New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-27
WASHINGTON REPORTS.
ENGLAND'S NEUTRALITY LAwS-SECRETARY FISH
ON PRUSSIAN POLICY.

ENGLAND's NEUTRALITY LAwS-SECRETARY FISH
ON PRUSSIAN POLICY.
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, July %, 1870
Baron Gerolt has received the following dispatch
from his Government:
"Public opinion in England IS favorable to North Ger
many but the Government is not favorable. She acts
with the Neutrality law against North Germany as she
did against America with the Alabama"
The Baron has also received the following letter
from the Secretary of State:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, July %, 1870.
SIR: the honor to acknowledge the receipt or
your letter OF the 10th ns communicating to TINS Gov
ernment the text OF dispatch from Count Bismarck, to
the effect that private property on the high seas VIII he
exempt from seizure by the ships of His Majesty, the
King of Prussia without regard to reciprocity In com
pance with the request further contained in your NOTE
that communication has been officially made public from
this Department 1t s now nearly century since the
United states through Thos Jefferson, Benz Franklin,
and John Adams their Plenipotentares, and under the
guidance Of great Frederick Of Prussia entered into
treaty of amity and commerce. TO be in force for ten
years from It's date, whereby IL agreed hatf war
should unhappily arise between the two contracting
parties all merchant and trading Vessels employed in
exchanging the products OF different pieces ana theIcoy
rendering the necessares cOnvenences and comforts OF
human life more easy to he obtained and more general
should be allowed pass free and unmoested and that
neither of the contracting Powers should grant
or issue any commission TO any private armed
vessels empowering them TO take or destroy
snch trading vessels, interrupt such com
merce The Government Of the United States re-
ceyes with great pleasure this renewed adherence OF the
great and enlightened German Government to the prin-
cpes temporarily established by the treaty OF 1885, and
since then advocated by this Government whenever an
opportunity has offered
In 1854 President Pierce in his annual message to Con-
gress, said:
"shoud the leading Powers OF Europe in pro
nosinp as rulc international law to exempt private
propery upon the from seizure by pubic armed
cruisers well by prlyateers, the Uned states WIZ
readily meet them Oh that broad ground
In 1856 this Government invited to give its adj
hesion TO the declaration Paris. Mr. Marcy then Sec
rotary Of State replied President proposes to add to
be first proposition in the declaration of the Congress at
Paris the following words: land that the private prop
ertv Of the subjects or citizens OF beigerent the
high seas shall be exempted from seizure by public
armed vessels OF the other begeren unless II be con
traband" Thus amended the Government Of the United
states will adopt it, together with the other three prn
cipes contained in that declaration And again. in 1861
Mr. Seward renewed the offer give the adhesion Of the
limited States declaration Of the Congress Of Paris
! and EXPRESSED q preference that the same amend
,nent sboud be retained. Count Bismarck's dispatch,
communicated your letter of the 10th inst shows that
North Germany is willing to recognize TINS principle,
even without reciprocity in the war which has now u|
happy broken out between that country and France.
This gives reason to hope that the Government and
the neope of the United States may e grated Ivy
seeing IL universally recognized another restraining
and bumanizing influence imposed by modern eiyiza
| ton upon the art OF war
Accent the renewed OF my very high consd-
! grafton HAMILTON FISH.