello.)
is valid, provided the vessel he in port and
not on voyage. Tie fact that the full
price of the Ariel was not paid, and that
the balance was to he liquidated out of her
future earnings, WAS held to lie no proof
that the sale was not real. or that the VEN
doris interest had not ceased altogether
The other cnses in which the Privy Coun-
Gil have reversed the decisions of the Court
of Admiralty, are those of vessels helons-
ing to Iouian, Waliachian and Greek firms,
trading with tile Danubian Princpali,ies,
which were seized as prizes by British cru
sers in the Black Sea, on the ground that
they belonged TO an encmy's country and
had broken the blockade Of the Danube,
which was duly proclaimed on tile 2d of
June, 1854. and as such were condemned
and sold. Although the Danubian Princi-
palities were held and occupied by Russia
at the time these seizures were made, the
Privy Council declare that this temporary
and violent occupation of territory legally
belonging to the Sultan, and whose inhabi-
tants never transferred their allegiance from
their legitimate sovereign, does not oonsti.
tute Moliavia and WalIachia Russian pro.
vinces, or render the ships of native or for
eign owners leaving ports of these provin-
ces, liable to seizure as belonging to an
enemy. 1t was also decided that the cap
tured vessels had not broken a blockade,
because, the blockade having been declared
for the purpose Of preventing the importa.
ton of grain or provisions Of any sort into
the PrncipalitIes and thus embarrassing the
Russians, and the captured Ships having
been found exporting provisions, they could
not properly be condemned for doing that
which injured the enemy and served the
purpose for which. the blockade WIS pro.
claimed. Several ships have been thus
Improperly seized and sold. whose owners
are now declared entitled to receive full
compensation from the British Admiralty
for the loss they have sustained.
In former wars, England acted differ.
emily. Countries occupied by an enemy
were invariably treated as hostile. and their
IL -,.-n I.