St. Mary's beacon., 1861-06-13

ago that By the lav a naeioss. priv.assr-
ing v.s piracy. and that consequently. tAs
northern States wouli Ls perfectly jusli6.
Cd h earring out thsir threat - treat ~
psivatsssiRg . pirasy. and visiting i viii
capital pusishmeat- I apprehssd that i
there Is one thing clearer than asn,sher. i
i that By ahe lav u nations privsacesing
l. mi pifacy-that n enactneat On the
rart Of any one nation can nsaks that p
r.cy Is regards the subjects Of anothes
coantry, which i nos pir.ey By .Ae laws
II ua8ions. o. By the lzw a that eo1ntry.
The northesn States. therefore. must not
be allowed 70 entertain the opiaion-al-
though It iaay be right that w SHOULD
warn British subjects that il they should
engage in privatecsing cxpeditins -they
win not BE- eatitled to clsin the proeecsioa
Of their govesnmeat-that they ars q lib
ert, 30 to STRATA the law ~ b eoavert psi-
vafeering into piracy and yisia L with death.
The punishment under such circumstances
Of persons entitled to Her Majesty's pro-
tection would not be viewed With indiasr-
ence. but would receive the moss serioss
consideration by tLis country. Il 10 right.
on the one hand. that the people Of this
country should be warned Of the peril Of
engaging in psiv.seering undertakings |;
but il - essentially necesssry, on the 9TH
e.. that the northern States should not be
induced to rely upon our forcbeafauce With
regard to violation Of the lsw sf nations
BY visiting psiv.tecring vith pea.lty
which Is ss& attached to It By that lsw.
(Hear.l
Il 10 said that the Northern St.ees treat
the Southern Confederation, nos n hav-
ing the rights Of belligerents. but As rsb-
els. whose acts will be visited with al the
penalties Of high treason. including capt.
tai punishn,ent. But that Is not . doc-
trine We admit because We have Declared
that the Southern States are entitled TO the
rights of beligerents The Northern States
on the one hand, cannot be entitled 70
claim the rights Of belligerents for them
selves, and, on the other. 70 treat the
Southern States not as bclligcrcnts bat ~
rebels. These are the tvo points upon
which It il most desirable that an under
standing should be come to between her
M@jesty's Ministers aud the government
Of the United States-first. that We can
not recognize any except y really effective
blockade such - the United States may
be able to enforce; aud sscoudly. that Ne
cannot recognise the doctrine that. by any
proclamation or enactment. the Northern
States have power ~ against the Southern
Confederation to treat privatecring as pi-
racy. and to visit it with death.
LORD BRoUauAx or pRIvArEgGlNo.
Pivatecring. however much It might be
reprehende,l. was undoubted, iu the case
Of recognised belligerents. not piracy &C.
cording to the law Of nations, ~ that Law
was ut present understood and admipis-
tered; but, If any persons. subjects Of this
country. fitted out . vessel against another
country with which We we're At peace. that
in itself constituted piratical act. and h.
was clearly Of opinion that the persons 70
acting would have ouly themselves to
blame If after full warning they entered
upon that course. Taking Into .coosnt
the great changes and improvements in all
the appliauees Of warfare which had Ur
late years taken place, We should hold
that coal might BE- looked upon as amount
ing 70 contraLand of war, If furnished
70 QUE of the belligerents tn be used IN
warfare against the other. He might add
that he entirely eoucurred IN the opinion
that It was not necessary that blockade.
in order to be looked upon as effective.
should be of such nature as to render
access to any part of the coast impossible,
but that it would be sufficient to constitute
it real blockade, that it precluded the
existence Of auy reasonable chance Of en-
trance.
AN EXPLANATION DEMANDED.
Lord Chelmsford said he wished to
bring tho opinion to which his noble and
learned friend had given expression to .
test. The Confedersted States Of Ameri-
ca were admitted BY her Majesty's gpv-
erunent to be entitled t. exercise the
rights Of q belligerent power. That be-
ing 20, he ehould wish to know frola his
noble and learned friend whether he
meant to contend that If an English ship
we're commissioned BY those States. and
fitted out as privateer against the feder-
al government. her crew would. under
such circumstances, be guilty Of piracy.
British suit ects SO engaged would. no
doubt, be answerablc to the laws Of their
own country; but it Vas perfectly clear
that. in accordance with the principles Of
international Law. they would not be liza
bic TO be treated - pirates. That warn
ing should be given to English seansen BY
means Of the proclamation Was. Of course.
. most useful and necessary step. and If
after that warning they would engage in
sush expeditions = those 70 which he VAS
referring. they must. Of course. take the