Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-06-29
From Europe.


The steamer City of Baltimore, bringing
dates from Liverpool to the 5th, has arrived
We make the following extracts from her
news:
In the House of Commons, on the Sd of
June, in reply to question by w. Il. Fors.
ter, Lord John Russell said
My answer must be rather wider in extent
than the question which has been put to me-
The whole matter has been considered by her
Nlajcsty's Government, and it has been deter
mined, after consulting the law officers of the
Grown, that orders should be given to inter-
dict the ships ofwar and privatcers of both
parties from entering the ports and harbors of
the United Kingdom, or of tho colonies or
dependencies of her Majesty, with prizcs-
In order to make the matter moro clear, the
House will perhaps allow me to rcnd an ex-
tract from the dispatch which has been sent
to the India Office and to the governors of
the colonies:
"lIcr Majesty's Government arc, as YOU
are aware, dcsirous of observing the strictcst
neutrality in the contest between the United
States and the so styled Confederate States of
North America. With the view more thor
oughy to carry out that principle, VIC propose
to intcrdict the armed ships. and also the pri
vateers of both parties from carrying prizes
made by them into the ports, harbors, road
stcads waters of the United Kingdom, or
any of her Majcsty's colonies or possessions
abroad. (IIear, hcar.")
The orders went to the colonies on Satur-
day last, and they have gone to India to- day.
may also state that we have during the past
week been in communication with the French
Government upon this subject stated to
= bo 81
her Majestys Government, and asked hin,
what course tho Government of France intend
| cd to pnrsuc with regard to this subject
The French Ambassador has informed me
that the French Government propose to act
in in conformity with the existing law of France.
That existing law is founded upon an ordi.
nance passed in the year 1851 and the rule
is that in case of war in which France is
their prizes into the ports or harbors of France
or its dependencies for longer period than
twcntyfour hours. They are not allowed to
sell the eargocs' or in any way dispose of the
prizes which they have taken, and after tho
twcnty.four hours have expired they are
obliged to leave the port Therefore, the
course pursued by France is not very differ.
cnt from that which we intend to adopt.
1t is said that President Lincoln has deter
mined to adhere to that declaration of the
treaty of Paris which forbids the use of pri-
vatcers. 1t is well known that when the pro-
posal was first made to the American Govern
mcnt it was declined, on the ground that the
European Governments occu pied a different
position from those on the other side of the
Atlantic. If, indeed, England, France, and
the rest, had agreed to respect private proper
tv on tho hiuh snoa Tho mo RI IN no ,vorn ,>ro
pared to entertain the question of abolshing
privatecrs. But, according to the Cabinet at
Washington, the American Navy was too
small to forcgo the privilege of issuing letters
Of marquc. Now, it seems, the tables are
turned. The North find themselves with
considerable Navy, and their enemy, tho Con-
federate States, have no Navy at all. The
advantage which would accrue TO the North
by the abolition of privatcering is obvious
The result must be to make naval war with
the Confederate States impossible At the
same time, it is by no means clear that the
onscnt of tho North to forcgo tho privilege
Of issuing letters Of marquc would really ac-
complsh the purposes which the North has
in view At present that privilege is consis.
tent with the law of nations, and the South,
being now acknowledged to possess belligerent
rights, is entitled to issue such letters and to
have them respected. 1t seems difficult to
understand how any agreement made by tho
Northern States to abandon present prvi-
lege can discntitle tho South to its exercise.
And, therefore, it may be doubted whether
Tho North can be seriously prepared to put an
end to privateering unless similar concession
is made by tkoir Southern opponents. Is
London Times, June q,