Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-10-04
ma. New british Neutrality Eaw.

Whs NEW British Neutrality GawS n
Daring the late war between France aud !
Germany the new British Neutrality act, ,
passed in 1870 (33 aud SO Vici., c. 9O,l was
applied under circumstances that afford Q r
GOOD illustration Of the inefieiency Of mum
oipal regulations IS y test Of neutral duties.
The new statute provides, among other
things, that "if any person within her
"Msssty's dOminiOns dispatches, or cAuses
"Or allows to be despatched, any ship, with
'intsnt or knowledge or having reasonable
"oAuSeso believe that the same shall or will
"bs employed IN the military or nardl ser
"rice of any foreign state at war with any
"friondly state, such person 1hsll be deemed
Ito have committed an offence against tins
"act." 10 suoh cases the Secretary OF state
is authorized by the law 10 dstAin tn" vessel
BY his warrant, leaving the owner to obtain
her release BY application to the Court oil
Admiralty, or be may proceed to Obtain the
condemnation and forfeture Of the vessel TO
the crown.
On the 2sth Of NovembeE last the French
"Govsrnment OF NAtionsl Defence" being
about to remove the rsAt of government
from Tours to Bordeaux, entered into a con-
tract with = telegraph construction company
10 England for laying series Of submarine
telegraph cables from Dunkirk TO Verdun,
along the coast Of France, touching and
landing at intermediate places. Al that time
telegraph Communication by land lines
between the northern and southern portions
Of France was interrupted by the military
operations Of the German armies. 1t was Of
the utmost importance to estAbliah tele-
graphic communication between the French
government in Bordeaux and their armies
in the FIELD; but the contract to lay these
cables was not made with the French mill.
taTy authorities, but it was made with the
Director G snerAl of Postal Telegrapby, a
OWL officer corresponding to the English
Postmaster General, aud the cables we're
apparently intended principally for CONNER
oiAl uses. On the 2lst of December a yes
sci belonging TO the telegraph construction
company, with the cables on board, lying
in the Thames, was seized and detained
under . Secretary Of Ststes warrant as
about to sail in violation of the Neutrality
law Having detained the vessel, the gov.
eminent left the owners to their application
20 the court for q release. 1t was sworn IN
the Court Of Admiralty that the weasel was
not fitted for engaging in any military or
naval service, but Was constructed specially
foe the laying Of submarine cables; that the
contract was with the civil and not the mil.
itSry French authorities; and that, although
the cables might be incidentally used for
Communication between the French govern
ment and their armies in the field, the main
object OF the line was not "military' but
postal tslegrapby. Upon this very
thin distinction the court released the YES.
sci.
IL was quite apparent tia! nothing but
the military situation had caused the French
governnent to procure the means of ie!e-
graphic Communication by sea lines be-
tween Bordeaux and seAporis lying to the
north Of that city. 10 ordinary times, fer
commercial purposes, the Fronch govern
ment would not have abandoned the land
lines for the more expensive lines OF sea
cables. We do not say that tbs case was
wrongly decided, but we say that i. Was de-
eidsd upon u verT 6ne distinction, and with
an evident leaning to = narrow construction
Of the law. /. was E'most admitted BY the
Judge who heard the cause thAta German
cruiser could have captured this vessel as
carrying ooouSbAnd OF war bat NJ tho
sane time he held tina, che Was Dot, within
the meaning Of the Eugiish munieipsl IAS,
about to sail "in the military or naval ser
vice. Of France, because the cables might
be used for commercial purposes when laid.
This case, therefore, the very first -
which the new Engtsh Neutrality act has
been applied, furnishes strong illustration
of the tutility Of merely municipal regulA
Gons o. 9 measure OF neutral duties. Here
was q vessel fitted out in England with the
means Of furnishing to ths French govern
meni Q most important facility in conduc-
ing their military operations against the
German armies then occupying the soil Of
France. II any distinct and special injury
so the other belligsrent couli have been
afterwards traced to the advantages Of mill
tGry communication thss furnished, what
answer would il have afforded 70 the com
plant Of the Germans to say that the case
was not within the dennncia,ion Of the
municipal law Of England? In nearly al
such cases the reply is: Whsthsr your
municipal law in force q. the time is ade-
quate or Inadequate TO prevent such aid to
our enemy ia . question with which we have
nothing TO do. II you profess neutrality
your must ful6l its obligations and the pro
per measure of those obligations is the
direct injury which YOU do to Us by assist
ing our enemy, and DOT the Law which you
have made 70 punish those cases only which
you choose to punish. Whether this great
principle ia to become incorporated into the
international code will be- mainly dstermin-
ed by the result Of the Geneva arbitration.
The cable tells US that one OF the real he
ross of the modern church 10 on his vSy TO
America. George Augustus Sewin, Bishop
of iohGsld, has sailed from England to
attend in this country convention Of Prot
eS'An' Episcopal bishops. Bishop Selwyn
Is better known "a the FIRST bishon of Nav