New-York tribune., 1870-12-21
PRIVATE ERING.

! RrpoRr AND DISCUSSION IN TIE CHAMBER or
COMMERCE ON TIE INyIoLABILIfY OF PM
| vATR PROPERTY IN TIME OF wAR-fbb MA
| JORITY OPPosED 10 ANY ACTION.
The Chamber Of Commerce held an adJournen
meeting last evening at the rooms Of the Yonng Mems
Christian Association consider the report OF Comlt'ee
No. on the subject Of the "Invioa5ihty OF Pnva"
Property at Sea I'm time Of War" VIM. T.. Dodge pre-
sided, and among the prominent persons who took aH
In the discussion A. A. Low Jonathan sturgcs Geo
Opdyke, Samuel d. Ruggles, Sinclair Tosey Prosper NJ
wetmorc, and Jackson 3. schultz Mr. opdytc, on behalf
OF the Committee, moved the adoption OF Their report
which Is ~ follows:
| TTrE COMMITTEES REPORT.
Commerce and navigation are, emplaticaly, the main
springs of the prosperity OF country and tho I'm
portance OF our intercourse with foreign nations
hardly be exaggerated. But In order TO realize the full
benefits Of commerce II should Dc free from all unneces-
sary restrictions and abo"c ALL from the fatal disturb
ances To which IL is s Nposed in time OF As far
as possible private property Is not nP Tested upon hs
| laud-the time when II deemed right ana expe-
dent to SEIZE in the enemys coahIry | , ba pon
by; among Christian nations private war has @ yei -
plodcd mon the iaHd: bat not t,pOH fc scd Icr u
still continues afct and disgrace humanity Even
privateering, which, in the laugu1ce ci Johh Qnh,E
Adams Is sy stem Of licensed rOhory, hearing an he
most atrocous character OF piracy Is not yee gn,ay
abolished, and all the great maritime Powers SIN caih
and use the right Of seizure aud oi herSa1
ships aud cargOes by their public aimed yGAhes.
The principle Of freedom of all private TrePrty az sea-
Theoretically maintained, found its first official acknow
edgment in The treaty between the United states ana
Great aud Benjamin Franklin. But this noble example
failed to enlist followers The ustnes of the principle
readily admitted uy nearly all the Governments of
Europe by many even its adoption was adv 0cat"1
particularly by those OF France aud the llan.eatie
Republics but ntal changes introduced into
the usages OF maritime war IL retained us barDarous
features after the Crimean strugse wien, in April
1856, the Governments OF Europe and America with the
exception of spain, Mexico, aud the United STAT,
agreed to observe the following principles as rules oi
maritime law:
Second; The neutral flag covers enemys goods WIN
| the exception of cOntraband OF war.
Third: Neutral goods, with the exception ~ contra
band OF war; not liable to capture under the enenys
Fourth: BlOckades in order to be binding, must be ef
The United States invited to become party to this
treaty and the subject its most serious con
sderaton The second, third. and fourth propositions It
not only willing to accept but most aNios 10 see
incorporated into the code OF maritime law hut linked
the first proposition aboshing priyateerng and the
alternative being that the four propositions must be
cation the United states Government justly imdisposed
to surrender right without AN equivalent hesated to
The United States hesitated to become party the
Paris treaty, simply because It did not 60 far enough
shown, 1t would have been well for us ~ have taken
what might have got yet the motives which prompted
| the refusal command respect. Our Ministers at the
courts in Europe were directed not TO conclude any
tions as TO the right OF blockade. These Instructions
given, and the matter remained IN abeyance
until after the war between France and Austria when
was revived the agitation beginning In Germany, the
Bremen Chamber OF Commerce taking tLe Lead ana
world aroused by the appeal and Joined In the de-
mand for the abolition OF private war , our own cha
IT, and hardly be doubted that the noble principle
number Of its greatest statesmenJeiicrson, Adams.
Clay Marcy Seward, aud Others-would now grace the
OF the United had fit to act in conformity
with the views OF its enlightened predecessors But,
The Paris treaty of 1856 was step in the right diree-
ton-it abolished priyateerne; and we may conndenty ny
the United States would have been adopted that war
against private property would have ceased atogetner
had the negotiations been suspended when so near
happy conclusion In the wars that have since distressed
Europe the between France and Austria in 1882 that
between Austria and Prussia in 1906 and the one
raging between Germany and France no nave
been employ ed because the belgerents all are parties
| to and bound by the Paris declaration.
Driven from the proud position our shipping occupied
shonders unable to build cheaply It il done in Ell
rope while. the other hand or navigation laws pre-
Vent us from acquiring cheap vessels from abroad We
regret the failure OF the efforts OF 1880 much lessened
by Englands sharing it with u.s. ina.nueh as the loss OF
our shipping and the unfortunate Alabama claims arc
due to one and the same cause. ,,... .,,o..o o..
moving in the matter, because they may confidently
are warranted in the belief that Germany OF the
conditions of peace, will demand the perfect immunity
from capture OF all private property upon the ocean Ia
time OF war that the right OF depreciation private
property shall be deemed wrong DO Longer to De toler
ated and that not privateering merely, bnt all war
against private property at sea- Is and shall renan
Germany since the promulgaton Of Mr. Marcy's great
State paper has acted on the wise and humane principle
and prior to the war with in 1886, again,
the OF the present war with France she dccreed that
merchant ships and their cargoes should captured
or mOlesed in any way by her armed vessels. Austria
recprocated; she also absained from dcpredations
| German commerce. France, in the with Austria in
1852 did commit the OF capturing deenseless
trading vessels; but in the present with Germany
is again guilty OF the crmc and will be called 10
account for it.
1t does presumptuOus to say that the salts
factory disposal of the great question, whether not
individual property on the ocean must be sacred In time
of war now depends on the United Sses ana Germany;
and there business aud beauty IN te Thought that tne
two great people who first advocated noble principle
should after s. of labor gain for that principle
The Committee IN conclusion respectfully submit for
readopon the resolutions OF the Chamber Of March g.
Rs.os the perfect aIaa from CAPTURE Of all gnyas prop
q Justice and The p.q,el spirit Of civilization not less than b.
R,cr That Of e tnitd he respectfully
ti%s law. -.
Samuel D. Rneeles seconded tie motion Of Mr. Opdyke,
aud said that he had abored all his life for the promo
ton good feeling among nations He would ask III the
Committee would insert the resolution that private
property be nvioabe except in eases Of extreme public;
Leopold Biorwirth said that he did the necessity
OF providing for any such eases lie thought they might
put aside the fear of oveIlTling Necessity arising
A. A. Low thought we had learned that nations had
be governed by what their interest and
not by any sentimental feeling. II seemed 10 him not
exactly the time, when have large claims against
arnIsI"d to the ccSredetes to orego the y arm we
can make effective against such nation as Great
Britain. We have navy, he said a. successfully cope
with navy OF England but with what could he i'm
| proysed we could cope with them, and not sure
that il wise to adopt report which would lead
foreg0 the advantage or an instrument that has been
| made formidable hitherto.
Samuel B. Ruggles said that he not in favor Of the
system Of priSateering but exigeneies were always
likely arise and FOR these hc would provide England
in is5 had swept the ocean, that vessel crossed the
equator that did not fly flag friendly her He feared
the time might in which the whole Continent Of
Europe will be ed against England and America
and that VIC should have to confront the power Cont
Europe and for that exigenCy he would provide
He wished that the nation might maintain uDdninshed
It's power the He hoped that final action In
the matter wonld be postponed until ans1fs with
England have been finally adjusted.