The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-13
BeIliserent Rights nj Sea.

| In the British House of Commons on the
| 18th instant, MIR. Horsfall asked the noble
Lord, the Secretary of State for Foreign Az
fairs, whether any step had been taken by
| her Majesty's Government with the view oi
| carrying out the recommenda tions of the
shipping Committee of last year, on the sub
ject of belligerent rights at sea.
Lord John Russell-No steps ha We been
taken by her MaJestys Government with u,
View OF carrying ont the recommendations OF
the Shipping Committee of last year, on ti
subject OF the beliigerent rights at sea. anc
perhaps the House will allow me TO state III.
reasons for which lfive not taken any such
steps. l found that when the matter was
under discussion with the American Govern
inent the opinion of Lord Clarendon seems to
nave been unfavorable to the proposal thai
private property at should be respected
during war No final decision was come to,
ma no Official communication was made, an,.
Tue American Government expressed a wish
taat all communications upon the suhiec,
ebouid be suspended. Some time after wards
hr Dallas read 10 me dispatch of cousidera-
ole length and much ability, which was ad-
dressed to Mr. Mason, at Paris In that dis
patch IT was stated by the American Goyern
ineht that 1t was impossible that private pro-
perty on board belligerent vessels should he
respected at sea but General Cass added thai
de considered that the right of blockade rs
authorized by the law of nations, was great
touse; th;tt the only case in which bloc kade
ought to be permitted was when a land army
was besleging Il fortified place, and q flee
was employed TO blockade it on the other side
put that any attempt to interrupt trade by q,
blockade, or to blockade places which Wer.
commercial ports, was an abuse which ought
not 10 be permitted. That, of course OPENED
4 stiii wider ques ton. My answer to that
oispatch was simply that, the war had
ceased, and the treaty of Paris had b en- con-
-luded, 1t was not advisable to continue thai
discussion. The proposition itself seems to
me TO be one OF the utmost magnitude. 1t is.
In tact, a proposal that, there being two Pow
efs, one OF which has very strong army and
strong navy, the other having an army in.
ieflor IN numbers, but superior navy
the Power which has the superior navy
should forego all the advantage to be derived,
irom that source, and allow the contest to be
decided by military force alone. Hear hear
us adoption would III the next place teuu
rather to prolong than shorten wars becaus.
one way IN which a great maritime power
tan act 4 beliigerent is to cripple the trade
of its opponent. The greater its strength as
4 maritime Power, the greaterits power 10 do
this, and the better its chance of bringing the
war 10 Il favorable termina ton. If this pro-
position were accept1t., the whole of the
power would be gone which has hitherto reu.
d"red Great Britain so formidable at sea
Hear, hear In the next place. l perceive
fiic cnities in detail which would b., insur-
mountdple. The mercantile navy of Il bellig-
erent would be free from capture, but 10 one
could say when number OF vessels, appar-
entity merchant ships. appeared off the coast
that they might not be used for PURPOSES of
war, and that they did not con tain
The noble Lord was here called to orderand
although the Speaker decided that he was in
order, he did not further pursue the subject