Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-07-09
THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
COMPLAINTS AGAINST AMERICAN CRUISERS

18th 6f June upon motion Of tie Marquis of CLANai
CARDE for copies Of any reports that may have been
ceyed from the Admiral commanding the British squadron
the North American and West dia station concerning
the protection fr, seizure staon afforded British
merchantmen by the Aradne sI other OF her Majesty
ships gunbuats by convoy oil erise Later English
papers have brought fuller rer of the remarks made
the occasion by Earl RUSSELL and Lord SOMERSET,
which we now place before readers:
Earl RUSSELL said: My noble fren has given IA lee
ture upnn international law somewhat desuoy its
ture, and containing decs which reet belt We upon
data of Lord StOwe the American courts upon
any opinion OF hny writer upon in ernntOns law ut
entirely conclusions formed in his head of what inter-
national law ought to be. Among th nclu ions
Trajectory as some OF them are fad that my obl FREUD
says that the captain Of American manofwar having
expantd to his Government the and grounds
for his taking possession Brh merchant ship, if
these grounds not satisfactory the ship ought to be
Immediately released will not venture t. pronounce
that opinon will pronounce opinion To the con-
trary but his must say that although the capita The
time did not make that search which he ought have
made yet when the ship is brought into port the search
of that vessel may show ground for its capture and that
prize court may decide il that vessel clearly going
enemys port and ing contaband Of war she
may be condemned in port My noble friend says can
be condemned but ought to be reeass and cannot
presume to give authoritative opinion that question
Then my nobe friend maintains that merchant ship
not be seized by begerent unless breaking the blockade
Now have understood from the various decisions have
read that if vessel found the high seas and by her
and papers prove that he is intended br ak the
blockade carry cOntraband of war an enemy that
would be ground OF capture the and that it is not
necessary that the vessel should be taken actually attempt
ing to break the blockade That her part of inter
national law into which my bic friend may wish intro
duce reform but do not think his views are quite con-
sstent with International law it ut present stands My
noble friend says now former OCCASION it is quite
clear that the object the American Government has been
to and interrupt commerce; that they could
other object but to embarrass legitimate trade aud
prevent British merchants from carrying perfectly
legitimate trade.
But in another part of his speech my noble friend says
and do not dispute his authority in THE that he has
dence that many vessels have successfully broken the
blockade of the Confederate ports that they have enter
ed with valuable cagoes of merchandise and supplied the
Confederates with articles of which they were in want
If that be the it not possible that the Amer
Government and the American navy, without any wish 10
destroy trade may be suspicious of such aid being
given to the Conedeate and that they may search very
narrowly and very strictly the vessels they find some of
them no doubt pretending to go t. neutral ports, but
they think not intended for those ports but ports Of the
Confederates The two things do not go we'll together
one, that our commerce of perfectly innocent ma
ure that there can be preext for searching shps
except wish 10 and embarrass our commerce and
the other that we carrying successful trade
by running the blockade and introducing goods into the
Confederate ports.
For my part not disposed to attribute to the Anne
can Government that magnlty against this country aud
that hostile intention which my noble friend attributes to
them but did think it necessary to inform Lord LYONS
That there was an impression in this country that
Bh ships that had been seized did appear be intend
ed for neutral ports and that they had been seized In
reckless manner without just ground In regard to the
particular vessels the American Government answered
that there are sufficient grounds and that they will be
proved before the prize courts Therefore, with regard
to the special vessels, cannot give any information TO
Parliament because the questions still pending before
the prize courts In America but with regard to the
raj statement made and the general allegations which Mr.
Secretary Seward makes in return should have no OBJ
lection to give to my noble friend the correspondence
which has taken place on that subject.
With regard to the other question-ihe decisions
prize courtI must say lament that the Constitution of
the United States such that instead of being brought
at before the Court of Admiralty, where generally
you have very eminent judge to preside perfectly well
acquainted with the law of nations such 90 in the
first instance before the District Courts, then, think
before Circuit Court and il only after considerable
delay that they before the Supreme Court of the
United States say this because believe we should all
very much respect decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States and it is to be amented that there should
be considerable delay before the Judgment of that rbr.
nal be obtained believe that the Judge now at the
head of the Supreme Court though above eighty
years of age retains the whole vgor of his acues that
his memory furnished with knowledge of all the CAGES
applicable to the questions that before him. and his
decisions would be received with respect not only in
America but in this country.
Well, my noble friend went on to discuss the law Of
blockade and ne laid down propositions which would GER
tanly not be admitted by prize courts He laws it
down. on the authority of Mr. Monroe that the coast can
not be blockaded and thst you must blockade the par
tcuar port and not the coast We one time bockaded
the coast of France from Bres to Dunkk and when we
were NJ war with America blOckaded not less than
two thousand miles of coast and if we did so should
sl if we were at with the United States hold that
such blockade legitimate one do not see how we
say although CONSIDER the blockade of two
thousand miles of coast to be perfectly legitimate block
ade of two thousand FIVE hundred three thousand miles
is such monster of illegally that should find it impos
sble to recognise it The very declaration which my
noble friend refers namely the declaration of Paris
recognises not only the blockade of ports but of coasts
[" Hear, from Lord Clanrcarde Ny noble friend does
not deny that to be the Well then what becomes
Of the Monroe doctrine of blockade GHear, hear.
With regard to this question: having soon after the be-
ginning OF The blockade collected together all the reports
commanders of her Msesys navy who had run along the
coast and reckoned the number of the ships each par
cuar part asked the law officers OF the crown whether
the blockade Of the Southern of America was such
blockade they considered effective according the de-
caranon OF Paris and having received their opinion that
IL was effective, elt bound not TO set up opinion OF
my own not to invent any theory blockade but t,
be guided by the legitimate authorities and take that de-
caraton OF the law officers OF the Grown as that by which
should be guided Hear hear.l My noble friend gave
certain instances as to which my noble friend the noble
duke at the head OF the Admiralty will be able to give
more correct answer than pretend to do but my
noble friend ended by saying that in his opinion this was
not an effective blockade, and that we ought immediately
declare it to be blockade that could not recognize
will not cay that such declaration and the acts fol-
lowing IT would involve us in but II would undoubt-
eddy involve consequences which your ordshp could not
contemplate without sorrow and affection Yet will not
use aoy argument against it, My lords persons who come
from the part of the United Kingdom as nv noble
friend does seem to think that the who of the honor of
nation consists IN resisting what they deem not legal
or legitimate and that you must at resent it, Now
do not think that the whole honor of nation does az
consist 1t was said BY great historical authority by
Mr. Hume in his account Of the reign Of James III in re-
gard to the condemnation Of Lord STAFFORD and the rest