The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-03-21
4ittmond 0ispatth,
The Neutrality Question,

motion offered by Mr.. GREGORY, "That an
humble address be presented to Her Majesty,
praying that she will be graciously pleased
to use her influence with foreign PowcIs for
:" the purpose of making the principle that
"privatc property should be free from capture
Eat sea 4 maxim of international law
The Attorney General is the first law officer
of the Crown, and il may be assumed that his
expressions represent the policy and opinions
of the entire Cabinet. 1t Will hc noticed that
the speech contains more than one expression
of confidence in the good faith Of the United
States Government, and the whole tendency
81 the British Ministry, in spite of laudable
displays of self graduation and sclf-cstecm, -
evidently towards Il resumption OF the
| - BEIGHr- CoBpEH doctrine Of Peace atany
price"
The ATTORNEY GENEEAL commenced by sta
ting that he should not discuss the question
before the House upon legal grounds alone,
but would endcayor 10 address himself 10 the
many important ques tions Of public policy
which ii contained. lie said that in military
warfare there is no rule under color of which
the principle could be- adopted that private
property should be free from capture at sea.
"The rules which regulate warfare by land
do not rest on any code Of laws Or"vOnYcutlons,
they rest solely on the moral sense and pubic
opinion of nations, and they are necessarily OF
/ variable and indetcrminatc character.
He referred to the case of the Denmark claims
for compensation for such privat" property
confiscated during the war as happened 10 be in
the dominions Of The hostile Power when the
war commenced and agreed that the claims
were Just. He agreed i'll the principle
.sthat the public sense OF mankind VIII not
.allow any abuse Of power by persons cor-
"ductingmlitary operations by land" But
d" ships have no fixed homes, and the course oi
trade is not matter of Indispensable ncceS-
"sity but depends upon the varied occupations
land exigencicS of mankind In the cas-" OF
ships, the risk Of loss or capture was under
stood, and persons could insure-the loss fall
ing not on the insured or insurers, but upon
the commercial world, or, ut all events, the
whole shipping interest OF the country.
Those risks being understood, and beng III
.'their nature avoidabr by diversion OF the
course Of trade, common interests and the
public interest were much more involved i'll
''them than were those OF private indi-
''yiiualS"
The object of bclligerent warfare at sea Is
the invasion or capture of territory, or great
naval battles. A maritime Power might esta-
blish Il blockade and operate against the gene
raj national resources OF her enemies In mo-
iern warfare, the great use of blockadinS was
TO cripple the national resources Of the enemy.
He thought that few - such efficient boclad"s
could bc pointed 10 as those which had been
established b. the United States Of Ame-
'rica, and, whether efficient or n"lhcicnt
they had been 4 "most powerful instrument
in bringing that war TO Il conclusion. He
said that "they all knew the dimensions 10
which our merchant ships had Of late years
"attained They had attained the greatest
power, and could most easily be converted
Unto formidable ships-ol-war. lie had been
"only too well made acquainted with that
" fact during the continuance of the American
- war and by The numerous cases reported TO
"the Government as TO vessels suspected TO be
fitted out for the Confederate States.
Powerfully built mercantile vessels might
with ease be adopted for warlike purposes,
and mercantile seamcn might, ut any time, be
made available in war, 50 that al was quite
" impossible not 10 perceive that the greatest
"risk would be- run by allowing Il navy OF that
- description to grow up and flourish around
" them" But no universal rule OF this kind
could be established unless ii rested upon in
ternational compact, and " then he assumed
"that professions would BE- made Of its OBJ
" "seryancp.' He then stated that England
would endeayor to carry out such a contract,
if made, in good faith; but if it was broken by
other countries, the breach OF compact would
:" be cloaked by all sorts of excuses and protes-
" sions of good faith" He then continued:
"No one SAYS the right of search could Be
given up, and il was perfectly clear that II
blockade was 10 be allowed, and If contra
band of war was not 10 be admitted, II prl-
yate property alone was TO be respected, there
would be Il multitude of grounds on which
ships might be taken, aud would be taken
They might be visited and searched, ana IL al
any time it was alleged that ship engaged III
commerce belonging L belhgcrent state was
conveying public property. II would be SelIcd.
Ii ii were believed TO be- engaged III any enter
prise connected with hloctadc-runnlng; or II
1t were supposed 10 be engaged III carrying
contraband of war, IL would he selZcd. In
dealing with an enemy II was quite plaln mat
all was left TO the discretion and good falth OF
the cruiser of the belllgerent, VINO would
be us much as ever on the lookout lof
ships of this description, and who, when
dealing with enemies ships, would bc subject
TO no real and practical supervision Whatever.
He therefore thought the proposed rule would
he very difficult of observance, and one winch
would be constantly provoking lmputatlons OF
bad faith and leading to acts of retallatlon'
and be practically set aside. lie Would sup
pose for a moment that the rule couiu pc
strictly observed. lie hOpeu so great Il CT
iamity was not likely TO happen, but he could
imagine the case OF Il war with the united
States. In such Il case IL would DE necessary
to provide for an invasion of our possessions
in North America, accomplished by military
forces and not having much 10 do with naval
operations. What would be our means OF
defence We must mainly rely on our mari
time means and power, because the task OF
carving on great military operations III
America although he would not say tncy
were impossible would be an exceedingly dli'
ficult one. Naval operations at once sus-
gested themselves ms the most suitable Tor us
in such a war. We could not attempt 10
blockade and seal up the whole SeaOoafd ol
The United States, or 10 capture the sIcat
cities on the coast; but, on the other haha'
there could be no doubt that, as maritime war
fare was now conducted, IL would be no lSnt
matter 10 a country like the United Stltes II
we were able To inilict heavy blows on thtir
trade and commence, and, rs II has been saia,
10 drive their maritime commerce from tho
seas Even if they did the same 10 ourselves
il would no doubt be IL serious pressure on thS
resources of that country. Gould IL Dc dehleu
that il we abandoned the use OF tlat aiiu
under such circums tances, IT would dllhlhish
our power of action III such war