Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-24

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In the House Of Commons, on the elb, tho
following remarks wete made by Lord. John
Russell;
Mr.. Gregory said that, in c~onseaue1ce of
the news which had arrived from America
since he had given notice Of his question on
this subject, he had been Obliged TO alter ia
wording. Mr.. Lincoln had proclaimed a
blockade of the ports of the eeven Oonfeder-
ated States, and therefore il was necessary
10 ask q question with regard to other States
which were in an attitude Of hostility to the
United States, although they did not belong
10 the South. He had 10 ask the noble lord,
the Foreign Secretary: LIST. Whether any
attempt OF the Government Of the United
States to lew Federal dues off FOREIGN YES
sells outside the ports of North Carolina and
Virginia, before such vessels break bulk.
would not be an infringement Of ~interna.
tional law, and, if so, whether our Minister
at Washington had received instructions 10
that effect2 I'd, Whether the Government
of the United States had been informed that
a blockade OF any port Of the Southern Con-
federated States, unless effective, will not be
~reeognized2 3D.. The Government of the
United States having refused 10 ~relinquish
the belligerent right of issuing letters, of
marque, the seven Southern Confederated
and sovereign States having become to the
United States a separate and independent
and foreign power, whether her Majesty's
Government recognizes the right Of the
President Of the Southern Confederacy to
issue letters OF marquo, and, il so, whether
our Minister at Washington had been noti-
fed to that effect2 Hear, hear.1
Lord j. Russell-In regard to the honor
able gentleman's first question, l have to saw
that having consulted the Queens Advocate
with respect to Federal dues TO be levied
A.H-.zr A. --wN1 &c NIL IT. -
Virginia, he stated to me that the answer to
such a question must depend entirely upon
the circumstances of the case, and that it
could not at all be declared beforehand
whether such An attempt to levy dues would
be according or contrary to international
law. Of course, no instructions on that
subject have been emit 10 Her Majesty's
Minister at Washington; but Lord Lyons is
of opinion that such an intention would be
found impracticsble, and would not be
likely TO be effective. Hear, hear.1 With
respect to the honorable gentlemsn's second
question, whether the Government of the
United States have been informed that a
blockade of any port of the Southern Con-
federacy, unless it were effective, would not
be recognized, | certainly have not felt it
necessary to give any instructions to our
Minister on that subject. 1t is well known
to Lord Lyons, and it certainly has been
i hNOiuiNh nav ny thO OAtACu bL1lG1t luhb HO
blockade could be recognized or deemed
valid unless it were an effective blockade
[hear, hear and have no doubt that there
would be no difference between her Msiesty's
Government and the Government of the
United States on that point. With regard
to the honorable members next question, as
to the belligerent right of issuing letters of
mArque, | must, in the first place, wait for
more explanation, and, in the second place,
reserve part of the answer which | have TO
give. With.respect to belligerent rights in
the case of certain portions of q State being
in instruction, there was a precedent which
seems applicable to this purpose in the year
1925.
The British Government at that time
allowed the belligerent rights of the Pro-
visional Government of Greece, and in con-
sequence of that allowance the Turkish
Government made a remonstrance. / NAV
state the nature of that reruonstranee, and
the reply of Mr.. Cannipg: "The Turkish
Government complained that the British
Government allowed to the Greeks a bellig-
erent character, and observed that it ap-
peared to forget that to subjects in rebellion
no national character could properly be.
long, But the British Government in
formed Mr.. Stratford Canning that "the
character Of belligerency was not SO much
a principle as a fact that a certain degree
VI wv ohU SOhoAotCASJI dCHulTCu Oy huy
mass Of population engaged in a war, en-
titled that population to be treated as q bel
ligerent; and, even If their title were ques-
~tionabie, rendered it the interest well un.
derstood Of all civilized nations so to treat
them for what was the alternative2 A
power or a community (call it what you
willy which was at war with another, and
which covered the sea with its cruisers,
must either be acknowledged as a bellige-
rent OF, dealt with as a pirate;' which latter
character, as applied to the Greeks, was
loudly diselaimea. In a separate dispatch
of the same date October II, 1921 Mr.. s.
Canning was reminded that when the British
Government acknowledged the right of
either belligerent to visit and detain British
merchant vessels having enemy's property
on board, and TO eonfscate such property, it
was necessarily implied as a condition OF
such acknowledgment that the detention
waSfor the purpose of bringing the vessels
obtained before an established Court of Prize
and that confiscation did not take place
until after condemnation by such competent
tribunal. ot.i
The question has been under the consider
alton of the Government. They have con-
suited the law officers of the Grown. The
Attorney and Solicitor General, and the
Queens Advocate and the Government have
come to the opinion that the Southern Con-
tederacy of America, according to those
principles which seem to be Just principles,
must be treated as q belligerent. Hear,
hear.l But further questions arise out OF
that question, with respect to which we are
still in d~oubt-as, what are the alterations
which are to be made in the law of nations
in consequence of the declaration of Paris
and those questions being of difficult and in
tricate nature have not yet been determined
upon. They are still under the consideration
of the Government, and viii be still further
considered before any declaration is made &c
other Powers. Hear, hear.l
AMERICAN LETTERS OF MARoUE.
The House having resumed, on the ques.
ton that the Speaker leave the chair, to 90
into Committee of Ways and Means, Mr.,
Crawford said he wished to put a qestion to
the Secretary of Foreign Affairs on the same
subject that had been alluded to by the hon.
orable member from Galway. He understood
sdVices had been that day received in the
city that several vessels had left the South
ern ports of America bearing letters of
mRrque from the Southern COnfederated
States. AS the Government of the United
States did not acknowledge that the property
Of n~eutrals was safe in ships bearing the
American flag, much anxiety existed on the
subject now it was known that priyateers
had put to sea. Hewished to take any steps
to protect the property Of British subjects on
board vessels Of the United States that were
liable to seizure by ships bearing Southern
letters ofmsrque.
From the London Times, May II
THE BLOCKADE TO BE ~DIsREGARDED.
The, Emperor Antoninus made a very cell
ebrated declaratiOn-that, Although the
Roman Emperor wa Lord of the Earth, the
law oaly was ruler of the sea- Mr.. Fresi-
dent Lincoln, who has been compelled to
bate a little his pretensions on land, will,
let us hope, be reasonable in his p~rstensions
as regards the sea. Compared with his inn
mediate enemies, be, no doubt is powerful
on that element. He has sauadrons in Vari-
Gus parts Of the world, all of which will
speed homeward so soon as the news reaches
them of what has already hannanAd Al