The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-10-30

Steam Bawss
Easl Rasselih speech, h whlch ne declared ehe
eoassaplAesa movements Of the Covesnmena with
regard % the sseam sams, has caused great ALARM
With TIE British shipsaas iasesess. The Loadoa
A1sastls 0asaye, ies representative osRaa, hos 4
lsag argument In oppoatsion 10 The thrsateaed ae-
sios OF the Mistsssy Afses qsosias that pasaass
In which the Earl says Pasllameas will be called
on TO pass "farthsr measures, - the 0aasxs says:
It 10 impossible to avoid the eonclusioa thai this
passage points directly 10 the Iron ciads in eour.e
Of construction At 0iekeahsad, and that IN the
event Of shs exts!tns law proving inaaaiciehs to
has on hand. Government are prepared to come
down TO Parliament, either for indeu,wlty for the
contemplated interference with the iron -clads or
inr special act Of Parliament prohibit tiels con-
stIucti0a. II this course be taken by The COverw-
msnt u VIII Involve violation Of the neutrality
OF tn,s country OF 50 direct . character that we
CANNOT suppose II can possibly meet with the sane
ton Of the Legislature.
We have from time TO tise, and with considern-
pie n'inuteness, endeavOred 10 explain the pFinci
pies OF the existing law as applicable to the con-
st!uction and supply Of these iron-ciasis; and we
think we have succeeded In showing that Mr.
Laird, 80 far, has infringed no law, municipal
International, in executing the orders he has re
ceived for the vessels In question. Nor have the
construction. They have only, 1t Is understood,
intimated that the iron cads will not be permitted
to leave the Mersey until proof of their destina
tion Is furnished which will satisfy the Govern
inenf, aud II is stated that the Liverpool, of the
ships Of the channel ladr0n, has been stationed
In the Mersey to see that this intimatiOn is re-
spected. We can foresee that the course adopted
by the Government in this matter 10 likely to lead
10 emban assing consequences. The osdes fOr these
vessels has come, II Ii said, from French house.
portion Of the purchase money may, for anything
we know to the contrary, have been already
ceivcd by the builders. When the vessels are
lpf led tbp rc n will hav iuht ID
maud that they shall be delivered to their order at
some port, probably, in France.
On what lesa! ground can Her Majesty's Gov
ernment undertake to prohibit this delivery
port, and are delivered there, their subsequent
destination cannot compromise the neutrality
which they say II is their earnest desire and con
slant effort to maintain. IL from a French port
these vessels sail To a Confederate port, or are
taken into the service Of the COnfederates, II
becomes a matter clearly for the consideration
Of the French Government, who are PROBABLY
aware that there are at the present moment, in
some Of the French building yards, iron -clads
in course Of construction whose destination Is
much better understood than that Of the steam
rams in the Mersey.
But If the British Government, in addition to
the interdct upon the departure of these
sells, proceeds TO ask the assent Of Parliament to
the !" further measures" hfnted at by Lord Rus
sell they render themselves liable once to the
charge OF compromising their neutrality In favor
of the Federals for by preventing the Confede-
rates from obtaining in our ports assistance of
which they stand in need, in the shape of ships,
while they permitted the unmpeded expectation
of everything which the Federals require. they
confer an advantage upon the latter which they
deny the former, and thereby unquestionabiy az
ford the Confederates just ground of complaint
Vattel defines strict neutrality between beiliger-
ents to consist of two obligations: 1. TO give no
assistance where there Is previous stipulation
TO give it, nor voluntarily to furnish troops, arms
or anything of direct use of war"
dnASn nfNf ffAf
trail must not refuse tO one Of the parties, merely
because he is at war with the other, what he
grants Others" The first Oflhese obligations has
been disregarded openly ever since the commence
ment OF this American struggle; nor, indeed, can
II be said to have strictly governed the conduct OF
any neutral states In any recent war.
But there IL, nevertheless, an obvious and a
paramount duty imposed upon all neutraIs, and this
duty consists in the observance of strictly even
handed conduct between the cOntending parties,
so that neither can complain that an advantage Is
gwen To his antagonist which he is unable to OBJ
tain III this principle really governed the acts
and policy Of her Majesty's Government, they
would be compelled 10 adopt one of two alterna-
tives-either to interdict all trade with the Amer-
can belligerenis during the continuance OF the
war, or permit that trade, of whatever it may con
sist, to be pursued without question or interrup-
tion. Our Government do neither.
They do not prOhibit-which the law enables
them to do--the export of 6. arms, ammunition,
naval and military stores,' and 9TH
articles required fOI All armed struggle, but they
forbid the subjects Of the crown to furnish steam
rams, because sssuch vessels might be used for
purposes of war without ever touching the shores
of the Confederate ports" If this be the adop-
tion Of strict neutrality 1t is difficult to under
stand the meaning of the term. But this Is not
the only inconsistency which marks the policy of
the Government in regard the American beiliger-
ents.
Earl Russell was loudly applauded by his audi
ence at BlairgOwrie, when he said he ''would not
yield one jot of British law or British right in
sequence of the menace Of any foreign power. -
cheer in any assembly OF EhglIshmen; bnt it came
singular after his lOrdship's announce
ment that ministers might find it necessary to a.k
the sanction of Parliament " TO further measures"
for the preservation of neutrality. What these
measures may be we know not, but they must in
volve some change in the municipal law Of this
country, which law Earl Russell, Notwithstanding
his brave words, is ready to amend at the instance
of the Federal Government.
Ii is secret that the steps taken respecting the
Alexandria and the iron cads have all originated
on the pressure put upon the Government by Mr..
Adams and those he represents at Washingtnn.-
But whatever may be the effect upon Eall Russell
and his colleagues of that pressure we cannot be-
lieve that ii will have much influence the Brit
ish Parliament or lead to any change in the exist
ing law. A very few years have elapsed since an
Administration which attempted to induce the
Legislature 10 amend our laws in obedience to Il
foreign menace, fell lignomniously, and the attempt
II repeated, Will, we need not doubt, be attended
with similar result.